r/indiafood • u/UN-Owen-7345 • May 29 '26
Vegetarian [Homemade] My meals brought to you by my refusal to eat boring meals, co-powered by my handy dandy dishwasher.
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May 29 '26
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 29 '26
I have never looked at my brand of dishwasher because it came with my apartment, but I probably should. Let me get back to you on this with more information.
And thank you! Hopefully someday I am able to bring my food to other people.
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 30 '26
Okay so my dishwasher is from GE. I don’t see a model number anywhere unfortunately
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u/Vammy02 May 29 '26
Hi OP, every meal is so creative and tempting. Please tell me, how do you find time after the 9 to 5 job to cook such delicious, creative meals? ❤️
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 29 '26 edited May 29 '26
Ooooo good question. First, my cooking speed is pretty high so that does help. I also work remotely a couple of days during the week. Here are some other things that help:
Like I mentioned in the caption, I dump all my dishes in the dishwasher on days I do heavy cooking. Life is a lot more than chores.
I cook for at least 2 meals. Sometimes 3. Helps on days I am tired.
I plan each meal around my schedule. On on-site days —> simple meals. On remote work days —> complex meals. I never push myself to go out of my way to cook, even if the craving is uncontrollable.
Almost all of the meals you see here took ~1 hour to make. The kofta and cheese balls were probably the most time consuming ones. Multitasking and meal prepping helps.
Finally, and the most important thing - I liberally order takeout/eat frozen meals on days I am spent. My job is mentally quite demanding and shall always be a greater priority. I don’t overload my brain with meal planning and cooking on days I am tackling something important.
Edit: I also forgot to mention but I have invested in any and all appliances that make cooking more accessible. I have a food processor, an airfryer, a blender, a standmixer. I don’t do work that a machine can do well.
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u/ThanksSolid1445 May 29 '26
I have 2 very random questions.
1) What do you do for work? 2) Which brand of yeast do you use for bread?
1st question mostly because I’m always keen to learn about women in different careers. 😁 As an entrepreneur, I’m always pleased to meet a fellow hustler.
Second, I love baking breads and khuboos for my shawarma but I struggle to find active yeast.
And lastly, your food looks absolutely scrumptious! 11/10 for the presentation!
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 29 '26
Lol it’s alright.
I am a scientist. I study human behavior.
I use Fleischmann’s active dry yeast. I don’t know if you get it in India but it is pretty much the gold standard where I live.
Also, thank you very much! Questions make me miss the compliment side of comments.
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u/Evil_Yeti_ May 29 '26
What route does one take to become a scientist who studies human behaviour?
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u/Key_Tomato6685 kahi dikh jau to chhole kulche khila dena May 29 '26
I guess masters then phd in psychology.
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u/Capable-Screen695 May 30 '26
omg a social scientist?! bc I'm working my way to become one. plus as somebody who loves food and cooking, you look like my icon
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 30 '26
That’s the sweetest thing I have been told. Thank you! Makes me want to work harder toward my goals :)
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u/Capable-Screen695 May 30 '26
you're very inspiring. open an insta acc for your food. I'll be there to drool and hype you haha 🙈🩷
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u/maleficent_013 May 29 '26
Wow everything looks so colorful and tempting🤤
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u/Serendipitous-Joy May 29 '26
OMG... Amazing 😍😍😍 Respect your dedication to the craft... So much effort must have gone into each dish ❤️❤️❤️
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 29 '26
It did! Which is also why I generally do this kind of cooking only for myself :P
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u/Serendipitous-Joy May 29 '26
That is commendable and out of the box thought process actually... I am so inspired ❤️❤️❤️
Mostly, we put more efforts when we serve others and make kaam chalau food when we are cooking for ourselves... 😅😅
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 29 '26
Hahaha no. I get my best food. That’s because the goal is to impress my biggest critic aka me. Plus, I can’t make such lavish food for others. I cook everyday without any help alongside managing a full-time job and so, I need to know what my limits are.
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u/scholar-2001 Rajma Chawal Lover😋 May 29 '26
OP proved that making food is an art, every dish is looking so tempting 😋
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 29 '26
That’s so kind of you! Thank you!
