Anshu's Food Odyssey

Festivities like Ganesh Chaturthi , Dussehra and Diwali are just around the corner. For me, this is the most awaited time of the year with decked up markets, a little chill in the air and happiness all around, emanating an aura of positivity and elation in each and every heart. This is also the time when I gear up for the celebrations indulging in shopping, decorating the house and offcourse preparing some traditional sweets and savories at home for all my friends and family. While last year, I made this melt-in-mouth kalakand , vanilla sandesh with strawberry dust and Punjabi style meethi mathri , this time I am planning to go ahead and make this popular sweet from the state of Gujarat: the sweet sata also called as thor . Traditionally, sata is a deep fried pastry, but just to keep the calorie count low this festive season , I decided to go a healthy way and instead of frying, opted to bake them. Trust me, they came out as flaky, crispy and delectable. If you are also looki...

In India, especially on the Northern Side like Delhi and Punjab, whenever there is a party or a get-together planned at home, one dish that is a must-make for sure, has to be paneer (cottage cheese) based. While many a times I go either for Paneer Dhaniya Adraki Korma , Paneer Butter Masala , Shahi Palak Paneer Kofta Curry or Kadhai Paneer , this time I opted to experiment with flavors keeping them plain, simple and subtle. Trust me, the dish turned out to be super awesome and left my guests licking their fingers till the last bite.    To tell you more about this paneer recipe, its heart and soul is the gravy which is made using the paste of melon seeds, a little milk and a dollop of fresh cream. What lends it a touch of spice is only a couple of green chilies and black pepper powder. And yes, it is totally incomplete without kasoori methi powder that provides it with that much needed earthiness. One of my best paneer recipes till date, it ought to be indulged with som...

Come summers and fruit markets are lined up with vendors selling a variety of mangoes. Emanating a strong aroma, just enough to captivate your senses, you certainly get tempted to buy some and arrive home with a bag full of them. Well! that is what exactly happened with my husband last week. He is so fond of mangoes that he could not resist himself and bought a huge basket of these sunshine fruits while returning from office. Besides relishing them as is, I invested some of them in this delicious, creamy and luscious " mango kulfi ". Imparted with a hint of cardamom and rose, it tasted simply divine, and not to mention explicitly, much much better than the store bought ones.    Creamy Mango Kulfi  Oh my my !! can you see the creaminess oozing from these kulfis in the picture above? That is exactly what we Indians love in our kulfis...don't we? In case you agree, I am sure you will love the recipe too which only requires three main ingredients. So, what are...

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and this time I thought of giving my husband a delicious surprise by making for him his favorite Indian Dessert , the very humble and yummilicious rice kheer flavored with a little hint of rose and cardamom. Well, that is not all ! this rice kheer will be served in these beautiful red velvet cookie tart shells to lend that special romantic touch to a wonderful evening. If you too are looking for some special fusion recipes to impress your valentine on the special day, then I bet there can't be a better one than this. Do give it a try !! Just in case, you want to keep away from the rice pudding, you may serve these tarts with fillings like chocolate mousse, strawberry mousse or even raspberry or rose panacotta. Options are simply endless, you just need to wear your thinking caps and get going !!      Rose Kheer Tarts with Red Velvet Cookie Crust | Indian Rice Pudding in Red Velvet Cookie Tarts Rose Kheer Tarts with R...

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 ...

In chilled weather, when you are down with fever, flu, and body ache, all you need is a drink that not only gives you warmth and comfort but also, that much needed energy and strength to recover at a faster pace. This dates and almond milk is one such magic potion that is sure to leave you completely revitalized in just a day or two. A tried and tested recipe that my Mum used to make for us every winters, it tastes simply delicious and needless to say, can be had even on normal days when you are absolutely fit and fine. Without wasting anytime, let's go through the detailed recipe below which is quite simple and can be made with only a handful of ingredients. Also, I have added only almonds in this milk, one can also go ahead and make it richer by adding other nuts of their choice. Dates and Almond Milk | Khajoor aur Badaam ka Doodh Ingredients (yields about 3 cups) Milk - 4.5 cups Dates (pitted and chopped) - 12 to 15 Almonds - 10 to 12 Dates and ...

