desi bytes

Inspiration

As students living away from home, we were always craving mom-made food—but following recipe videos felt chaotic. We wanted a smoother way to feel at home through food, and that’s how Desi Bytes was born.

What it does

Desi Bytes is a vibrant, no-code recipe app that connects users to curated YouTube cooking videos for authentic Indian dishes. It’s cute, intuitive, and perfect for anyone missing that desi touch.

How we built it

We built Desi Bytes using Glide, a no-code platform that let us turn a Google Sheet into a fully functional mobile app in record time. Key features include: YouTube video embeds for every recipe Categories & filters (North Indian, South Indian, snacks, sweets, etc.) A colorful, spice box–inspired UI Mobile-first design, perfect for students & beginner cooks

Challenges we ran into

Limiting features within Glide’s free tier Making the UI pop while staying within a no-code layout system Ensuring video links were always up-to-date and relevant

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Launched a functional MVP in hours—not weeks Made tech accessible through a no-code platform Designed a unique desi visual language for the app Connected users directly to high-quality, community-loved recipes

What we learned

No-code doesn’t mean no innovation How to optimize UX with Glide’s tools That storytelling through design is as powerful as code

What's next for desi bytes

User accounts for personalized recipe libraries Social sharing + feedback on videos Recipe rating system Integration with regional language content Possibly transitioning to a full-code version as it scales

Built With

• glide
• youtube