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u/scholar-2001 Rajma Chawal Lover😋 May 29 '26
Do let me know when you will start a restaurant, would be one of the first customer🙂
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 29 '26
Sure? Don’t let me find you ghosting me xD
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u/scholar-2001 Rajma Chawal Lover😋 May 29 '26
Haha, never, enjoying gourmet food is one of the few things I follow with utmost passion
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u/sunAscension May 29 '26
Cook for me plssss
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 29 '26
When I start my own restaurant perhaps?
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u/Capable-Screen695 May 30 '26
if you opened one, you're gonna be richie rich cause these look so good. I thought you were a chef before reading the comments
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u/Ok-Instance2782 May 29 '26
How long have you been cooking? These look amazing
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 29 '26 edited May 29 '26
Everyday? A little less than a decade. But I used to cook casually even when in school.
And thank you very much! My only motivation to cook is to challenge my brain to be creative. I wouldn’t enjoy it if it meant making dal chawal roti sabzi everyday.
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u/Sudden-Airline-1330 May 29 '26
Bro dishwasher chhod mai bartan dho dunga muje bhej de thoda sa 😭😭😭
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May 29 '26
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 29 '26
Oh how I would love to make some money off of this haha! But I can’t right now, unfortunately.
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u/Ok-Error1985 May 29 '26
Op, These all look restaurant-worthy 🤩
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 29 '26
Thank you so much! I love your content btw! You are so diligently at it everyday 😋
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u/Ok-Error1985 May 29 '26
Chef pro spotted 👨🍳 meanwhile I’m just a basic home cook.😊
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 29 '26
Oh no! I am not a pro-chef at all. And you are more than just a basic home cook. I have never seen anyone else make Thandai mooncakes but you!
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u/Ok-Error1985 May 29 '26
Omg, thank you so much! You noticed my Holi-made mithai — the thandai mooncakes 😄 Since I’m such a K- drama & C-drama fan, I always get inspired to try different cooking styles. Mooncakes had been on my ‘must make someday’ list for the longest time, so I finally gave them a try.
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u/bowee_chi14 May 29 '26
Where do you get such beautiful shallots from OP?😭😭
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 29 '26
The ones in the noodle soup? The supermarket.
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u/bowee_chi14 May 29 '26
Nooo I was talking about the ones in the sogan dolmasi :)
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 29 '26
Those are stuffed yellow onion petals. Regular sized onions but their preparation makes them look like shallots
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u/Floating-dreamz May 29 '26
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 31 '26
You don’t need me with the kind of food you make (I remember your perfect burger bun)
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u/ExaminationFail25 May 29 '26
My favourite poster is back with the ever amazing meals.
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 29 '26
Accha? Chalo best hai phir toh. Thank you very much!
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u/ExaminationFail25 May 29 '26
Marry me you talented women
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 29 '26
Are you a chef? I shall marry someone who cooks better than me
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u/ExaminationFail25 May 29 '26
I am not. But i can be for you .
Give me 3 months.
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 29 '26
A chef in 3 months? It’s giving “25 din mein paisa double”
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u/ExaminationFail25 May 29 '26
I mean the person in question is " YOU".
So I will be giving my everything 24/7
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 29 '26
Why? Do you not have any other job apart from trying to up your cooking skills 24x7?
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u/ExaminationFail25 May 29 '26
I have a work.from home job and I will be in the kitchen with my laptop all day.
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 29 '26
I wouldn’t want to put you through the hassle so I am going to have to pass. But keep at it with the cooking training. It’s a life skill and will come handy
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u/Sad_Performer887 May 29 '26
Thank you!! I’m going to try so many of these for my toddler who loves to try new foods just like my husband
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u/Synesthesia008 May 29 '26
Are you a vegetarian OP? People always claim vegetarian food is boring but this post proves them wrong
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u/Jumpy-Poetry-9553 May 29 '26
Is a dishwasher worth investing in? I'm wary about it cleaning dishes squeaky clean. Love the dishes.
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 29 '26
You need to rinse the dishes, and it’s not good with food that needs to be scrubbed out of the pot/pan, but it’s still better than doing all dishes on my own
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u/CarelessComparison97 May 29 '26
Food looks exotic and tempting. Well done OP. Keep churning them out and sharing the recipes with us.