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...

Pannacotta , the very famous Italian dessert was on my mind for quite some while now; I wanted to make it for past couple of months but was not getting the right opportunity....and now since its the holiday season with a get-together planned at my place over the weekend, I thought it would be the right time to finally give it a try. So, I made this batch of vanilla pannacotta as a trial and paired it up with homemade peach sauce sauce infused with some rustic flavors and aroma of star anise. At first I was a little skeptical of whether peach sauce would be a good option to go with pannacotta but trust me, it came out simply awesome and yes!! now I am all set to please my guests with this luscious and creamy dessert. Sharing the recipe below; hopefully you will like it !!....Last but not the least, my apologies for posting not so great pictures as I was running late for a meeting and clicked them in a rush....... Vanilla Pannacotta with Peach Sauce Ingredients (serves 6) Fo...

Raita is one of the most common accompaniments found in typical Indian meals. The cooling properties of this yogurt based delicacy often makes it a " must have " on the dining tables of every household, especially during summer months. While Boondi Raita, Beetroot Pomegranate Raita , Cucumber Raita and Pineapple Raita are undoubtedly, some of the most popular versions of this versatile dish, it can be made in a variety of other ways too depending on your imagination; go adding in the yogurt savory namkeens, flowers, edible seeds or even lentils - the ideas are just endless. Working on the same lines, I recently tried experimenting with the sweet red chili peppers and came out with this awesomely delectable  Roasted Red Sweet Chili Pepper Raita . If you never imagined making use of red chili peppers this way, do give it a try and I am sure you would love it. Ingredients (serves 4) Whisked yogurt - 2 cups Sweet red chili peppers - 4 to 5 Curry leaves - 5 to 6 Mustar...

One of the most popular Punjabi North Indian dishes , Methi Matar Malai tops many restaurant menus. The rich creamy texture of its delectable gravy, loaded with a perfect balance of sweetness and slight bitterness from the fenugreek, truly makes it a gastronome's delight. Whether you are looking for a curry dish to be served in a party or to be carried in the lunch box, Methi Matar Malai is sure to always come out as a winner. The best part is, being on a much sweeter side in taste, it is often liked by kids too who otherwise despise green leafy vegetables, especially the likes of fenugreek and spinach. So, do give it a try once; pair with plain roti, naan or rice and I assure, you will just fall in love with this aromatic & mildly flavored delicacy. Methi Matar Malai Ingredients Methi Matar Malai Cleaned and chopped fenugreek leaves - 2 cups Green chilies (finely chopped) - 2 Boiled peas - 1/2 cup Garlic cloves - 3 to...

This rustic mutton delicacy comes from the state of Jammu & Kashmir in India and makes for a true delight for every non-veg food lover. The beautiful red gravy loaded with layers of rogan (oil) and aromas of whole spices is just enough to tickle your taste-buds in just no time. If you are a mutton freak, I am sure this recipe from the ' Land of Wazwans ' is simply going to leave you asking for more. Do try it out sometime when you are craving for some exotic non-veg delicacy and I guarantee, you will not be able to stop yourselves from binging on its heavenly flavors. Ingredients Mutton - 500 grams (1/2 kg.) cut into medium sized pieces Whisked yogurt or curd - 1 + 1/4 cup Garlic paste - 1 tsp Ginger paste - 2 tsp Fried onion paste - 1 tbsp Black cardamom - 1 Cloves - 5 to 6 Bay leaves - 2 Mace - 1 floret Cumin seeds - 2 tsp Cinnamon stick - 2 inch piece Black pepper corns - 8 to 10  Dry ginger powder - 2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder - 3 ts...