1. Warm summer nights

2. Eating so much that your stomach hurts because the food is too good

3. Laughing with your best friends because it’s 3AM and you guys are all delusional

Which basically sums up our potluck last week.

The theme: Indian Summer

The dress code: something colorful (I didn’t get the memo…)

The vibe: everyone brings a homemade Indi…

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I’ll wait.

Yeah, I didn’t think so.

I call this comfort food-maxxing.

The crunch from the bread, spices from the butter chicken, and that garlicky melted cheese will literally send your tastebuds into heaven.

Top it with a fresh dill salad …

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You could bring flowers. You could bring a bottle of wine. But if you really want to make an entrance?

Bring this chai tres leches.

Here’s the recipe:

*Best made a day ahead. Use unsweetened chai powder for the cleanest flavor. If the soak ever runs too wet, ease back on the chai water next time.

Because nothing says congrats on the new home quite like showing up with a dessert everyone wants the recipe for.

Cheers kiddos!

I know.

You’re staring at it thinking:

“There’s absolutely no way this is going to taste normal.”

You’re right. It’s even better.

Underneath that suspiciously green exterior is one of the freshest, most flavorful fish dishes you'll ever eat.

Instead of beer batter, we’re making a ridiculously vibrant herb marinade with cilantro, mint, green chiles, ginger, garlic, lemon, and a handful of spices.

Here’s how to make it:

INGREDIENTS

Fish

• 1 large cod fillet

• 1 tsp mustard seeds

• ½ bunch coriander, stems included

• 1–2 green chillies

• 6–8 mint leaves

• Small handful parsley

• 2 garlic cloves + small piece of ginger

• ½ tsp cumin

• 1 tsp green curry paste

• ¼ tsp chilli powder

• ¼ tsp ground coriander

• ¼ tsp turmeric

• Pinch of salt

• Just enough water to blend

Chips

• Frozen thick cut fries

• Garam masala

• Red chili powder

METHOD

1. Prep the cod: Pat dry thoroughly (cod holds water — this matters for batter cling). Light sprinkle of salt, rest 10 min, pat dry again.

2. Green blend: Blitz smooth rest of ingredients

3. Marinate the fish: Spread the green marinade all over the cod, coating every side evenly.

4. Fry the fish: Heat oil temperature to 350°F (175°C). Carefully lower in the battered cod and fry for 6–8 minutes, turning once if needed, until deeply golden and crisp.

5. Transfer to a wire rack and season with flaky salt.

1. Bake the fries until crispy and golden.

2. Sprinkle garam masala and red chili powder for seasoning.

3. Pile the crispy chips onto a plate and lay the green fish on top.

4. Enjoy!

One second you’re adding spices. The next, there’s a bright yellow stain on your countertop that somehow appeared out of nowhere.

Welcome to the club.

The good news? Most turmeric stains aren't permanent if you treat them the right way.

Here’s how to remove those stains from your countertop.

Step 1: Scrub at the stain first with dish soap

Step 2: Make a paste and spread over the stain

For laminate or solid surfaces, all you need is baking soda and a lemon

For granite or quartz, you’re better off using baking soda and hydrogen peroxide

Step 3: Wait 5-10 minutes

Step 4: Gently wipe it away with a soft sponge

Your security deposit is depending on you to learn this skill.

Next lesson is coming out soon! So stay tuned.

Brown butter changes everything.

It adds this rich, nutty flavor that makes people think you bought these from a fancy bakery instead of making them in your kitchen. Then throw in a few warm spices? Game over.

Recipe
1. Brown ¾ cup butter until golden + nutty, then cool slightly.
2. Whisk in 1 cup brown sugar + ¼ cup white sugar.
3. Add 1 egg + 1 egg yolk and 1 tbsp vanilla.
4. Mix in 1¾ cups flour, ¾ tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt.
5. Optional magic: a pinch of ground cardamom, cinnamon, and a few threads of saffron.
6. Fold in chocolate chips generously
7. Rest the dough overnight in the fridge for deeper flavor and perfect texture. Roll into balls and add a small piece of dark chocolate.

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 12 min and ENJOY!!!

They’re crispy on the edges, soft and gooey in the center, packed with melty chocolate, and somehow taste like fall, winter, and a hug all at once.

My biggest tip? Save a little chopped chocolate to press into the cookies right before they go into the oven. Those melty chocolate puddles are non-negotiable.

And don’t overbake them. If you’re questioning whether they’re done, they’re probably perfect.

Now excuse me while I convince myself the fourth cookie is just quality control.

By now you’ve probably realized that cooking Indian food isn’t about following complicated recipes or buying 50 different spices. It’s about understanding a handful of techniques that transform simple ingredients into dishes with incredible depth.

In today’s lesson, you’re getting rid of that instant pot, and bringing out your pressure cooker.