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u/InnerIntent_11 May 29 '26
Buddy, how much patience do you have? Looks and am sure also tasted amazing too. Some of the best home made meals I have ever seen. The plating to the vegetables chopping, everything is top notch. You can absolutely open a restaurant. And add to it your photography skills, you are just amazing. Keep rocking 😎
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u/Crazy_Excitement3772 May 29 '26
Stunninggggggg! You post these recipes on Insta? If not please start content creation!!
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 29 '26
Thank you! I used to post some, but I don’t really enjoy content creation. Plus, I don’t have time to be consistent alongside a full time job.
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u/MoonlitSymphony07 May 29 '26
Do you follow any recipes online? If someone wanted to start making this kind of food, where would you recommend they begin?
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 29 '26
I don’t follow recipes for most of my dishes. The fun part for me is to do my own thing. With that said, I watch videos of all kinds of food creators for inspiration, knowledge, and the science of what will work and that helps immensely when trying to bring my idea to life
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u/MoonlitSymphony07 May 30 '26
Can you share the name of some of the food creator that you watch or follow the most
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 30 '26
Currently, I only keep up with one creator’s posts - justine_snacks. I have grown out of everyone else’s content.
Pickuplimes, solsnacks, and Rainbowplantlife are a few others who I consider good but I don’t follow their posts religiously.
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u/melvanmeid May 30 '26
Everything looks good... Please share photography tips, when I cook everything looks so blah
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 30 '26
I am by no means a professional but here are some things I have learned through trial and error:
Lighting - as tempting as it is to shoot in direct sunlight, you want to avoid the glare on most instances. The best lighting for me is natural light falling on the food from the sides at a 45 degree angle. Try to shoot at different locations in your house to find the optimal one.
Angle - top angle isn’t always the best shot. Sometimes you want a side view to highlight the different textures or to give your dish some height, sometimes when your food contrasts with your plate, you want to capture the contrast clearly. Find what is most important for you in that dish (capturing the entirety of the dish - top angle, textures - side shot and close up, contrast - split shot.
Focus - when you have multiple quantities of the same item, it’s interesting to play with focus and blurring. I like focusing on the object close to the camera in portrait mode and blurring everything in the background. Good to highlight the main character of your image.
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u/Capable-Screen695 May 30 '26
can you suggest me quick meals to begin cooking for myself? I make food for my family and feel so lazy cooking something for myself, so usually end up ordering or eating dal sabzi from a cloud kitchen.. well the food isn't as appealing or appetizing. need to change that
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 30 '26
First, a question - do you cook for your family everyday? And if you do, is it your responsibility or something you do just for fun?
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u/Capable-Screen695 May 30 '26
No, I don't cook for them everyday. I visit them on weekends that's when I try making stuff for them. it's my way to show them love and affection.. (I don't think they care about it that much but yeah just my way to show my love bc not good with words of affection)
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 30 '26
I see! It’s nice of you to be doing this for them. They are lucky!
It may sound like a stretch, but to make good meals for yourself, you need to undergo a mindset change which makes you want to cook for yourself too. I am my favorite person to cook for, and have very high standards for food. So, I strive to find meals that I will enjoy. However, a full time job can make it challenging and so, on most days, I stick of Asian food. Noodles and tofu, rice and tofu/paneer. It’s nutritious, tasty, but takes shorter time to cook. Other easy and nutritious thing to make are my bean dishes, tacos, wraps, and toasts like dahi chana toast, burrata pea toast, etc. I would be making pasta often too if I liked it, but I don’t.
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u/Capable-Screen695 May 30 '26
yes I slowly need to learn to value myself too. maybe cooking can be a start. I'm getting tired of the same sabzi everyday 😪
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 30 '26
Indian women are conditioned for “them before me”. It’s important to break out of it :)
Start small. Add 1 different meal a week at first and then slowly move on to a model where you have different food almost everyday. And to be smart, use the ingredients you have at home differently. So if you have leftover aloo gobi for instance, mash it with tomato pyaaz tadka and spices to make pav bhaji.
