CulinaX — Hybrid Architecture

Flutter + Firebase + Generative AI (Gemini/OpenAI)

Pakistani cooking assistant combining deterministic rule-based pantry logic with generative AI intelligence.

Hybrid Flow

STEP 1 — Rule Engine (deterministic)
  ├── Pantry inventory & expiry
  ├── Ingredient matching & scores
  ├── Grocery list generation
  └── Meal scheduling

STEP 2 — AI Layer (generative)
  ├── AI Chef chatbot
  ├── Recipe generation
  ├── Recommendation explanations
  ├── Ingredient substitutions
  ├── Cooking guidance
  └── Meal suggestions

AI Features

Feature	Layer
Pantry CRUD, expiry alerts	Rule-based
Recipe % match ranking	Rule-based
Auto grocery list	Rule-based
AI Chef chat	Gemini / OpenAI
AI recipe generator	Gemini / OpenAI
Why recommended?	Hybrid
AI substitutions	Generative
Step-by-step AI tips	Generative + TTS
Barcode / image scan	On-device

Setup

1. Firebase

flutterfire configure

Enable Auth (Email), Firestore, Storage.

2. AI API Key

Profile → AI Settings or:

flutter run --dart-define=GEMINI_API_KEY=your_key_here

Get Gemini key: https://aistudio.google.com/apikey

3. Run

flutter pub get
flutter run

Project Structure

lib/
├── ai_services/          # Gemini, OpenAI, AiChef, Hybrid
├── repositories/         # ai_repository (Firestore history)
├── services/             # recipe_engine, firestore (rules)
├── providers/
├── models/
├── screens/
│   ├── ai_chef_screen.dart
│   ├── ai_recipe_generator_screen.dart
│   └── ai_settings_screen.dart
└── widgets/
    ├── ai_explanation_card.dart
    └── ai_recipe_card.dart

Firestore Collections

• users, pantry_items, recipes, grocery_list, meal_plans
• ai_interactions — chat & generation history

FYP Demo Script

1. Login → add pantry (Chicken, Rice, Milk with expiry)
2. Home — see hybrid AI Smart Picks with explanations
3. AI Chef — ask "What can I cook with eggs and potatoes?"
4. AI Recipe Generator — create hostel dinner from pantry
5. Recipe detail — "AI: Why this recipe?" + substitution button
6. Cooking mode — AI tip per step + TTS

Tech Stack

• Flutter, Provider, Firebase
• google_generative_ai (Gemini)
• http (OpenAI fallback)
• Rule engine unchanged in services/recipe_engine.dart