Anshu's Food Odyssey

Made primarily with chickpeas, also known as gerbanzo beans, hummus is a Middle Eastern classic, gradually getting popular day by day all across the globe. This luscious and creamy dip bursting with flavors of garlic and dried herbs makes for an excellent accompaniment with pita chips, tortilla crackers and even raw veggie fingers. Not to forget, it can also be used as a spread for your sandwiches, burgers and parathas. If you are planning for a party or a get-together the upcoming weekend, and are in a quest of options for some Non-Indian appetizers on your entree menu, then I suggest this hummus recipe is just for you. The best thing about it is, with only a handful of ingredients, it come together in no time. Also, it has that additional touch of juicy red bell-peppers which lends it a super-duper taste and color.... for the best outcome, serve it with some spicy falafels (chickpea croquettes) on the side, and I guarantee, your party is a definite hit !! Red Bellpepper Hummus

Bored of eating the same old style chicken curry every time? If yes! then this spicy chicken in almond-tomato gravy is a perfect recipe for your sorts. Oozing with aromas and flavors of freshly ground spices along with goodness of almonds, it not only adds a spark to your casual dinner menu but, also makes for an ideal recipe to be served at cozy winter night dinner parties and get-togethers. For sure a keeper recipe, do bookmark it and try the next time you are looking forward to a hearty meal with friends and family. Ingredients Chicken (on bone) - 750 grams Onions (thinly sliced) - 2 Tomatoes (pureed) - 3 Ginger (finely chopped) - 1 tsp Garlic (finely chopped) - 2 tsp Ginger/Garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp Thick whisked yogurt - 1 cup Almonds (blanched and peeled) - 1/2 cup Green chilies (finely chopped) - 2 to 3 Lemon juice - 1/2 tbsp Bay leaf - 1 Cinnamon stick - 1 inch Cloves - 2 to 3 Black pepper corns - 3 to 4 Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Salt - 2 tsp (or as

The ever-classic and pan-Indian culinary favorite, Biryani is believed to trace its origin back in the times of Mughal rule in India; this lip-smacking delicacy, during the medieval era supposedly formed the quintessential diet of the Mughal Army soldiers who, in pressed times of wars and battles did not have the opportunity to prepare elaborate meals and thus, relied on this one-pot meal comprising of rice, spices and meat. Over the years, this flavorful and aromatic rice dish gained popularity and crossing the Army barricades, it reached the royal kitchens catering the " Nizams of Hyderabad " and " Nawabs of Lucknow ". Today, this gastronomic delight is a common man's favorite too and is undoubtedly, a marvel of India's culinary heritage that has been tweaked well to reflect regional tastes and cooking styles. Vegetable Biryani While originally Biryani essentially comprised of meat, its aromas and flavors were tantalizing enough to tempt the veget

I am always on a look out for recipes that are easy and quick to put together. One of my favorite amongst such recipes is of classic Spaghetti Aglio-e-Olio . Simple boiled pasta drizzled with garlic infused olive oil, a dash of chili flakes and some Parmesan makes for a perfect week night dinner when I am too tired or lazy to make anything elaborate. While this simple and vintage recipe in itself is such flavorful and aromatic, yet at times it may feel a little boring to have it the classic way. That is the reason, to make it look little more vibrant, I sometimes add few veggies to it. And today, I am here with my veggie version of this traditional Italian Spaghetti - Spaghetti Aglio-e-Olio with Mushrooms and Olives . Enjoy !! Spaghetti Aglio-e-Olio with Mushrooms and Olives Ingredients Dried Spaghetti - 1 pound (450 grams) Finely sliced garlic - 8 to 10 cloves Olive oil - 1/4 cup Butter - 2 tbsp Mushrooms (quartered) - 1 cup Black olives (sliced) - 1/4 cup Salt - as pe

Dahi Bhalla , also known as Dahi Vada is one of the most popular street foods in North India . The tongue-tickling flavors imparted from dry spices and tangy chutneys, simply makes it an irresistible treat for every avid foodie. While these bhallas are often a chaat stall's glory, they also make for festive delights and are generally prepared in majority of the households during the time of Diwali and Holi . Whenever these festivals are round the corner, I look forward to making them along with numerous other sweet and savory delicacies like DRY GUJIYA ,   BANARASI TAMATAR KI CHAAT , CHIROTE , BHAKARWADI , ROSE & ALMOND KULFI , GULAB JAMUN and NIMKIS . If you too love this lip-smacking chaat and are in quest of a recipe that can yield super soft and spongy bhallas, then I am sure this recipe is not gonna leave you disappointed. However, there are few points that certainly need to be taken care of: first, whisking of the batter for good 10 to 15 minutes so that air