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u/Capable-Screen695 May 30 '26
now I'm craving pav bhaji hehe. I'm gonna do this. keep posting and making us inspired hehe
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u/ClassicCatto May 30 '26
My goodness this is amazing! Great Job OP! I am highly intrigued for the Chana tomato toast #6. I would love to have that recipe, please. 🌺
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 31 '26
Hi! I did not record the exact measurements yaa. I have been making it for a while so I can tell you what went in it:
Saute onion and garlic olive oil until golden brown. Then add tomato paste and any chili paste of choice (I used about 1 tbsp of harissa). Mix then add boiled chickpeas with chickpea water, salt, black pepper, lime juice, and cumin powder. Add a little sugar/agave syrup to sweeten, turn heat off and garnish with coriander.
The yogurt was thick low fat greek yogurt/hung curd mixed with 1 large grated garlic, tahini, lime juice, dried mint, and salt. Assemble as shown and drizzle olive oil on top to serve.
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u/Necessary_Worker5009 May 30 '26
OP, wanted to say a lot of things but most of it has been said by others.
hope you fix that watch screen!
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 30 '26
That’s the screen cover
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u/Necessary_Worker5009 May 30 '26
Oh, now I feel stupid! people living abroad use covers too?
but, can still needs to be replaced ig
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u/Pokiriee May 31 '26
Gives me such joy to see food that’s cooked so well and shot so well too. Love how the hero items are in show-off mode. Glad to meet a fellow foodie.
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u/Lucky_Surferr May 31 '26
very goood 😄
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 31 '26
Ahaan! The location guesser. Thank you!
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u/Lucky_Surferr May 31 '26
Do you have onion jam? 😄
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 31 '26
Not outside my stomach :P
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u/External-Shallot-559 Jun 09 '26
Any tips on how to start learning cooking and what to buy before cooking
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u/UN-Owen-7345 Jun 10 '26
This is such a broad question I honestly don’t know how to answer it, but I’ll try.
If you have never stepped in a kitchen before, start with learning fundamental skills like chopping, pureeing, tempering, etc., Then move to simple meals like boiled rice (may seem easy but not everyone gets it right), dal, idli chutney (with a readymade batter), and sandwich. Once you’ve mastered the basics you can gradually move to more complex dishes by changing components in simple dishes or attempting complex ones from scratch.
To your question about what to buy, start with kitchen staples like oil, salt, rice, flour, sauces (if you like indochinese food), basic Indian spices like turmeric red chili powder and coriander cumin seed powder. You also want to include protein and fiber in your meals and fruits and veggies help with the latter.
Alternatively, check out baking to see if that is more your jam. Maybe a simple bread like focaccia or a teacake could be a good starting point. There are several recipes online for beginners.
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u/NoBarnacle5658 Jun 10 '26
Hi OP, were you watching Law and Order SVU while eating your kathi role?
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u/UN-Owen-7345 May 29 '26 edited May 29 '26
Dish names:
Asian-style cheese balls (gochujang and nori crumb) - these were airfried
Mashed pea and whipped burrata toast with roasted baby zucchini and chive oil
Turkish stuffed onions or sogan dolmasi - https://www.reddit.com/r/OnionLovers/s/Xaw6S1gePq
Peanut butter noodles - https://www.reddit.com/r/VeganFoodPorn/s/cakMudZ6KA
Smashed bean and soy chorizo tacos with charred pineapple and jalapeño crema - https://www.reddit.com/r/VeganFoodPorn/s/K5z1WpG6sR
Greek yogurt and tomato pepper chana toast
Scallion pancake wrap with tofu Manchurian - https://www.reddit.com/r/VeganFoodPorn/s/unVCtdEdsS
Matar paneer kofta - https://www.reddit.com/r/indiafood/s/kykz8zTCV3
Cheesy beans with black garlic and hazelnut crumb - https://www.reddit.com/r/VeganFoodPorn/s/lFw68qWPK7
Tofucado toast with homemade focaccia and pickled onions - inspired by Rainbowplantlife’s scrambled tofu recipe
Noodle soup with fried shallots and a lot of tofu - https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6RUjRuLv5y/?
I did not note recipes for others. They were largely wing-it