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Jalapeno Grilled Cheese
I’ve always liked my grilled cheese a little spicy, when I was a kid it was a plain grilled cheese with a side of chili sauce. Today, it is a little upgraded with jalapeño cream cheese and some spicy chutney! This recipe is spicy in all the right ways with a creamy, cooling effect of the cream cheese. You can mix it up a bunch of different ways with different chutneys and spreads, but this is my favorite! I serve it up with a whole bunch of air-fried curly fries and a tall glass of soda with lots of ice! Check out the recipe and let me know what you…
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Mushroom Stroganoff
Mushroom Stroganoff is an easy weeknight meal! My roommate from college would always order a mushroom stroganoff when we used to go out to dinner at our favorite pasta spot. At the time I was a mushroom naysayer but I think I am recently on the way to converting. I looked up the classic elements of a stroganoff: wine, roux, and dairy! It came together fairly quick and was a crowd-pleaser right off the bat. I used rigatoni pasta instead of the traditional egg noodles to keep this recipe eggless as well. It is hearty and satisfying, you might not miss the meat!
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Idna
When people think of Gujju food they often think about Dhokla, my understanding is that dhokla and idna are very closely related. My sister loves a plate of dhokla for lunch life gets too busy, it’s oddly comforting for her. These can be made a bunch of different ways, but this recipe is my favorite. I love it with whole chana dal for an added crunch. My family always makes their own rice flour and dal flours which has been a blessing for us all these years, but when I moved away I needed a dose of that comfort food. The dhokla flour from Swad is a great alternative if…
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Vaghareli Khichdi
Vaghareli Khichdi is one of the best comfort foods for Gujju kids. This is the equivalent of chicken noodle soup for when you’re sick, when you’re sad, when you’re hungry…pretty much everything. My mom made this with extra peanuts all the time because it was my favorite, and she never messed with cashews or raisins because that’s a cardinal sin in my house. Ultimately, when I want something easy and tasty this is a dish I often come to because I can cook everything in one pot and be done with it. I also am not going to lie, I love when it sticks to the bottom of the pot…
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Dal Paratha
This is one dish I never really grew up with, but I saw these Dal Paratha being made on several websites so I thought I would take a stab using my mom’s Dal Lahsuni recipe. I wanted something super flavorful that sort of resembled Thepla and I really think I achieved that. I recommend spicing up your dough more than you think you need to because I think it mellows out later in the process. I also recommend blending the dal into a paste before mixing into your wheat flour, just for a more smooth consistency. Check this dish out today, and never waste another serving of dal again!
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Dal Lahsuni
I first saw and tried this dish at a restaurant near me. My dad loved the extra garlicky kick to it. My mom decided to recreate it at home in her own way. This is a great way to upgrade something that’s normally so bland. Pump up your normal dal chawal and try out this Dal Lahsuni, you could easily do this in the Instant pot or on a stove top if you don’t have a pressure cooker at home, I would just make the tomato and onion mixture on sauté mode first and then add the water and dal and pressure cook until its soft and tender. Feel free…
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Khata Puda
My mom’s side of the family is HUGE, and they’re all pretty close. When I was younger I have great memories of my Mami Ma and Ba teaming up to dole out food left, right, and center. One single text message for dinner could round up at least 20 of us at any given time. My Mami Ma used to make Khata Puda in a paint bucket form Home Depot and I always used to think she was overshooting the amount my uncles could eat. Lo and behold, every single pudo would be gone in a flash. After my Mami Ma passed this was the memory of her that I…
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Dabeli
Dabeli are the perfect street snack in Gujarat. They’re tangy, spicy, a little sweet, crispy and crunchy around the edges but also buttery from the ghee. I can eat about 10 of these on the spot, the filling is just so lip-smacking. You definitely can’t stop at just 1. I started making these a few years back when I entered them in a food competition, and I’ve been hooked ever since. The only Dabeli Hardik had ever had were the frozen variety, I made these fresh for him when he was here for a visit and he’s a fan! I serve these up piping hot with a little bit of…
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One Pot Pav Bhaji
Around the world there are several meals that started out as scraps and were turned into classics. American hot dogs, broken rice, and pav bhaji are essentially dishes produced from items that were deemed inferior or leftover from making other entreés. Pav Bhaji is a quick and easy meal for those on the go. I think I can make this in under 30 minutes with only one pot! There are several great recipes out there but I feel like this is the closest to that authentic Mumbai taste! Ingredients: 1.5 onions, diced 1 stick or 1/2 c. of butter + additional for garnish (oil can be used if keeping this…
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Moong nu Khatyu
When Hardik first came to visit me in Texas, the first thing he wanted to eat was Moong Bhat. I am sitting there thinking to myself, “Are you crazy?!!? Moong bhat?! Over pizza?! BUT WHY?!” What can I say y’all I am marrying a desi boy through and through. All of the men in my family love moong too and I can’t figure out why. All of the women in my family pass on it every single time. To be honest though, when I took a bite of this moong nu khatyu it was like the Snickers bar commercial for my soul. I could feel my heart coming alive again…
