Recipes
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Masala Dosa
Masala Dosa is a dish that has grown to be quite the staple in the Bhakta house. It isn’t a dish that I grew up with to be honest. My mom found a recipe through the CookingShooking channel and it really flipped our script! The potato and onion masala is her own creation and its really diverse with a lot of textural aspects from the cashews and toasted urad dal. We have bumped up this recipe a gazillion times from trying to make our own “gunpowder” which is a spice blend to sprinkle in the dosa. We have made Szechuan dosa with a chili chutney, spring roll dosas with a…
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Easy and Quick Sambar
I would like to just start out this blog post by disclosing that this is not the authentic sambar recipe from a South Indian mom’s kitchen. This is a gujju-fied, cheater’s version that comes together super quick and is really flavorful and tasty in its own right. One of my best friend’s mom texted me her recipe, but I really want to sit with her and learn how to make it properly. In a post-COVID world, hopefully, a world that is coming to us soon, I will be able to visit her and learn from her directly. In the meantime, my family has this sambar recipe that they love and…
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Vegan Lemon Ricotta Cookies
I will be honest, my baking skills used to be fairly rudimentary just a few years ago. Lately, I have discovered the value of baking from scratch rather than using a box mix. I don’t think the taste is radically different or that box mix is a horrible option, but I see the difference in someone’s face when they know you’re gifting them a dessert that is homemade. They know the time and effort that takes and I think that makes these eggless recipes even more rewarding. When I first made these cookies they just melted into puddles in the oven and I thought that I should just toss them.…
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Callin’ Code Red Chili: Spicy Vegan Chili WITH BEANS
Y’all I am reveling in my full Texas vibes right now. Yes, I know true Texans never put beans in their chili, but when you’re vegetarian or vegan you will find any opportunity to sneak in some extra protein and nutrients. My dad tries his best to maintain a low carb diet. He was frustrated of feeling like he only ate the same 5-6 dishes on repeat. So, he tasked me with making a high protein, fiery as hell dish that would make him feel full and maybe sweat a bit. The spicy peppers and ghost pepper flakes are completely optional! Feel free to sub out a pepper of your…
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Jalapeño Cream Cheese Wontons
Wontons are a must, whenever my family makes Indochinese food. My little cousins now make an assembly line all the way down our island to make these little pockets of joy. The best thing about these is that they’re super freezer friendly! Just make a bunch, freeze them on a sheet tray, and then put them back in a Ziploc bag! You have them ready to go whenever you’re ready! You can easily make this with plain cream cheese for little kids, or add in more spices to change it up however you’d like. I have also seen people pipe peanut butter and chocolate to make dessert wontons. This recipe…
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Mango Mint Hibiscus Power Punch
My little cousin Veer is a mini mocktail mixologist at the ripe old age of 10. We are all a little concerned for when he turns 21. Every time he comes over I lay out all of the drinks we have on the counter and tell him to make a pitcher of punch for the family. He makes a different one every time! The first one we were really surprised, we had no idea he had these skills! By the fourth time I whipped out my measuring cups and camera to catch this kid in action. I told him if he gave me the recipe I would feature it on…
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Shallot and Garlic Chili Oil
My family is full of spice lovers. Anything you put in front of them always needs an extra dash of spice. This is my sassy response for them. It has EVERY pepper you can imagine but its super flavorful at the same time. For a super spicy addition I add dried ghost pepper flakes from the Sonoran Spice Company, these are completely optional but if you’ve got spice lovers, it is definitely worth it! My dad packs a little container of this chili oil every time we go out to a restaurants to add a little flavor to his meal. This is good on pretty much anything, you can dip…
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Mom’s Mini Baklava Pies
Baklava is typically known as a Middle Eastern dessert. It is typically a phyllo pastry stuffed with pistachios and drizzled with honey. It is warm and nutty, the perfect holiday dessert! These are perfect for a holiday party or a family get together. The perfect thing is that it’s small and bite-sized so you can make a bunch and they’ll go like hotcakes. My mom’s recipe isn’t super traditional, a lot of elements have been updated to accommodate our family’s tastes. If you have family members that don’t like super sweet desserts this is perfect! The nutmeg and cardamom in this dessert are so perfect to get a warm, Desi…
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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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Bruschetta
My mom is a bruschetta super fan, back in the day she had some at CPK (I know.) and it was a wrap. She asks for these every time we make pasta, it’s super quick and poppable as an appetizer and it’s great to make in advance! If you make the bruschetta topping in advance, drain the excess liquid before topping your crostini’s. I made this bruschetta with homemade baguettes from Binging with Babish. The recipe was super easy to follow and the end result was AMAZING! I can’t wait to make it again, it was so worth the wait. Definitely check out his page if you want to do…
