Anshu's Food Odyssey

Well, summers are at their peak, which gives me an apt reason to enjoy my favorite summer fruit, "MANGO" in a super refreshing and hydrating summer drink. To this "Mango Agua Fresca", I have also mixed in some orange juice to boost the immunity factor. Also, the fresh homemade pomegranate syrup adds a touch of oomph to this so very vibrant and delightful homemade mocktail. Another special thing about this drink is that it's my first ever entry to a photography contest being run by the popular and exclusive store for photography backdrops from Bangalore, the Varai Prop Store! So, wish me luck guys and enjoy this beautiful drink to cool yourselves down in this sweltering heat. Mango and Orange Agua Fresca with Pomegranate Syrup INGREDIENTS For Pomegranate Syrup Fresh pomegranate juice - 2 cups (I blended the pomegranate arils from about 5 pomegranates in a blender and then strained the mixture with a cup of water to get the fresh ju

Jamun or the Indian Java Plum is one of the most nutritious and healthiest fruits available during summers in India. The purple fruit is known to aid in digestion, also keeping you at bay from the harsh sunstroke that is common during summer months. Jamun is extremely good for people suffering from diabetes as it helps keep blood sugar levels in check. Having endless number of health benefits, Java Plum  surely makes for an ideal choice to be used in myriad of dishes. Being summers, the best recipe that I could think of making use of Jamuns is this beautiful lip-smacking panna which is loaded with subtle flavors of mint and roasted cumin powder. A power-packed cooler, it is an instant refresher and energy booster. Do try it out to benefit from its exceptional nutritional values! Other summer drinks that you may like are the MANGO PEACH LEMONADE , AAM KA PANNA , ROSE & ALMOND LASSI ,  PEACH POMEGRANATE & ROSE AGUA FRESCA and LYCHEE & CHERRY LEMONADE

Come summers and the demand for cold drinks, juices and mocktails at our home shoots up dramatically. Mango Peach Lemonade is something that was on my mind for quite a while but due to some family commitments, was not able to make the same. Finally, got the opportunity to make this beautiful sunshine drink over the weekend and to my surprise it came out outstandingly awesome. Did I tell you, it got over in just a day? Well! I had made two big pitchers of it and me and my husband finished both the pitchers in just few hours. Extremely delicious and satisfying, it is a go-to recipe if you are planning a party over the weekend and want to serve some beautiful homemade drinks to your guests. Not to mention, its absolutely color, preservative and alcohol free, so a perfect option to serve to kids as well. What say???  Mango Peach Lemonade | Virgin Mango Peach Lemonade Ingredients Fresh mango (peeled, cut into small cubes) - 1 cup Peaches (peeled, pitted and

Spiced Apple and Plum Ice Tea Ingredients Apples - 2 Plums (medium size) - 6 to 8 Water - 4 cups Tea leaves - 2 tsp Star Anise - 2 Honey - 3 to 4 tbsp Lemon juice - 1/2 tbsp Spiced Apple and Plum Ice Tea Method First, chop the plums and apples into bite size pieces. Discard the pits. In a sauce pan, add these chunks along with 1 cup of water and 1 star anise. Cook on low flame for about 15 minutes or until apples are softened completely. Keep stirring and mashing the fruit chunks in between with the back of spatula. Strain the fruit mix through a fine mesh. Press hard so that you get the maximum juice and pulp of the mixture. Mix in the lemon juice. Chill this sauce for 3 to 4 hours. Again in a saucepan, bring 4 cups of water along with star anise to a rolling boil. Switch the flame off and add tea leaves. Let them seep in for 2 to 3 minutes after which strain the water. Chill this tea water separately. To make the iced t

