Anshu's Food Odyssey

When I am craving for something that is healthy, easy and quick to put together, salads are always my first choice. Loaded with the goodness of veggies, nuts and some protein, they instantly satiate your cravings and keep you full for a longer time. And if you are looking forward to shed those few extra kilos, they are always your best mates. So, here I am with this healthy and scrumptious chicken salad that I am sure, would be loved by you all. Do try making it and don't forget to leave your comments stating how it turned out. Grilled Chicken, Corn & Avocado Salad with Chironjee, Feta & Orange Balsamic Dressing Ingredients Boneless chicken breast (I used fillets) - 250 grams Sweet Corn on the cob (quartered) - 1 Avocado (peeled, seeded and sliced) - 1 Salad leaves (any, I used baby spinach and rockets) - 2 cups Medium sized cucumber (thinly slices into roundels) - 1/2 cup Yellow bell pepper (finely chopped) - 1/2 cup Red onion (finely chopped) - 1/4 cup

Also known as Lady Finger or Okra, Bhindi is one vegetable which is loved by almost every Indian, especially the kids. While these green, tender, long and slim fingers can be cooked in a number of different ways, its their crispier version that tends to win the hearts of many. I first had these crispy okras at the 'Te Aroha Resort' during our holiday trip to Nainital and Dhanachuli. So crispy and loaded with a perfect blend of flavors, they got vanished from our dinner table in just no time. I instantly fell so in love with these gram flour coated bhindis that I could not resist myself requesting for the recipe from the chef....and he was too very kind enough to share his secret behind such flavorful lady fingers. So, here I am with one of the most exotic recipes that is sure to provide that wonderful burst of tanginess and spiciness to your taste-buds. Do try it and don't forget to leave your comments stating how it turned out. Kurkuri Besan wali

Chholey (chickpeas) is a delicacy, a mere mention of which brings a big smile on every Punjabi's face and yes, that includes me as well 😜. Visit any Punjabi's home on a weekend morning, and there's a ninety percent possibility you would end up inhaling in that beautiful aroma of ajwain, anaardana and other dried whole spices emitting from the chholey being cooked in the kitchens either for breakfast or for brunch.....and our home too is no exception; its a ritualistic breakfast for all our family members on Sundays and absolutely makes for a wonderful delight that is gorged upon unstoppably. Authentic Punjabi Chikkad Chholey with Beetroot Masala Pooris Now, many of you must be thinking what is chikkad and why this delicacy is named so. To answer your question, chikkad in authentic Punjabi dialect means muddy and if you notice the color and texture of Chikkad Chholey, you would see a great resemblance between the two. Having said that, this texture and color is the s

This easy-peasy no-bake recipe has been a super-duper hit at my home this summer season. I have already made them twice and this is the third time I am once again making them on special request from my husband. As he is quite fond of sweets and desserts and you would always find him in the kitchen looking for some sweet little munchies to have after his dinner, these yellow little balls make for an apt choice for him to just gobble down. Talking about from where I got the idea of making these yummy truffles, its from homemadehooplah.com  where the blogger had posted this amazing recipe of orange creamsicle truffles. The pictures lured me so much that I straightaway went in my kitchen to try them out. And since I did not have oranges, I decided to go with lemons with a gut feeling that they would turn out as delicious. And I am glad, I was not wrong in my thinking. If you love the lemony tartness and freshness as I do, I am sure you are also gonna love these sunshine balls. Do try th

I was craving for some pulao or biryani today but it had to be quick, chatpata and absolutely lip-smacking. The only recipe which fitted my imagination was this famous dish from the streets of Mumbai, the Tawa Pulao . Loaded with the goodness of assorted vegetables, tartness of tomatoes and spiciness of the pav bhaji masala, this street delicacy can be found being made on every Pav Bhaji stall in Mumbai on big large iron skillets and I guess, it is from there, where it gets it name from. Undoubtedly, this rice specialty finds a special place in the heart of every Mumbaikar and perfectly makes for a delightful one-pot meal option that can be relished anytime of the day. Plus, this pulao always come to the rescue of bachelors and singles who are looking forward to try their hands at something which is not only simple and faster to cook but, tastes delicious too. So, here I am with my version of this awesome recipe...make it and satisfy your cravings as I did....and yes, its not necess

