Installation Guide

RecipeGen Installation Guide

Follow these steps in order to get RecipeGen running on your local machine. The entire setup usually takes around fifteen minutes if you already have Node.js and Python installed.

Prerequisites

• Node.js version 18 or higher with npm
• Python version 3.10 or higher
• A valid Groq API key from the Groq developer console
• Git installed on your system
• Any code editor (VS Code recommended)

Step 1: Extract the Project

Extract the RecipeGen zip file you received from CodeAj Marketplace into any folder on your computer. Inside, you will see two main folders named recipe-generator-frontend and recipe_generator-backend.

Step 2: Backend Setup (Django)

Open a terminal window and move into the backend folder.

cd recipe_generator-backend

Create a fresh Python virtual environment.

python -m venv venv

Activate the virtual environment.

On Windows:

venv\Scripts\activate

On Mac or Linux:

source venv/bin/activate

Install all backend dependencies from the requirements file.

pip install -r requirements.txt

Create a new file named .env inside the backend root folder and paste your Groq API key into it.

GROQ_API_KEY=your_actual_groq_api_key_here

Apply the database migrations.

python manage.py migrate

Start the Django development server.

python manage.py runserver

The backend will now be running at http://localhost:8000. Keep this terminal open.

Step 3: Frontend Setup (Next.js)

Open a second terminal window and move into the frontend folder.

cd recipe-generator-frontend

Install all Node dependencies.

npm install

Start the Next.js development server.

npm run dev

The frontend will now be running at http://localhost:3000.

Step 4: Try It Out

Open your browser and visit http://localhost:3000. Fill in your dietary restrictions, preferred cuisines, and the ingredients you have at home. Click generate and your first AI-generated recipe will appear in under ten seconds. Every recipe you generate is automatically saved to your library which you can browse anytime.

Common Issues and Fixes

• CORS error in browser console: Make sure the backend is running on port 8000 and the frontend on port 3000, exactly as shown above.
• Groq API returns an error: Double-check that your API key is correct, active, and pasted without extra spaces in the .env file.
• npm install fails: Delete the node_modules folder and package-lock.json, then run npm install again.
• Python module not found: Confirm your virtual environment is activated before running pip install or manage.py commands.
• Port already in use: Close any other apps using ports 3000 or 8000, or change the port using the runserver and npm run dev flags.

Need Help?

If you get stuck anywhere during setup, CodeAj Marketplace offers a paid project setup and source code explanation session. We hop on a screen share call, get the project running on your laptop, and walk you through the entire codebase so you are fully prepared for your viva. You can also request custom project reports, research papers, and PPTs as add-on services.