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Trishna’s Crescent Pinwheels
One of my best friends, Trishna, brought this recipe with her to my birthday party a few years ago. Needless to say, it was a HIT! This is the ultimate game day recipe with so much versatility. You could easily make this sweet with peanut butter or chocolate spread. Similarly, you can go the savory route which is what I have done below. My family can eat these by the fistful so I definitely recommend making 3-4 trays worth! Experiment with different flavors if you want and a side of marinara sauce for dipping wouldn’t hurt either! Ingredients 1 can refridgerated crescent dough (I prefer Pillsbury) 4 oz. flavored cream…
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Thepla
Thepla is the Gujarati staple known to most people. The recipe is for 30-35 thepla, however you can easily dial this down. We make this in bulk all the time at our house and it is very easy to go through 30 in a week with a family of 6! A morning with a hot mug of chai and thepla is so comforting for me, it reminds me to take a minute and just slow down to savor the moment. Also the kid in me loves having a bag of thepla in the fridge or a stack of them on the counter because its such a great way to shake…
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Bataka (Bateta) Vada
Bataka Vada is my dad’s favorite desi fried food. This with fruit salad is every Gujarati dad’s dream for lunch. It is probably the one food that they could eat in every meal of the day. My masi has the best recipe for these (shout out to Rita Masi!) but when she is not here us amateurs have to fend for ourselves. This recipe turned out delicious and we made Vada Pav the next day to close out our wonderful cholesterol filled weekend. Next time there is a rainstorm, hunker down and make some Bataka Vada. Ingredients: 3 Russet potatoes, peeled and boiled 1 cup frozen green garlic 1/2 c.…
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Thikhi Bhakhri
A hot, crispy, slightly spicy bhakhri is the perfect compliment to chai-naasto any time of day. I could munch on these any time of the day and love to eat it as an alternative to roti or paratha. As little kids this was a great snack in the car on long road trips or something that used to fill my stomach when I wasn’t feeling well. My grandmother makes them so well and this is my attempt to get as close as I can to her taste. Ingredients: 2 cups atta or wheat flour 1 cup. + 2 tbsp. warm water 2 tsp. ghee 2 tsp. neutral oil 1/2 tsp.…
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Red Chili Garlic Chutney
This chutney is the ultimate condiment to have in your fridge. It is super spicy and provides a great zing to chaat foods but it also is great in other applications. I mix a little with cream cheese on a bagel or as a spread in a cheese quesadilla for a quick lunch. It also taste great blended with a little mayo and Giardiniera mix for the best sandwich spread you’ve ever had in life. Mix it with yogurt for a spicy marinade, or drop a spoonful in ranch dressing to go with a slice of pizza! No matter how you want to use it, it tastes great. My only…
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Hatch Chili Mexican Bhel Beans
If you grew up a Gujju kid in the States you had this thing called “Mexican Bhel” all the time. Its basically a glorified Taco Salad, and every auntie in town had their own recipe on how to make the beans. This is my version of how to make the beans, it is super easy and flexible. My aunt puts in some veggie purées to boost the nutritional content for her kids. You could also use cook this with quinoa or rice for a quick, one-pot meal. Ingredients: 2 16 oz. cans of chili beans ( I highly recommend a mixture of Bush’s Chili Beans-Kidney Beans and Bush’s Chili Beans-Pinto…
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Quick and Easy Papdi No Lot (Steamed Rice Flour)
Growing up in Minnesota, I didn’t have a lot of access to Indian grocers. I remember driving 8 hours to a grocery store in Chicago every few months to get the supplies we needed for meals. Papdi is something that is eaten very often with a meal. This dough is rolled out into a tortilla basically and then it is dried on sheets in the sun until it is very hard like plastic. You eat it by microwaving it, roasting it on an open flame, or frying it! They puff up and become very crunchy, its a great snack, kind of like a chip. We would wait until August and…
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Spicy Pizza Dough
Almost everyone I know loves pizza, what better time to learn how to make it than quarantine?! This crust is spicy and crunchy, it hits all the right notes when it comes to pizza. It is a yeasted dough which I know makes some folks nervous. However, this dough utilizes instant yeast which lets you avoid that first proofing stage. The base of this recipe is from @SugarSpunRun I have made a bunch of adjustments and the below recipe is for 3 pizzas with a thinner crust or 2 with a thicker base. Nearly all of the spices are optional but these are just the ones I felt like adding.…
