Anshu's Food Odyssey

I have always been an ardent fan of South Indian Style Dahi Vada or Thayir Vadai . The first time I had this lipsmacking curd and vada preparation was at the famous restaurant chain Sagar Ratna and trust me, I was completely bowled over with the mild taste of the dish. The crispness of lentil vadas, the subtle sweetness of yogurt and that delicious and aromatic tempering of curry leaves and green chilies lent the humble delicacy a unique medley of flavors. Not to forget, the crunch of boondi sprinkled on top was just to die for. Although I love our very own North Indian Style Dahi Bhallas too, but this variation in South Indian Style was such a lovely delight that I became a fan of it in no time. Reminiscing the Thayir Vadai preparation, I thought of making the same today but a farali version of it because I am observing the Navratri fasts . So, the lentil vadas in this recipe have been replaced with vadas made of samak rice, potatoes, sabudana and foxnut meal. Fried till ...

Poha in Marathi language means flattened or beaten rice, Kanda means onions and batata refers to potatoes, hence its the flattened rice made along with potatoes and onions. Not to mention, it is one of the most famous and delicious breakfast recipes from the Maharashtrian cuisine. Often, it is also made as a quick snack recipe good to enjoy with tea in the evening. Frankly telling, I have grown up having poha in the breakfast apart from other delectable delicacies like SPROUTED MOONG DAL DOSA , IDLI, MEDU VADA, OATS & VEGGIE APPE and sometimes the yummilicious AMRITSARI ALOO KULCHAS or crisp pooris along with spicy  MATHURA KE DUBKI WALE ALOO . I have made this poha recipe with both onions and potatoes, however, if you wish, you can omit the potatoes and just add onions, which would make it to be called as Kanda Poha. Maharashtrian Kanda Batata Poha Recipe FEW TIPS FOR MAKING POHA For the best poha, ensure you are using the thicker variety of pohe....

Dubki wale aloo is a lip-smacking potato curry that comes from the city of Mathura in the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. A popular street food delicacy as well as a homely sabzi, it is mostly enjoyed with some khasta kachoris or pooris, specifically the Bedmi Pooris on the side. Mathura ke Dubki Wale Aloo | Spiced Potato Curry for Poori Mathura, the city famous as Lord Krishna's birthplace, is also well-known for its mouth-watering street food and scrumptious sweets & milk products such as peda, jalebi, lassi and malpua. Among the savory varieties, the spicy aloo ki sabzi along with khasta pooris is something that needs a special mention. One would find an aloo-poori stall on every nook and corner. The combination comprises of a semi-thick potato curry which is lip-smackingly delicious. The flavour of hing, fennel and methi gives it a unique flavor that lingers on your taste buds for very long. While this sabzi goes very well with pooris, for t...

Vegetable Pulao is one of the most basic rice dishes made in the Indian households. Most of the times, it uses the fragrant long grain basmati rice that are cooked along with a mix of vegetables and flavored with aromatic spices like green cardamom, cinnamon and star anise. Frankly telling, this one pot wholesome meal is something I make often, especially when I don't want to spend hours in the kitchen cooking the elaborate spread comprising of dal, sabzi and roti. Having said that, there are various varieties of this veg pulao and every home has its own recipe of making it. What I am sharing today is the one that I have been eating since childhood. Very easy and fragrant! Do try it with a bowl of plain chilled curd/yogurt. I am sure you'll be left asking for more.... Vegetable Pulao Vegetable Pulao INGREDIENTS Basmati Rice - 1 cup Finely chopped ginger - 1 inch piece Finely chopped garlic - 5 to 6 cloves Cauliflower florets - 1 c...

Muthiya or Muthia is a popular snack/appetizer delicacy that comes from the state of Gujarat in India. The most famous version of these delicious steamed dumplings are often made with grated bottle gourd, some ginger, green chilies and a subtle hint of every day spices, all of which are further kneaded with gram flour into a dough. The dough is then rolled into a log, steamed till perfection and then sliced and tempered with an aromatic mix of mustard seeds, curry leaves and a handful of sesame seeds to lend it that beautiful flavor. Frankly speaking, muthiya makes for the most delicious and healthiest snacks to enjoy anytime with a cup of hot tea or coffee. Having said that, there are many variants of Muthiya. The one that I am sharing today is a diabetic friendly version which uses karela or the bitter gourd scrapings that are kneaded into a ragi and jowar dough for more health and nutrition benefits. Ragi and jowar are also good for those looking to shed some weight; if y...

Gujiya is a traditional Indian sweet dumpling or an empanada filled with a delicious stuffing made of roasted nuts, semolina and mawa (milk solids) that is subtly flavored with some cardamom powder for that beautiful hint of sweet fragrance. It is known with different names across different regions in India: Karanji in Maharashtra, Ghughra in Gujarat, Purukiya in Bihar and Nevri in Goa. Though a perfect-make for any Indian festival , Gujiya finds a special place during the Holi celebrations, when it is made in tonnes and you would find it being sold at any and every sweet shop with another festive favorite, the very delicious and irresistible, Thandai (chilled milk flavored with nuts and cardamom powder). Dry Gujiya with White Chocolate, Nuts and Mawa Stuffing | Indian Sweet Fried Empanadas Coming to the variety of Gujiyas, it generally comes in two versions: dry one and another, which is soaked in sugar syrup. Personally, I like the dry version more as its not o...