Anshu's Food Odyssey

Petha !! well I know most of the people hate eating petha or kaddu. Especially if I talk about children, they always shy off such healthy green vegetables. In my case too as a kid, I never liked it much until my Mum came up with this finger-licking version of the same that simply tasted divine with a perfect balance of sweetness, sourness and spiciness. Since then, one of my absolute favorites, I often make it now for lunch during the weekends and enjoy it with crisp pooris or even plain parantha and some boondi raita on the side. This is also one of the most demanded delicacies at my home during the Navratri fasts. Sans of garlic, onion and some of the whole spices, it still tastes delectable and makes for a real treat paired with kuttu ke atte ki pooris and plain yogurt. I will be sharing both fasting and non-fasting versions; do try and you certainly won't be disappointed.      Khatte Meethe Pethey ki Sabzi Ingredients White pumpkin (petha/sitaphal,) - 500 g

Easy to cook, yummilicious in taste, low in calories and loaded with the goodness of veggies, vermicelli upma or  vermicelli pulav   is by far one of the most popular breakfast dishes all across India, although the style and way of making it varies from person to person. For example, I first boil the vermicelli separately and later toss it in cooked veggies, whereas there are people who cook veggies and vermicelli together. The only problem I face with the latter style of making this upma is that it often comes out mushy and that is the reason I avoid going that way. If you also come across the same issue, this recipe is surely gonna give you perfect results. One more thing, I use the roasted vermicelli (thanks to Bombino which has made our job much easier); in case you can't lay your hands on roasted vermicelli, dry roast it first until it attains a golden color and after that follow the steps listed below. Hope you have a wonderful time cooking this easy-peasy and health

Besan ke Gatte is by far one of the most loved recipes at my home. A typical Rajasthani delicacy, this curry is much versatile and every household has its own way of making it; while the dumplings are essentially made using gram flour, the base of the curry can always differ - few people like just a yogurt based gravy while others tend to have a spicy yogurt and tomato based sauce. Today, I am here with the recipe of latter one, but would also share the recipe of Gatta Curry in just the Yogurt Based Gravy sometime very soon. I also posted the recipe of Stuffed Gatta Curry a month back; if you wish, you can also take a look at the same by clicking on the link.      Rajasthani Besan Gatta Curry Ingredients For Gatte Besan (Gram Flour/Chickpea Flour) - 1 cup Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp Curd/Yogurt - 2 tbsp Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp Crushed coriander seeds - 1 tsp Salt - as per taste Red chili powder - 1 tsp Ajwain (carom seeds) - 1/2 tsp Kasoori Methi powder - 1

One of the most popular and flavorful rice dishes from Southern part of India, Lemon Rice need no special introduction. Packed with freshness of lemon, crunch of peanuts and a soothing aroma of curry leaves, they are my absolute favorite when it comes to relishing a South Indian meal . In case you have some precooked steamed rice lying in your refrigerator, then this is probably the best dish that can be made out of them, that too in just a whiff of time. All you need to do is take them out, prepare a lemony tempering and lo ! your rice is ready. Although this rice can be enjoyed as is paired with some curd and poppadom on the side, I usually make Sambhar with them to relish a wholesome hearty meal. This time, as my husband had brought some fish, so instead of Sambhar, I made the yummylicious Kerala Style Fish Curry using Coconut Milk to go with these aromatic rice and trust me, it came out to be a stupendous gastronomic treat for both of us. I'll be posting the recipe of fish

Rajasthani Gatte ki Sabzi has always been one of my favorites since childhood; but, truly speaking I was never aware of the stuffed gatta curry until I started food blogging and in my quest to come up with new dishes every other day, I came across this delectable curry recipe which has now kind of become one of the most demanded dishes in my home, especially on weekends and holidays. Not to exaggerate, the soft and melt-in-mouth cheese & nuts stuffed gram-flour dumplings immersed in a curry bursting with tongue-tickling flavors, absolutely makes for a divine meal on a balmy winter afternoon....and if it is accompanied with other winter delights like ' Gajar Shalgam ka Achaar ' and ' Kali Gajar ki Kanji ', then your day is completely sorted. So, without wasting any time further, lets quickly get started with the recipe . Govind Gatta Curry Ingredients For Gatte Besan (Gram Flour/Chickpea Flour) - 1 cup Vegetable oil - 1 tbsp + for frying Curd/Yog

