This Kottayam recipe vlogger is winning over a Hindi audience

“Namaste…aaj aap keliye sambar bana rahi hoon…” wait a minute? Did we hear that right? What’s sambar doing in North India? Kottayam-based Liya Dominic has the answer to that question. Liya admits that she started this venture after realizing that North Indians love Kerala food. And her videos have crossed a million views already. Clearly, that shows that she was right!

She calls her kitchen Authentic Kerala. She wanted to do something helpful for society and that’s when she came up with this concept during the lockdown.

Who is she?

She is a nurse by profession and has worked at various hospitals in Kerala for 6 years. It was after quitting her job following marriage and kids that she thought of doing cooking videos. She started with idli-sambar and palappam-stew recipes.

Presentation in Hindi

It all started when her Hindi-speaking friends started asking her for Kerala recipes after tasting her food. And they also wanted them in their language. When she saw their interest, she decided to give it a try. Present a Kerala cooking vlog in Hindi.

It was her North Indian friends who would give her suggestions to improve her diction. Liya knows her Hindi diction isn’t great, but she is glad that her recipes are a hit. And they are also trying these recipes. Liya is happy to be of help to someone.

This (managing a YouTube channel, editing and shooting videos) was also new terrain for Liya who had been shuttling in and around hospitals. Her husband Sherin Varghese took charge of the camera, and editing works, thus making her work easier.

Tired of dal and aloo curry?

When it comes to North Indian cuisine, they prefer roti, dal, bindi, and aloo. Though they have a huge list of sweets and desserts, they don’t have much varieties for their main course unlike Kerala cuisine, says Liya. She claims that a lot of her North Indian friends have complained to her over the same. They told her how they are in love with the taste of Kerala and how they enjoy the umpteen dishes part of it. Liya’s YouTube channel has now become their favourite Kerala recipe book.