We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Debjani Moitra Chatterji . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Debjani below.

Debjani, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I believe whatever we do and wherever we are in our lives, it is important to be connected with our roots. Both my husband and I are Indians, born and brought up in India. We obviously love the food and culture of the US, however, we also make sure to celebrate our culture and love of Indian food on a daily basis. I think that it makes us feel complete, that we are not losing a part of ourselves just because we are not living in our country anymore.

I think food is an important part of any culture. It is what binds us not only as a family but also socially. The irony of life is, when we are living with our parents, we take the homemade food for granted. Then one day when we want to prepare it ourselves we are faced with this problem – what goes in this? How is it cooked? Now I love my fair share of different cuisines (Chinese, Thai and Barbecue are some of my favorite foods), but I still crave for that simple everyday Indian cooking. I think it’s a part of my DNA now, inseparable from me.

Over the years I have talked with numerous people who are all like me. They moved away from their parents for education, job, marriage and now they miss one thing on a daily basis, “Mom’s Food”. They love the food prepared by their moms, they want to share it with their loved ones, but they have no idea how to do it.

And so, when I started collecting and publishing the recipes for my blog, I kept this theme in my mind, it is as you say, ‘My Mission’. I wanted to bring my readers closer to everyday Indian/ North Indian/ Bengali cooking. I do share other recipes as well, starting from gourmet curries and biryanis, Indo Chinese, Barbecue and grilled food recipes to decadent cakes and yummy cookies. However, I truly think it’s the simple homely recipes which connect me to my followers.

I come from a middle class family (from a small city) and I believe my background has helped to shape me for what I am today. I learnt to be mindful of money which encouraged me to invest money for my health. By cooking fresh food at home you do save a lot of money in the long run. It also helped me to learn lots of homely simple recipes which can be prepared with just a handful of ingredients. Believe me, Indian cuisine is the best thing you will ever learn. Don’t let the Indian food served at the restaurants scare you. That oily, spicy and sometimes a little too mild (making it absolutely flavorless) or too hot (to almost burn your taste buds) food is not something we eat on a regular basis. Our normal, everyday meals consist of dishes prepared with vegetables, whole wheat flour Rotis and lentil soups. Our non-vegetarian foods are aromatic and flavorful and yet light enough to not upset your stomach.

While most of the recipes are authentic hand me down recipes, I always encourage my readers to improvise as per their palate. I believe that the adaptation/ improvisation of a recipe is what makes it our own. The recipe we took from our mom, aunt, grandmother will always remain special. Treat the improvisation as an addition and not a replacement to that recipe. By preparing something I have grown up seeing my mom cook, helps me relive all those precious moments. When I add a touch of my own, I create something which is truly mine.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

Namaste everyone! I am Debjani. I am the founder, creator and author of the food blog – Life Without Alu? I am a writer, recipe creator and a personal chef to my daughter Prisha who is my biggest admirer and critic. I have always had a keen interest in writing for as long as I can remember. And I love cooking! But by that, I don’t mean laboring in the kitchen all day and making a six course meal at the end of the day, everyday. No no…that’s not who I am. I love quick cooking, by following simple and easy recipes. I believe that all of us can cook and with some help, tips and tricks, cooking a simple homemade meal is easy.

I grew up assisting my mom in the kitchen. Our kitchen (at my parent’s home in India) was very small (the tiniest kitchen you will see) but it was just wonderful to spend every evening in the kitchen learning and talking about nothing and everything. Hence, cooking for me has always been a time to bond with our loved ones.

I think there is something truly magical about working in the kitchen together. My daughter (Prisha) is obviously too young right now but Debarshi (my husband) and I often cook together. We play music, pour ourselves a drink and then it’s peel, chop, sauté repeat.

When I got married to Debarshi, I was already working in the corporate world for several years. Knowing how to cook may seem like a small thing but it is truly a lifesaver when you are alone. It gave me the courage to live independently in an unknown city. I have always been diligent, self motivated and have a never-give-up attitude. However, I too experienced quite a few challenges after moving to the US.

At that time, Debarshi was still finishing his Ph.D. He had a research stipend, so money was a little tight at that time. We were newly married so we also wanted to travel and explore. I wanted to adopt the new culture but it didn’t come easily to me. Oftentimes I found myself wondering, was I trying to fit in or was I forgetting a part of myself.

And then one day while watching a cooking and travel show, I saw the host trying a local dish and then recreate it according to his palette. It was then I realized that I don’t have to choose. I can be both. I mean why choose between Tandoori Chicken and Pot Pie? Why not make a fusion dish which will have the bold flavors of Tandoori Chicken underneath a delicious flaky puff pastry.

I taught myself baking and started creating fusion dishes. I started writing and sharing all the wonderful new recipes I was learning, which started as a spiral-bound folder and soon it gave birth to my food blog – Life Without Alu?

How I named my blog and what it means is such a funny story. After Debarshi completed his PHD, we moved on to the next phase of our life where we were a little more comfortable financially. This gave me the opportunity to continue with my passion. I started compiling my recipes and turning them into articles.

Before the Covid era and before we had baby Prisha, Debarshi and I used to travel a lot. It helped me explore so many different types of cuisines and cultures. We were two happy foodies on the lookout for new experiences. The foodie in me always dreamt to eat without putting on weight. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the reality.

