Desi Pantry Staples, Berkeley Restaurant Week Picks and Eating My Weight in Cheese

Sharing some of my fave desi-made pantry item and my fave Berkeley restaurant week spots!

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It’s my birthday week!!! So obviously, I spent a lot of time this week eating all my favorite foods, especially cheese! Last weekend, we did a mini staycation in Berkeley and checked out some new spots for their restaurant week! I also hit up the Artisan Cheese Festival, where I ate a ridiculous amount of dairy. It was heavenly. Truly.

Then Elara brought me a lovely gift of germs from her classroom- I don’t know what it is, but I feel like colds are hella intense this season. Like they come and stay for a while! I’ve been drinking gallons of Throat Coat tea and taking it easy all week for the most part.

This week on the blog:

I love a good Indo-Mexican fusion dish- Mexican papdi chaat, Masala Enchiladas, and so much more! Once I moved to California, I learned about so many more Mexican dishes and just how similar our cuisines are! This week, I shared a tacos dorados de papa x aloo paratha recipe! I filled homemade tortillas with a cheesy aloo paratha filling and pan-fried them until they were super crispy and crunchy. I made a tomato chutney consomme to serve them with, and it was truly the most epic combination!

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Desi Pantry Staples

I love supporting other desi-owned smaller businesses and luckily there are so many amazing brands out there with outstanding products! Here are a few I always keep in my pantry!

1. Brooklyn Delhi - I love Brooklyn Delhi’s simmer sauces and achaars! I always have a jar of the korma in my house- I use it to make quick pot pies- just mix some veggies and paneer into it and wrap it in pie dough! Their tomato and garlic achaars are also amazing! I use them to add to salad dressings, dips, or eat them on their own with a warm paratha!

2. Podi Life—Podis are South Indian masalas made from a mixture of spices and sometimes lentils. I love their crispy garlic podi, peanut podi, and OG gunpowder! I toss the garlic podi with sliced cucumbers or sprinkle their gunpowder podi on homemade dosa.

3. Diaspora Co. - I have loved Diaspora Co spices for a long time- I even gifted my mom a bunch of their spices, and they’re always used up so quickly! I always keep their Chai masala, turmeric, and saffron in my pantry. Their ethically sourced directly form farmers in India and are all single origin! The quality of their spices is literally so easy to see and taste!

4. Down the Road Spice Co. Kitchen Queen - I went through one of these jars in less than a month. I put it on everything! It’s got that chatpata flavor that I love, and it is a play on Kitchen King masala. Elara really enjoyed this masala on apples and cucumbers, tossed with grapes!

5. Seeti Better than Butter Chicken Sauce- Now, I don’t eat meat, but I do use this sauce to make paneer makhani and OMG it’s so good! This is hands down my favorite butter/makhani simmer sauce! Its so rich and it tastes homemade! Rhut is a huge fan, so I like to keep a pack or two in my fridge or freezer so he can make himself a quick meal if I’m not home. I can not recommend this sauce enough!

6. Ashapops - These chili makhana are SO good! I met Asha auntie a few years ago, and she’s such a warm and sweet person, and her products really show that. I keep these in the pantry for me and any gluten-free guests we might have over! They also take a portion of their profit and support the Sankhara Eye Foundation.

7. Confusion Snacks Mint Chaat Popcorn - Omg these are so addictive! The bag holds quite a bit of popcorn, and they use mushroom popcorn, so all the little crevices are covered in their masala!

8. One Stripe Chai Co. - I’m an OG One Stripe Chai Co. fan, and I'm a loyal one. Farah makes the most perfect everyday chai- not too bitter, not too tannic, not too spicy- it’s just right! Also, I might be biased, but my Mango Tea collab with them is also a favorite- especially in the summers! It makes the perfect iced tea!

9. Paro Kitchari- I am lazy, and on lazy days I make kitchari. This makes it easy to make and mildly spiced, so you can totally add veggies and more spices to customize it to your liking.

10. Sourcery- I use jaggery a lot-as a good Guju I add it to my dals, shaaks, and more! Their jaggery is super flavorful and really has a lovely deep molasses flavor!

Any that I missed? Let me know

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