Bhein or Kamal Kakdi has always been one of my ultimate favorite vegetables since childhood. When I moved to Singapore, I had this notion in mind that from now on, I'll not be able to get such exotic vegetables here. One day, while roaming in a supermarket for the daily grocery shopping, I saw these very clean, nice and plump lotus stems lying in a basket; I jumped with joy and straight-away picked them up thinking of the delicious lotus stem & green peas curry that I'll prepare for dinner once I get back home.... since that day, lotus stems have become a must-buy item in my grocery shopping list and I often get them to prepare bhein koftas, bhein pakodas and ekadashi wale chatpate aloo bhein....don't worry...I shall post the recipes of these mouth-watering delicacies too very soon. Till then, get in your kitchens and try this bhein matar ki sabzi and I assure, you will not be disappointed. Lotus Stem & Green Peas Curry Ingredients Lotus stems (peeled and

With mangoes all around, it was now high time to make this beautiful dessert which had been hovering on my mind for quite a while. And also, as it was Father's Day today, I all the more had an apt reason to once again treat my tastebuds with a delectable dessert. The recipe is very simple, a little variation to the much famous Bengali Mishti Doi and gets prepared in just no time; all you have to do is mix the ingredients, bake and chill in the refrigerator. Simple Na? I told ya 😊. So what are we waiting for? Let's get started with the step-by-step procedure to make this super yummy and heavenly Baked Mango Yogurt . Baked Mango Yogurt Baked Mango Yogurt Ingredients Hung curd/yogurt - 1 and 1/2 cups Sweetened condensed milk - 1 cup Mango puree (I used canned Alphonso puree) - 1 cup Fresh cream (Amul) - 1/2 cup Vanilla extract - 1 tsp Baked Mango Yogurt Method 1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes. 2. In the meanwhile, mix all ing

It had been quite a while since I had baked anything; my last baking adventure I remember was when I made these delicious, crunchy and crumbly Chocolate Marble Icebox Cookies  some 15-20 days back. So, the baking bug inside me was again ticking me to get up and provide some workout to my long resting hand and shoulder muscles (if you didn't know, baking is quite a good exercise and a relaxing therapy for your tired minds 😊). Yesterday only, I had bought a pack of fresh blueberries and rosemary from the supermarket with an idea of making a summer drink ..... but, as you know mind often plays fluky games 😉...so, I left the idea of the drink and got into the kitchen to bake this beautiful blueberry and rosemary focaccia bread and enjoyed it with my evening tea. If you too are fond of baking, go ahead and try this delicious bread and I promise, you will make it quite often.... Wholewheat Blueberry & Rosemary Focaccia Ingredients Wholewheat flour - 2 cups All purpose

Arbi Tuk is a very famous recipe which has its roots in the Sindhi cuisine. I first got a chance to savour this tongue-tickling delicacy at one of my Sindhi friend's home; crispy taro root bites bursting with tangy and spicy flavors were delectable enough to turn me into a great fan of this recipe the very moment I tasted them.....that is not all, when I first made this recipe at home, my husband too loved it and since then, whenever he gets to know that I have bought arbi from the market he is like 'please arbi tuk zaroor banana'....today also I made it on his request and thought of sharing the recipe with you all...also, just to tell you, I have given these tuks a chatpata achaari twist which definitely makes them all the more irresistible....do try them and have them as tea-time snack or as a side dish on your dinner table. Arbi Tuk Ingredients Arbi (Colocasia or Taro Root) - 18 to 20 pieces Oil - for deep frying Salt - as per taste Chaat Masala - 2 tsp Red

