Hi friends!
I'm Shri!
I run the Moon Rice website. My aim is to teach you and get you excited about Indian cooking!
My Career Journey
My career started off in computer science. While working as a a software engineering manager on the weekdays, I worked as a line cook at Watson's Counter, a Korean American brunch spot, on the weekends. After a half of a year doing both jobs, I decided to take a leap of faith and pivot into the "food world", not really knowing what that even meant. This put me on a windy path that has led to me delving into things like catering, teaching Indian cooking as a culinary instructor, writing for publications like Bon Appetit, Serious Eats, and running this IACP-nominated food blog that you are on right now!
My Mission
At the core of it all, my mission lies in teaching folks about Indian cooking and this blog is in the center of this mission. It is truly my baby that I constantly feed and I love to see it growing up in front of my eyes.
Tenets of Moon Rice
While the blog's outer appearance may change over time, the two core tenets will remain the same:
1. Be a Reputable Resource for Indian Cooking
- Well-tested recipes with tips on how to avoid pitfalls
- Precise gram measurements for technical recipes to ensure success.
- Visual and auditory cues via writing, photos, and videos to help build your understanding of when something is cooked properly
- Resources about Indian ingredients and where you can source them
2. Showcasing the Dynamic Nature of Indian Cooking
- Indian cuisine is anything but static; it's a dynamic that constantly evolves through the diaspora. It's not just butter chicken and naan -- although those are delicious dishes too!
- Discover the historical context and cultural significance behind Indian food and traditions (i.e. eating with your hands, complicated history of chai).
- Recipes come from my unique perspective as an Indian-American, offering both traditional and unconventional takes that celebrate Indian-American cooking.
Why Moon Rice?
So why "Moon Rice"? The moniker for this blog is derived from the Tamil words Nila Sadam (Neh-la saa-thum) which translates to Moon Rice. It is inspired by a ritual from when I was living in India where the kids would gather outside with our hands held out while the matriarchs would tell us stories and drop portioned-out balls of mashed-together leftovers called "Moon Rice" in the palms of our outstretched hands.
Moon Rice is the written embodiment of that ritual. This is the place for me to pass down recipes and culture for the next generation. Welcome!
Contact Me
If you want to contact me regarding questions on the recipes, the best way is to leave a comment on the page. For all other inquires please go ahead and email me at moonriceshri at gmail dot com.
Shri Repp