And, I’m going to show you the 5 steps you need to know to perfect any dish you’re cooking.

Step 1: Add Ingredients - anything from chickpeas, dal, or washed rice. Then add enough water to cover the ingredients

Step 2: Seal, Lock, and Put Down A Weight

Step 3: Cook It on Medium High Heat

Step 4: Listen and Count - 1 whistle for rice or dal, 2 -3 whistles for chicken or potatoes, and 5-6 whistles for lamb or rajma

Step 5: Release - natural release for most things, but quick release for vegetables that tend to overcook

Here is a short video demonstration.

More tips:

1. Always check the gasket + valve before you start. if the seal isn’t tight, it won’t build pressure.

2. Don’t overfill it. max 2/3 full (1/2 full for dal, beans, or anything that expands).

3. Always add enough liquid. no liquid = burning. pressure cookers need steam to work.

4. Medium heat is your best friend. high heat doesn’t cook faster — it just burns the bottom.

5. Once it’s sealed, wait for the first whistle. after that, lower the heat slightly and start counting whistles

6. No whistle in the first 7 minutes? turn off the stove. something is probably burning or there isn’t enough liquid. let the pressure drop fully before opening to check

7. Don’t force it open. let the pressure release naturally unless the recipe calls for a quick release

8. If you smell burning, turn it off immediately

Master the whistle and make life so much easier.

Stay tuned for more tips on how to cook real Indian food! Lesson 4 will be out shortly.

They’re creamy, fruity, lightly sweet, and rich without feeling heavy. This rasmalai mango sticky rice is one of those desserts that just checks every box.

Here is the recipe:

INGREDIENTS (serves 4):

• 300g glutinous sticky rice

• 600ml full-fat coconut milk

• 120ml sweetened condensed milk

• 3 tbsp sugar

• 1 pinch saffron

• 1 tsp ground cardamom

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 3 ripe mangoes, sliced

• 3 tbsp pistachios, chopped

• Dried rose petals to finish

METHOD

1. Soak the rice at least 1 hour, ideally overnight.

2. Bloom the saffron in 2 tbsp warm water.

3. Steam the rice until tender and glossy, about 25 min.

4. Warm 450ml coconut milk with the condensed milk, sugar, cardamom, salt, and half the saffron. Don’t boil.

5. Fold the hot rice into the coconut rabri, cover, and rest 20 min.

6. Reduce the remaining coconut milk into a drizzle.

7. Plate with mango, spoon over the saffron cream, finish with pistachios and rose petals.

The first thing you notice is the sticky rice. It’s soft, chewy, and warm, with every grain coated in a sweet saffron-infused coconut milk. The coconut adds a silky richness, and the saffron paired with cardamom gives it that extra oompf.

Topped off with the mango, each bite is a fresh, creamy, and lightly floral, with warm spices that linger just enough without overpowering the dessert.

You guys NEED to try this recipe out. It’s incredibly addicting and is perfect for a hot summer day.

I love birria tacos, like obsessed is an understatement, and one day it hit me:

What if I gave them a chicken tikka twist?

RECIPE

Chicken Tikka Marinade:

• 1.5 Ibs chicken thighs (boneless)

• ½ cup Greek yogurt

• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

• 1.5 tsp garam masala

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp chili powder

• ½ tsp turmeric

• 1 cup pre made chicken tikka sauce mix

• Salt to taste

Marinate 1hr+, then grill/pan-sear till charred and cooked through with 1/2 can of diced tomato's. Leave the extra sauce in a bowl

Tacos:

• Corn tortillas

• Diced onion

• Chopped cilantro

• Cilantro and Lime sauce

• Raita

• Shredded cheese (optional)

Dip tortillas in chicken tikka sauce, crisp in pan, fill with tikka, onions, cilantro & cheese. Fold, press, fry both sides. Enjoy!

Instead of the traditional birria spices, the chicken simmers in a rich, tomato-based sauce loaded with garlic, ginger, yogurt, and all the warm spices you’d expect from a good chicken tikka. The result is tender, flavorful chicken that practically falls apart after cooking.

Then comes the fun part.

The tortillas get dipped into the spiced cooking sauce, loaded with the shredded chicken and some cheese (of course), then crisped up until golden brown. Every bite is cheesy, smoky, slightly spicy, and packed with flavor.

And yes, we’re still serving it with a consommé.

Maybe not the traditional one, but a deeply flavorful tikka-inspired broth that’s perfect for dunking. Arguably the best part.

Somehow the creamy, tangy flavors of chicken tikka and the crispy, cheesy magic of birria tacos are so made for each other.

Fair warning, once you make these, regular tacos might feel a little boring…

And then there are recipes that happen because your significant other was hungry and was craving two different kinds of noodles:

Maggi and ramen.

