Vegetarian Indian Nachos & Farewell 2019

Vegetarian Indian Nachos step by step. Sweet & spicy Indian Nachos that hit the spot. They're perfect for a party night.

It's my annual Farewell post. As I sit back and reflect on the past decade, I realize my life has been a rollercoaster with many highs and lows. So much has changed, so much has happened over the past 10 years. Where do I even begin? From moving out of my parents' home to Jersey City to California, life has been full of surprises and unexpected turns. You plan your life to go a certain way, but unfortunately, that isn't always the case. There was love, lots of heartache, success, failures, unforeseen deaths, and so many challenges along the way, but what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.

Here's to the next decade. I pray there are more highs than lows. I pray for health, happiness, peace, love and lots of love. 

Now, get some chai as I reflect on 2019. It's a long one.

Work

Work is a blessing. I’m still working for the same company and I consider myself so fortunate that I was able to transfer my role from New York City to California. Even though working east coast hours can be challenging (just the waking up part), I love that my workday ends by 3 pm. I still have the rest of the day to enjoy life - to run errands, meet a friend for coffee, or make dinner. I always say this, I need both my job and blog to keep me sane while I miss home.

Blog

This year, I tried to channel my energy toward my blog. My blog is my outlet - it allows me to share my passion for food with all of you, immerse myself in something I love, and it keeps me from missing home. It has been so unbelievably rewarding to have a platform to spread my ideas and experiment with food.

In 2019, my goal was to deliver 2 posts a week; while I wasn’t successful each week, I did get better towards the second half of the year (probably because I bought myself a Mac). 

My greatest accomplishment this year, however, is that I listened to you guys more and created the recipes you wanted - Indian fusion! Tikka Masala Pasta was my #1 recipe for 2019. I’m so glad so many of you made it, liked it, and then sent me messages and pictures. Through Instagram, I’ve shared bits and pieces of my life on stories and you’ve shared bits and pieces of your life with me. Thank you for trusting me and seeking my advice even though at times I don’t feel I’m fit to advise on anyone’s life.

On days I’ve felt alone, one of you would brighten my day because of some recipe you made for someone who loved it. Even though sending me a comment may not seem like a big deal to you, it is to me. Engaging with you makes me happy, and knowing I’ve had a slight impact on someone’s life, even if it’s just in the kitchen has made everything worthwhile. I make every effort to respond to every single message I receive on Instagram. If you don’t already follow me on Instagram, I hope you do now. 🙂

Macbook

2019 was the year of the Mac! For someone who majored in Computer Science and worked on PCs and Unix machines throughout college and in the workplace, switching to Apple was, honestly, a little scary. I’ve been thinking about getting a Mac since 2013 but settled on a PC back then. Since my HP PC was on its way out, my husband convinced me to look into a Mac for what I do (blogging, editing pictures, etc). Needless to say, listening to him was the BEST decision I made in 2019. I’m so in love with my MacBook Pro - it’s simple, fast, and slick. I can’t ever go back to using a PC for personal use.

Coffee

Once upon a time I worked in New York City and drank coffee daily. Now that I work from home, I’ve stopped drinking coffee and have switched to chai. During my workday, I spend 5 minutes making a robust cup of masala chai and it's my happy moment. It has been a total game-changer - I no longer crave coffee at home. With that said, when I’m outside, I’ll usually grab a Decaf Coffee.

If you haven’t yet tried my Kadak Masala Chai, I hope you do. It’s been a 2019 favorite amongst many of you.

Travel

My husband and I were fortunate enough to visit four countries this year. We started 2019 with a fantastic trip to Australia. I loved visiting Sydney and Melbourne. We had a chance to get up close and personal with a koala bear. (The Koala happens to be Mr. Honey’s favorite animal, and now they’re mine too. They are so darn cute.)

Over the summer we headed to Budapest, Vienna, and Malta. Truth be told, I hadn’t even heard of Malta until my husband pointed it out to me. It’s a beautiful island that’s rich in culture, history, and the most delicious food. Malta was easily my favorite place to visit in 2019.

California & Friendships

2019 was the first year where I could officially call myself a resident of California, and yes, I passed my written driving test. This year I made an effort to meet new people, some of whom I clicked with immediately, while others did not so much. Making friends is always intimidating, and as I’ve gotten older, it’s been more challenging. I find that people are in different stages of their life making it harder to connect with them. The one thing I’ve realized in 2019 is that true friendships don’t happen overnight, as I once thought. Real friendships take time, effort, and a whole lot of luck. Despite this, I am so happy to have met wonderful people this year. As the saying goes, “Two things you will never have to chase: true friends and true love.” What’s meant to be, will be.

My husband has been my rock throughout this entire journey. He’s been so supportive and amazing in helping me adjust to life in California. Right now, let’s just say he’s not only my hubby, but my best friend, my therapist, and my everything. He wears many hats. I’m hoping as time goes on things will get easier in SoCal.

Home

New Jersey is still home for me and I believe at some level it always will be. I’ve spent way too many years of my life in NJ. I visited four times this past year for both personal and professional reasons. Seeing my family, friends, and co-workers every three months is a blessing. I know many people don’t have the opportunity to do so, but I’m fortunate I’m just a four-and-a-half-hour plane ride away.

As many of you know, my mom hasn’t been keeping well. It’s been very hard seeing her getting weaker, but I’m hoping she’ll get better with time. Being so far away from everyone has taken a toll on me, but all I can do is treasure the time I’m here and spend it with the ones I love.

Being home for Christmas is one of my greatest joys because everyone is off from work and it's when we can spend quality time as a family. It’s been nice to relax and catch up with family and friends over chai/coffee. I can’t wait to visit New York City before the Holiday Market closes In early January.

Goals for 2020

My goal this year is to work on adjusting better to life in California. I will continue meeting new people here and will hopefully find a few people I can easily connect with, but I certainly won’t force it.

I’m still aiming to post twice a week as much as possible and will continue to engage with my Instagram followers. I love your input on my blog/stories/recipes and will continue delivering the content you want while being true to myself. As you guys know, I believe in the 80/20 rule - eating well most of the time and enjoying whatever I want the rest of the time. In January, you’ll see more healthy recipes. I hope you’re ready!

Another goal, I want to get to bed earlier. I’m a full-night owl - I sleep late almost every night, but it doesn’t help me one bit. My goal is to get 7 hours of sleep on weekdays, 5-6 hours just doesn’t cut it for me.

Here’s to 2020 bringing us all health, love, happiness, peace, success, meaningful relationships, and delicious food. I will leave you with these delicious Indian Vegetarian Nachos that would be the perfect New Year’s Eve appetizer. You may want to double up on the recipe. Wishing you all a healthy, safe, and Happy New Year! Cheers!

vegetarian indian nachos are:

Spicy
Chatpate Nachos
Scrumptious
Flavorful
Party Food
Quick and Easy
Indian fusion appetizer
Gluten-Free (use gf chips)

how to make vegetarian Indian nachos recipe step by step?

Prep

1. Make the cilantro chutney by adding all the ingredients to a coffee grinder.
2. Prepare the veggie mix... green bell pepper, tomatoes, red onion, and chat masala.
3. Slice jalapeno.

Assemble

1. Line a tray with nachos, any brand you like.
2. Top with the veggie mix.
3. Then top with lots of cheese.
4. Add jalapeno slices to taste.

5. Make sure to top the jalapeno with cheese as well. Into the toaster oven (or oven) for 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees.
6. Cheese is melted.
7. Top with green raw mango.
8. Finish it off with cilantro chutney and red garlic chutney. Serve Vegetarian Indian Nachos hot.