I Asked AI To Create A Recipe Using Only The Ingredients In My Fridge; Here’s How It Turned Out

Some days, the refrigerator isn’t empty, it’s just confusing. A few cheese slices, some mushrooms that need to be used soon, capers from a forgotten recipe, curry leaves, leftover rice, a bit of grated coconut, zucchini, carrots, sauces, and vinegars – all good ingredients individually, but not obviously meant to come together. On one such day, instead of scrolling endlessly or ordering food, I did something different. I listed out the ingredients sitting in my fridge and asked AI to create a recipe using only those ingredients.

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What came back was a simple one-pan rice dish. On paper, it sounded a little chaotic. But also interesting. So I followed the recipe step by step. Every ingredient went in exactly as suggested.

I started by searing mushrooms properly, letting them brown instead of stirring them around. They turned crisp on the edges and deeply savoury. Zucchini and carrots added freshness and colour. Capers, chilli sauce, and a hint of balsamic added tang and heat, while tomato puree provided the dish’s foundation. Everything came together once the rice was folded in, absorbing all those flavours. A little grated coconut added texture and richness, and finally, torn pieces of cheese melted gently through the rice.

There was one learning moment, though. With mustard, capers, chilli sauces, and balsamic vinegar all in play, the dish leaned a little too vinegary for my taste. Nothing unpleasant, just sharper than I prefer. I adjusted as I cooked, balancing it out with more rice, cheese, and a little honey, tasting as I went. And honestly, that felt like the real point of this experiment. By the end, the dish was genuinely delicious.

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The Recipe: Spicy Cheesy Mushroom–Zucchini Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 cup boiled rice
• 3/4 cup mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 1/2 cup zucchini, sliced
• 1/2 cup grated carrot
• 1 tbsp grated coconut
• 2 cheese slices, torn
• 1 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
• 8–10 curry leaves
• 1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp garlic, finely chopped
• 3.4 tsp mustard sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tbsp chilli sauce
• 1/2 tsp Tabasco
• 3/4 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
• Oil and salt, as needed

Method

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil. Fry the pumpkin seeds till puffed and golden and remove. In the same oil, fry curry leaves till crisp. Add a tiny pinch of salt to them both and set aside.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide pan. Add mushrooms in one layer. Let them brown without stirring for 1–2 minutes.
3. Add ginger, garlic, and mustard sauce. Stir for 30–40 seconds till fragrant.
4. Add zucchini and carrot. Cook for 2–3 minutes, and then add tomato puree and cook till glossy. Stir in capers, chilli sauce, Tabasco, balsamic vinegar, and some salt.
5. Add boiled rice and grated coconut, and fold it gently.
6. Turn off the heat and place cheese pieces over the rice. Cover for 1 minute, then gently fold.
7. Top generously with the curry leaf–pumpkin seed crunch.

This wasn’t just a recipe, it was an experiment in using what I already had, trusting the process, and letting taste guide the final result. The most surprising thing to me was not that AI gave me a recipe, but rather how useful it was as a starting point. Cooking carefully, making adjustments, and following your gut were what truly brought me joy.

This turned out to be a great reminder: your fridge isn’t a limitation. It’s a creative prompt.

Cover Image Courtesy: Mallika Khurana and ChatGPT