So, you decide that combining two comfort foods from completely different worlds was the perfect idea.

What started as a late-night craving turned into one of the most satisfying bowls of noodles I’ve made all year: a creamy, spicy, tangy kimchi rosé Maggi.

Try it yourself!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pack Maggi masala noodles

• 1 tbsp ghee

• 1/2 cup well-fermented kimchi, roughly chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 green chili, sliced

• 1.5 tbsp gochujang

• 1 tsp gochugaru

• 1 cup water

• 1/3 cup heavy cream

• 1 tbsp kimchi juice

• 1/2 cup low-moisture mozzarella, shredded

• 1 scallion, sliced

• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

• 1/2 tsp sesame oil

METHOD

1. Fry the kimchi in ghee until the edges caramelize, about 3 minute

2. Add garlic and green chili for the last 30 seconds

3. Stir in gochujang and gochugaru. fry the paste in the fat for 30 seconds — same logic as blooming a masala

4. Pour in the water, add the tastemaker, and boil noodles in for 90 seconds

5. Stir in the cream and kimchi juice and simmer until the sauce turns coral pink

6. Blanket with mozzarella and torch or lid until molten

7. Finish with scallions, sesame seeds, and sesame oil

Needless to say, this was devoured in minutes with the both of us wanting seconds.

Let me know if you try this at home!

There are just some techniques you need to learn to perfect your dish.

Today’s lesson is going to teach you how to bring out all of that flavor.

It’s a technique called:

Tadka/Thalippu: the process of tempering the initial aromatic spices in hot oil or ghee

1. In a pan, heat up your oil/ghee.

2. Start off with mustard seeds, cumin, and dried red chillies.

3. Wait until it pops. That’s when you know it’s ready.

4. Feel free to add other aromatics, like garlic, onion, and even curry leaves!

That sizzle and crackle is the sound of flavor infusing into the oil. All those spices and aromatics are releasing their essential oils. So when you pour your tadka over a dish, it instantly elevates the flavors of your dish.

We always use a tadka to bring the most flavor.

So, save this when you make your next Indian dish, whether that’s a curry, chutney, or dal!

You’re now one step closer to out-cheffing your own patti!

Stay tuned for Lesson 3!

I’m not even exaggerating.

It has this floral, creamy accent from the saffron cream top, paired with that earthy flavor from the matcha.

Chef’s kiss.

Save this when you get bored of your matcha. Watch the recipe video.

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup heavy cream

• 1 pinch saffron

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 2 cardamom pods, crushed

• ice1g matcha + 10g hot water

METHOD

1. Bloom saffron in 2 ice cubes until melted

2. Combine with heavy cream, sugar, and cardamom

3. Whisk until thick and pourable

4. Whisk matcha into hot water until smooth

5. Pour over ice

6. Slowly float the saffron cream on top

How does NYC have hundreds of matcha spots, yet none of them have saffron matcha?

Maybe I need to open my own…

The Chai Guy Café serving masala chai, saffron matcha, and all the drinks I can never seem to find anywhere else.

Until then, I’ll just keep making this at home and wondering why saffron and matcha aren’t already best friends. If you try it, don’t blame me when your regular matcha order starts feeling a little boring…

Anyway, this saffron matcha has officially earned a spot in my regular rotation. If you make it, let me know what you think!

If you’ve ever wanted to cook Indian food at home, you’ve probably had the same thought as everyone else:

“This looks way too complicated.”

You open a recipe and it calls for 15 ingredients you’ve never heard of. Then another one asks for 12 different spices. Before you know it, you’re at the Indian store staring at a shopping cart full of tiny jars, wondering if making Indian food is worth the effort.

The good news?

Most Indian food is much simpler than most people think.

The majority of North and South Indian dishes really only need these 8 essential spices:

1. Cumin (Jeera)

2. Coriander Powder (Dhania)

3. Mustard Seeds

4. Turmeric

5. Red Chili Peppers

6. Black Pepper

7. Asafoetida (Hing)

8. Garam Masala

Everything else is nice to have, but are pretty much optional.

Cumin (jeera) is that base spice. It creates the warm earthy part of curry.

Coriander powder (dhania) smooths and balances your curries.

Mustard seeds, when you temper them, wake up your entire dish.

Turmeric, besides staining everything, brings color. It is also a key antiseptic and reduces inflammation.

Two different types of chilies, red chili peppers and black pepper, will bring that heat to your dish.

A pinch of asafoetida (hing) can add instant savory depth to your lentils.

Garam masala gives a refresh to all the spices and keeps your curry alive.

And there you have it. You’re now one step closer to out-cheffing your own patti.

Lesson 2 is coming soon, so subscribe for more!