Winters are here and vegetable markets are teeming with greens such as spinach (palak), fenugreek (methi), mustard (sarso) and lamb's quarter (bathua). One can also find choliya (fresh green chickpeas) and sehjan ke phool (drumstick flowers) in abundance....and come January, my sabzi wala bhaiya would also get me "kachnaar ke phool" for which I eagerly await every year to make "Kachnaar aur Choliye" ki sabzi.... Oh My God, I am so excited even with a thought of this delectable sabzi, the recipe of which has been running in my Mum's family since ages....oh !! are you too excited to learn this secret recipe?? don't worry friends, wait for some time and I'll definitely be here with this secret and exotic recipe, but before that, let me share with you another beautiful recipe which makes use of our eternal winter favorites...paneer and palak. Now, it's not a usual palak-paneer recipe but, a twist to it in the form of koftas or fried dumplings that

" Chholey " or chickpeas, also known as "Safed Chana" and "Kabuli Chana" are one of the most popular foods across Northern India...especially making for a quintessential part of the diet of Punjabis; and you would agree to this statement of mine considering the fact that Chholey Poori , Chholey Bhature , Chholey Kulchey , all originate from the land of Punjab. While you would find a variety of chholey or chickpea curries made and served in Indian homes and restaurants, the ones that remain immensely popular comprise of " Punjabi Chikkad Chholey ", " Amritsari Chholey " and " Pindi Chholey ". The recipe of Chikkad Chholey is already on my blog and what today I am going to list down is the recipe of Pindi Chholey. But, before that let me brief you a little about the difference between the two varieties. Chikkad Chholey are basically thick curried chickpeas that are cooked in spiced onion and tomato based masala and th

I am sure, you all are aware of the famous " Hyderabadi Baghare Baingan " .... well ! this " Punjabi Style Achaari Baingan Masala" is also inspired from the same, sans of peanuts and sesame seeds. I made this dish few days back for one of my friends who is a great lover of aubergines but suffers from peanut allergy. She was coming over for lunch at my place so, being aware of how much she is fond of baingans, I decided to recreate the classic recipe of Baghare Baingan in Punjabi style. The gravy in this recipe is primarily made using tomatoes and yogurt and is flavored with aromatic spices like fennel, onion seeds and fenugreek seeds....off-course the achaari fried bharwan baingans dipped in the gravy complete the whole dish. This spicy and tangy aubergine recipe pairs very well with rice but, needless to say, it can also be savored with naans, parathas and chapatis...... just a simple salad, some raita and papad on the side provides for a complete wholesome meal.

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

" 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

Loaded with goodness of ginger and coriander, "Paneer Dhaniya Adraki Korma" is simply a gastronomic treat for all paneer lovers. This simple yet exotic delicacy can be made in just a few minutes and definitely counts amongst few special recipes that can be served in dinner parties, get-togethers or festive meals. Needless to say, kids love it because of mild spices and a rich texture. A keeper recipe for sure, do try my version of it once and I promise, you would not be disappointed. Paneer Dhaniya Adraki Korma Ingredients Paneer (Cottage Cheese, cubed) - 250 grams Thick curd/yogurt (nicely whisked) - 1 cup Fresh cream - 1 tbsp Coriander paste - 1 tbsp Ginger paste - 1 to 2 tsp Refined flour - 1 tsp Chopped coriander - a handful Green chilies (chopped) - 1 tsp Salt - as per taste Black pepper corns - 3 to 4 Cloves - 2 to 3 Bay leaf - 1 Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp Coriander powder - 1 tsp Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp Garam masala po