One day while deliberating about starting a diet so that I can still fit in my favorite clothes, I said to Debarshi, “Isn’t this the irony of life that everyone loves eating potatoes and carbs but unfortunately, they are the first thing we cut down.” It immediately dawned on me that this is what I was going to name my blog – Life Without Alu? I also decided that this wasn’t going to be a health blog but a place where people can find everything they crave, be it treats loaded with sugar or just comfort foods prepared by their loved ones.

Although technically my blog is a food blog, in essence it is so much more than just a collection of recipes. I write not just about the recipe but the memory or activity that made it so special.

Writing about my personal experiences was a daunting task. I felt so nervous! I started my blog with easy sides, then I moved on to appetizers. When I started sharing my recipes on social media, I immediately got a very warm response. My parents, sister, friends and just about everyone I knew was so supportive. And so I kept pursuing my passion and as time passed, I learned more and more.

At this time my blog has several sections and hundreds of recipes. I also like sharing articles on Kitchen and Cooking Tips, Restaurant Reviews, and more. I like writing everything about food, so if the recipe has an herb, I make sure to include some information about that herb. My blog has a lot of extra information in the form of kitchen organization, spices, cooking and baking tips, etc. which I think makes the whole experience of visiting my blog so much special for my readers.

I always make sure to include detailed steps so that it is easier for new cooks and bakers. I am also working on a cookbook and hopefully, it will be out soon, so hold tight for that. I am trying to add some VLogs (Video logs) as well for better demonstration where needed. I am also adding more and more grilling recipes because grilling is just fun.

I have always been fascinated by the whole concept of Home Cooking and that is my specialty. I think it brought me closer to Debarshi who used to miss the authentic Indian and Bengali cuisine before our marriage. After becoming a mom, I also feel the need to share everything with Prisha so that she also knows her roots. I love to cook fresh using just a handful of ingredients. I believe everyone should know a couple of simple recipes which are easy and quick to prepare. I feel proud to share all my recipes with my readers from all cuisines or cultures. My blog is just like me, not just Indian or Bengali but a foodie who wants to eat and cook not only gourmet restaurant-level dishes but also simple, easy recipes.

Finally a word of thanks to my followers and well wishers. Thank you for your kindness, for reading and appreciating my hard work. As a parent of a toddler, I don’t always get enough time to work on my blog or my upcoming cookbook but whatever amount of time I can invest in it brings a feeling of fulfillment and happiness. I do hope that I will be able to meet and exceed everyone’s expectations in the future as well.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I think it is really difficult to keep maintaining belief and motivation in ourselves. It is easier to read someone’s biography and think how did they do all that? I read about other people on a daily basis. One thing all the successful people have in common is the will to keep trying. It is what keeps them pushing but it is a difficult job to do. Sudden life changes often leave us feeling rather lost and keep us from achieving our full potential.

I remember right after I moved to the US, I felt so lost. I was so far away from my parents, sister, friends, basically, everyone I knew. Everything was so new here that I was shy to even talk with someone let alone make a friend. It was at this time that I rekindled my love of reading books. I also used to spend hours browsing and reading recipes online. I used to watch cooking and baking shows and then recreate the recipes. This gave me a sense of direction and confidence.

When my blog started to come together, I learned that even the simplest of recipes need patience and practice to turn out perfect. I am a self-taught baker and hence I often experience technical challenges while baking. The disappointment is insurmountable at those times. I am so thankful to my parents and Debarshi for always encouraging me. They are my pillars. After becoming a mom, I think my biggest motivation comes from Prisha. I have tried so many new recipes just to ensure that she grows up to be adventurous eater.

Our family recently got hit with Covid. I cannot begin to describe how it has changed my life and not for the better. We are still recovering and our sense of smell and taste hasn’t come back completely yet. I am a person who loves to cook and share. There are a lot of things which go into that process and I am not talking about the ingredients or the process of preparing something. How something smells is a strong indication of how it is going to taste.

After almost ruining a few batches of cookies, I have decided to just stick to my tried and tested recipes for the time being. I am waiting for my senses to operate at their full potential but if that takes time I can always rely on Debarshi and my friends to do the tasting for me. I am not going to stop trying new recipes just because of a small hindrance in my path. I will just improvise which is a bit easier in my case because everyone loves tasting my cooking/ baking. Our tasting sessions are quite popular amongst our friends and I am immensely thankful to them for all their support.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Oh definitely seeing the end result helps. But I think it is the overall process of creating something which brings happiness to me. I often take recipes from my mom and recreate them in my own way. Now that I am a mom myself, I finally understand the happiness of sharing something with Prisha.

I think being able to write and share what I love is the most rewarding part of this journey. I am just not sharing a recipe but a memory associated with it. By recreating those recipes, I feel like I have taken a step back in time and it fills my heart with love and nostalgia.

I hope by sharing those recipes, someone else will also create some happy memories to live forever. There are many hardships and setbacks in life and it is important to have one passion that is absolutely special to you. When people tell me that they have tried my recipe, it truly makes my day.

I feel great joy at creating even the simplest of recipes and it gives me even greater joy to be able to share it with the world. This is my own experience that we should all do something on a daily basis that makes us truly happy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lifewithoutalu.blogspot.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithoutalu/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lifewithoutalu/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debjani-moitra-chatterji-5a75b016/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/debjani_moitra
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQR5ygwF-gp78hdqHDOMhAg
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details_reviews_self?userid=xVXP26qfHFvxlCnH_f71RA
• Other: https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/108090972502987127168/reviews

Image Credits
All photos by Dr. Debarshi Chatterji