Tiramisu, on the other hand, always felt a little fancy. A dessert that’s served at the end of dinner in perfect little layers, cocoa powder dusted so neatly it feels wrong to ruin it with a spoon. Very elegant and delicate.

But somewhere in between my cravings and wildest dreams, it started to feel like chai and tiramisu were always meant to meet.

Because both are slow in the best way. Layered, comforting, made for sharing. Both are tied to conversation and lingering around the table longer than you meant to.

And somehow? Together they taste SO good.

The rusks soak up all that spiced chai flavor, the mascarpone makes everything creamy and soft, and suddenly it tastes like the coziest crossover ever. Sweet, nostalgic, dramatic in the best way.

This is the kind of dessert that feels impressive enough to serve at a dinner party, but also dangerous to keep in your fridge alone because you will absolutely “just take one bite” twelve times in a row.

Anyway, chai tiramisu might just be my new personality trait.

Try it out!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups of strong masala chai

• ~20 rusks

• 8oz mascarpone

• 12oz heavy whipping cream

• 50g sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• ¼ tsp cardamom

• unsweetened cacao powder + cinnamon for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS

• Brew masala chai

• Dip the rusks briefly in the chai and layer in a dish

• Whip mascarpone, whipping cream, sugar, vanilla, and cardamom until smooth

• Spread half of cream mixture over the rusks

• Add another rusk layer + cream layer

• Chill 3+ hrs

• Dust with cacao powder + cinnamon

Thanks for finding this substack! I can’t wait to share my passion for indian cooking and chai with you. Let me know what you think and I’ll be sure to respond to the comments :)

Okay okay I’ll be honest I didn’t grow up loving chai. Honestly, chai was my most annoying chore

I was my parent’s designated chaiwala

As a kid, my parents would yell from the other room
”vikram tea poddu”

And I would either say “ahhhhh I don’t know how to” or once in a while be nice and actually make one.

But did I drink it with them?
No.

It felt like an adult thing. My tastebuds at the time were more Capri Sun coded than masala chai. Plus, honestly I don’t think my parents add any sugar :(

Seattle Changed Everything

I had just graduated and left Northwestern to find my new start in Seattle. I met a new group of Tamil and Indian friends. We all loved sitting around and just talking which honestly was bizarre because my hangouts used to always revolve around some activity. The best part was someone would always ask:

Should we make chai?

Next thing you know, we’re all sipping fresh hot chai, posted up inside while the Seattle rain does its thing outside.

That’s when I started actually enjoying it.

Not just drinking it. Making it.

It slows everyone down. It gives you something to do with your hands. It smells amazing. And when you finally pour it, it feels earned.

Later I started tweaking things. Testing ratios. Adjusting spice levels. Trying different teas. Bringing it to hikes. Hosting chai cafes. Making it for events.

A year later I’ve probably made more chai than anything else in my life.

So here’s the version that consistently works. The one my desi friends approve of and my non desi friends ask me to make again. Enjoy!

My Chai Rules

1. 70% Milk, 30% Water

Yes more milk than water.

I’ve tested 50 50. I’ve tested stronger water heavy versions.

Seventy thirty gives it body. It holds spice better. It tastes fuller.

Trust it.

2. Tea Powder/Leaves

Honestly, you can play around with this. Sometimes I use Red Leaf tea powder, sometimes I use a blend but as long as you add spices you should be fine.

3. My 5 Spice Blend

• Crushed green cadamom

• Fresh Ginger

• Cinnamom

• Clove

• Black Pepper

or just buy yourself a pre-made blend (Kolkata Chai)

4. Boil Everything Together

Milk. Water. Tea. Spices.

All in at once.

I don’t steep first and add milk later. I throw it all in and let it go.

You need at least two ubals. Let it rise. Lower it. Let it rise again.

That’s when it starts tasting right.

5. Sweetener

Sugar works. Honey works.

My favorite is maple syrup. It adds warmth without making it taste like dessert.

I don’t recommend condensed milk. It just milks everything.

6. Froth Every Cup

Strain it.

Then pour it back and forth between cups so it froths.

This step is underrated. It makes it feel like it came from a café instead of your kitchen.

The Full Recipe

Serves 2

• 1.5 cups milk

• 0.5 cups water

• 2 teaspoons Red Leaf tea powder

• 2 to 3 crushed green cardamom pods

• 1 small slice fresh ginger crushed

• Pinch of each: Cinnamon clove black pepper

• 2 tbsp of Maple Syrup

Method

1. Add everything except sweetener into a pot

2. Bring to a boil

3. Let it rise. Lower heat slightly. Let it rise again at least once more. Simmer one to two minutes

4. Add sweetener

5. Strain

6. Froth by pouring back and forth. Serve hot

Bonus Kashmiri Chai belooooww :) thanks for reading kiddos see u next time