" Nan Khatai " are the Indian style shortbread cookies that are egg-free, super flaky and melt-in-mouth. These delectable cookies are a kind of must-bake during festive season in most of the Indian households and that obviously make for some awesome home-made goodies to be gifted to friends and family. While traditionally these biscuits are flavored with fragrant spices like cardamom, nutmeg and saffron, I have tried to give them some chocolaty twist which certainly lends them a contemporary taste and texture. If you too are fond of nan-khatais and love to indulge in them often, then I am sure you are gonna love these chocolate nan-khatais that are damn easy to make and require only a handful of ingredients that are often available in Indian pantries. Chocolate Nan Khatai | Eggless Chocolate Indian Shortbread Cookies Ingredients (yields around 20 khatai) Maida (all purpose flour) - 1 1/4 cup Cocoa powder - 1/4 cup Semolina - 2 tbsp Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup G

" Paneer Butter Masala " is one vegetarian delicacy that is a must order on our table whenever we happen to be dining out. Succulent and juicy cottage cheese cubes dunked into a super luscious, silky and creamy tomato gravy with a perfect balance of sweetness, tartness and spiciness, simply provide for a finger-licking treat to our foodie taste-buds. A rustic taste and aroma of kasoori methi is what makes this delectable curry just out of this world. Wanna to have this right away but, not in a mood to go to a restaurant? No worries, try it out a home with this easy recipe; list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions given below. Restaurant Style Paneer Butter Masala Ingredients Paneer (cottage cheese, cut into cubes) - 250 grams Onion (medium size, roughly cubed) - 1 Red ripe tomatoes (medium size, cubed) - 5 Green chilies (slit) - 2 to 3 Ginger (roughly chopped) - 2 inch Cashews - 2 tbsp Garlic cloves - 4 to 5 Dry red chilies - 2 Coriander seeds - 2 ts

Kachori or Savory Pie is one of the most popular Indian breakfasts, especially much common in Northern parts of India. These kachoris are traditionally fried and come in different flavors, often with fillings of aloo-pyaz, moong dal or matar. Apart from these, the dry masala kachoris are also quite popular and are much easier to make as they don't require any pre-preps for cooking the filling; pulse the namkeen or farsaan mixture in a grinder along with some spices and your filling is ready in just no time. I am here today with the recipe of these chatpati kachoris and yes! they are not fried, instead baked to cut down on the guilt factor. I normally prefer having them with spicy and tangy " Dahi Tamatar wale Aloo ki Sabzi" but, you can also enjoy them plain with some chutney or make a tongue-tickling chaat out of them; choice is totally yours. Baked Masala Kachori with Dahi Tamatar wale Aloo ki Sabzi Ingredients  Masala Filling Spicy mixed namkeen - 2 tbsp

" Kamal Kakdi" , also known as Bhein or Nadru , is actually the stem of lotus, which is believed to be very rich in nutrients, anti-oxidants and fibers. This vegetable is made quiet frequently at our home in different forms: " Kamal Kakdi aur Matar ki Sabzi " and " Kamak Kakdi Koftas " being most common of the curries. Besides, my father-in-law is a great fan of "Kamal Kakdi ke Pakode", recipe of which I shall be sharing in my forth-coming blogs. Until then, if you are looking for an exotic curry recipe that can be served for a lunch-dinner party or a potluck meal, this kofta curry is a must-try. Let's go through the ingredients and recipe. Kamal Kakdi aur Matar ke Koftey Ingredients (for koftas - yields 8 to 10 koftas) Kamal kakdi (lotus stem, grated) - 1 cup Potato (boiled, grated) - 1 cup Onions (finely chopped) - 1/4 cup Boiled/frozen green peas - 1/4 cup Ginger (grated) - 2 inch Garlic (finely chopped) - 2 to 3 cloves Gr

Since the time this food blogging bug has bit me, I am always on a lookout for ocassions when I can prepare something new and special (especially sweets and desserts) for my family and share its pictures and recipes with all my foodie friends. With last 15 days brimming with celebrations for Navratri , Dussehra and Karva Chauth , I was overwhelmed with such opportunities and came up with quite a number of festive sweets and dessert recipes including that of Meethi Mathri , Balushahi, Badaam aur Makhaane ki Kheer  and off-course my favourite, Bengali Sponge Rasgulla . The quest is not over yet and I am all geared up for trying few more traditional sweets before the Indian festive season comes to an end. So, here's one such mithai specially made for the upcoming Diwali celebrations - soft and melt-in mouth " Kesar Kalakand ". It has been prepared with the traditional method of thickening milk with the freshly made chhena until the mixture attains all that fudgy cons