Sandhya, a native of Lexington,  is the creator and publisher of Indfused, an award winning blog dedicated to Indian and innovative Indian fusion recipes.

An architect by education, her other creative talents and interests include interior design, kitchen design, arts and crafts, DIY, jewelry making and fashion design.

A passionate cook and foodie, her healthy recipes also reflect her extensive interest in nutrition and Ayurveda. Her love for design and color coordination has found its way to food presentation too.  She also teaches an array of cooking classes.

When not blogging, she is actively involved in the community. She is a Director at the Shishu Bharati School of Indian languages and Culture where she has been volunteering for over two decades.

Inspiration behind your blog and the name?

I learned to cook from my mother, Mrs. Vaijayanti Rege, who taught cooking classes and published two cookbooks – Ruchi and Zanzaneet Non-Veg – in Marathi. She was an amazing cook, and I like to believe I inherited her passion for cooking and innovating recipes! The solid foundation I got from my mom in the culinary arts gave me the confidence to create new fusion recipes when I arrived here in America over 30 years ago. The name Indfused for the blog comes from Indian and Indian fusion cooking.

Have you always been interested in cooking and recipes? Any family story to share?

During school and college days, I was pampered eating my mother's fabulous food. I started cooking on my own after I came to America but I was lucky to have an arsenal of Aai's recipes and tips. My interest in recipes and cooking has just kept on growing over the years. My family knows that I love experimenting and creating new recipes. I remember when the children were little, my husband and children had secretly bet on how soon I would try to create a recipe from an inspiration I found on a family trip to Quebec. When I announced the following Friday evening that I had a surprise dessert, they all burst out laughing,letting me in on their secret bet!

How do you design your recipes?

My focus in designing the recipes is to make them healthier, without compromising the taste. I streamline the recipes to make them quick and easy for today's lifestyle and use ingredients that are locally available to us. I also love creating and presenting fusion recipes where I can bring together the varied flavors and flair from around the world.

Any interesting narrative on online presence?

Blogging has been a rewarding experience for me.I have made so many friends online from around the world and feel blessed to have been recognized for various awards by my very talented fellow bloggers.Also, I am thrilled when someone across the globe tries my recipe and comments on it.

What are your favorite kitchen tools ?

I am crazy about kitchen tools,so this is a tough question. The ones I am using in innovative ways these days is my aape or ebelskiver pan  and my Belgian waffle maker. After I published the two recipes that I am sharing with you below, so many of my blog followers told me that they went out and bought the aape pan and wafflemaker. Do try the Figure friendly Gobi Manchurian made in appe pan I am also working on a stuffed mushroom recipe made in aape pan for this Friday's post.

Please share two recipes?

The Jalapeno Poppah Aapah with a loving nod to our favorite Boston accent!

https://indfused.wordpress.com/2015/08/07/japalpeno-poppah-aappah/

And the scrumptious Kothimbir wadi waffle is a healthier option of the favorite Maharashtrian snack that is generally deep fried.

https://indfused.wordpress.com/2015/10/09/kothimbir-vadi-waffle/

(They are reproduced in our  Lokvani recipe section)

Share any tips on how  to be a successful blogger?

I think good,solid content is the key. I test my recipes measuring every single ingredient, writing the tips that worked to make sure my readers can recreate the recipe. I learned this from my mother observing her when she taught cooking classes and when she wrote her cook books.

I am very passionate about cooking and have a huge repertoire of recipes and ideas to share. I am grateful to Indfused followers for about 100,000 views so far and I hope that your readers will enjoy the recipes too. I would love to hear from them!

Thank you!

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