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Garlic Herb Focaccia
Bread making is a skillset that I will be taking with me from 2020 into this new year. I have made pita, focaccia, naan, and took a failed stab at sourdough. Maybe sourdough starter and I were never meant to be. I might need to to work harder on our relationship, who knows. What I am excelling at are the quick bread recipes. This brings me to this focaccia recipe. My family doesn’t believe in the simplicity of just flour, salt, yeast, and water. Everything has to be a little spicy with specks of color and flavor that you can see. This bread turned out so nice and garlicky. It…
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Spicy Rigatoni Rosa
As far as chains go, I don’t really discriminate. I’m not going to lie I love pretty much everything, anywhere. I feel like there is nothing more comforting than a big plate of pasta. One of my favorite chains is Buca di Beppo. The Spicy Chicken Rigatoni (minus the chicken) is one of my favorite dishes of ALL TIME. I can probably finish a whole plate of garlic bread too. My family can be quite picky with non-Indian dishes so the Spicy Rigatoni is a rare dish that everyone loves. This is my take on making a copy cat. There are several online, I have taken the crux of it…
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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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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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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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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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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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Thikhi Puri
Both of my grandmothers always have a container of thikhi puri in their pantry. No matter what, my nose would sniff it out, even as a 5-year-old. Thikhi puri is one of those things that is really reminiscent of childhood for a lot of Gujarati kids. Even as we grow into adults, its something that reminds us of home. During quarantine, its all about making the day a little extra special. Hot puris are an easy way to create that little pocket of nostalgia in under 30 minutes! Ingredients: 2 c. wheat flour 3/4 c. water 1 tbsp. neutral oil 1 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. ground cumin (jeera) 1/2 tsp.…