Dum Aloo is a popular delicacy which is prepared in various styles across different states in India; while Punjabi Dum Aloo is a bit subtle with creamy texture imparted because of the use of cashew nut paste, Kashmiri Dum Aloo has more of spicy flavors packed with aromas of fennel, asafoetida and ginger, which truly elevate the dish to another level. There is yet another variety of this famous vegetarian delicacy which has carved its niche on the Indian gastronomic map and it comes from the state of West Bengal; popularly known as ' Aloor Dum ', what makes it little different from the other variations is the prominent use of mustard oil in the gravy. Having said that, each variant of Dum Aloo is delectable in its own way and makes for a great dish to be served with roti, paratha, puri or rice. As far as today's recipe is concerned, I am here with Kashmiri Dum Aloo , other variations are on my to-do list and I would be presenting them very soon...so till then stay t

I started this blog just as a normal home chef and at that time, I did not have even slightest of an idea that my recipes would gain quite an appreciation in such a small time...today its been two and half months, and my Facebook Page has already reached 1000 + likes. For a home cook like me, it really counts as a big achievement and to celebrate it, I am here with a delectable dessert recipe which is one of my favorites, the classic chocolate glazed doughnuts . Oozing with the scintillating aroma and deliciousness of chocolate, they truly make for an awesome treat which can be served during high-tea gatherings, kids birthday celebrations, dinner parties or picnics. And yes, as its the month of Ramadan, you can also serve them for Iftari; they would surely make for a superb choice. Chocolate Glazed Doughnuts Ingredients (yields around 8 3" diameter doughnuts) All purpose flour - 2 + 1/2 cups Butter (cold) - 3 tbsp Powdered Sugar - 3 tbsp Milk - 1/2 cup Egg (whisked

So what do you normally do with your leftover tikkas and kebabs? I usually prefer to make pulaos and biryanis from them....with some chilled raita and greens on the side it really turns out to be a delicious and wholesome meal, that too with a minimal effort as a lot of pre-prep work is already been taken care off. Needless to say, my this recipe is also an outcome of one such experimentation when I cooked a delectable pulav with leftover mushroom tikkas. But, don't worry !! though I used the leftovers, you can even make it afresh by first preparing the tikkas and then using the same for the pulav; here is the complete recipe for the same (ek mein do ka mazaa 😜 - mushroom tikka bhi aur tikka pulav bhi....ENJOY !!).   Mushroom Tikka Pulav/Pulao/Pilaf Ingredients (for tikka, serves 4) Mushrooms (cleaned and stems removed) - 15 to 18 pieces Capsicum (cubed) - 1/2 cup Onions (cubed) - 1/2 cup Tomatoes (deseeded and cubed) - 1/2 cup Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp Green chi

Hyderabadi Mirchi ka Salan is a dish which is known globally...I also wanted to try this popular delicacy but, short of the must-ingredients peanuts and sesame seeds, I instead decided to give it a Punjabi twist that too in a tongue-tickling " achaari " style. To my pleasure, it came out really well and simply tasted divine with steamed rice, salad and some papad on the side. If you too have some sweet green peppers lying in your refrigerator, do give this recipe a try and I assure, you will not be disappointed. Ingredients (for stuffing) Sweet Green Chili Peppers (Bhavnagari Mirchi) - 6 to 8 Medium sized potatoes (boiled and mashed) - 2 Finely chopped green chili - 2 Finely chopped onion - 1 Finely chopped ginger - 1 inch Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Fennel seeds - 1 tsp Coriander seeds (crushed) - 1 tsp Red chili powder - 1 tsp Dried pomegranate powder - 1 tsp Chaat masala - 1/2 tsp Lemon juice - 1 tbsp Raisins (optional) - 10 to 12 Salt - as per taste Oil - 1