If you have been following my blog, you would know how much I love making drinks with fresh seasonal fruits. And since its peak summer time in Delhi with mercury raising to almost 43 degrees C, there can be no better way than freshly homemade juices and lemonades to keep oneself sufficiently hydrated, also not indulging in those chemical loaded packaged stuff. While the markets these days are flooded with bounties like mangoes, melons, plums, peaches, cherries and litchis....I also found these delicious ripe pears at one of the fruit stalls; instantly picked them up with the idea of making this refreshing pear spritzer (because I had already tried some yummilicious drinks using mangoes, peaches and litchis, so obviously wanted to experiment something new...a food blogger's mind you know :) ). As I reached home, browsed the net what other ingredient could blend with these delicious stone fruits. The recipe of pineapple and jalapeno cocktail at one of the food blogs grabbed my a

Come summers and I eagerly wait for two of the most incredibly delicious fruits of the season: cherries and litchis. So colorful, juicy and flavorful, they have been my favorites since childhood. Though I love to eat them as is, being a foodie and off-course a food blogger , I also try to put them to use in different food preparations as well. For those who have been following my blog would know how much I love to play with different ingredients especially when it comes to drinks and beverages ; for instance my recipe of " Peach Pomegranate & Rose Agua Fresca " was the outcome of one such experiment. Not to exaggerate, it was truly loved by my family and friends; and believe me, it remained in great demand at our place for days..... But as you would agree, after a while, it tends to get a little boring, tasting the same old flavors every now and then. So, finally it was time for me to again come up with some new and interesting recipe that would help beat this sco

In this scorching summer heat, there's only one thing which keeps me going through the day and that is fresh homemade chilled drinks such as juices, mocktails and lassis (buttermilk). Well I agree that there's a considerable effort that goes in making everything fresh at home but then its worth all the hard work because at the end of the day you are not taking in something which is full of sugar, artificial colors and harmful preservatives. And yes! my family loves my fruity concoctions so I am even more motivated to treat them with something new and refreshing every other day. Last few days, I had mangoes pouring in my refrigerator. Like literally, whenever my husband or father-in-law went to the fruit market, they returned home with kilos of mangoes. If you have been following my blog you would remember how I put them to use - by making lassis, kulfis and popsicles. In a quest to experiment with a fruit other than mangoes, this time I requested them to also get about a

...writing this post after a long hiatus; the last couple of weeks went quite hectic for us as we shifted our base from Singapore back to India. In between, also spent few days soaking our souls in the breathtaking scenery of New Zealand....and as we moved to India, experienced a complete weather shift from extreme cold to extreme hot. In this hot weather, all we could think of is just constantly keeping ourselves hydrated with some chilled summer drinks, fresh fruit juices and mocktails all day long. This "watermelon cucumber and mint cooler" simply worked as a magic potion leaving us completely re-energized and refreshed. A very simple and easy drink to make though, I still thought of sharing my recipe with you all. If you like the recipe, do try it out and don't forget to share your feedback and comments for the same. Watermelon Cucumber Mint Cooler Ingredients (yields 1 to 2 glasses) Watermelon (pitted and cut into cubes) - 2 cups Cucumber (peeled a

With Holi just knocking at the door, I am sure many of you must have already got busy with its preparations - from making mithais and snacks to buying colors and pichkaris. Well, I am also all geared up to soak my heart and soul in the unlimited fun and excitement of this colorful festival. The first thing I have begun with is making this homemade Thandai Masala Powder . Fresh, fragrant and loaded with the goodness of dry nuts and spices, this masala is a quintessential part of my Holi celebrations every year and needless to say, I make it in big batches to use even later, during the scorching hot days of summers. Traditionally, making Thandai is a long and tedious process, however, this masala powder can be made in a jiffy and really comes handy when you are craving for a refreshing drink to satiate your thirst instantly; simply mix two tablespoons of this powder along with some sugar to a glass of chilled milk and your yummylicious drink is ready in just no time. Want to know t

Mango and mint can probably be called the two precious jewels of summer season. When they both blend together, what we get is a magical concoction that can relieve anyone and everyone of all the pain and thirst caused by the harsh sun.... and if this medley is further infused with a few drops of lemon juice, it is no less than an icing on the cake. Want to know the recipe? here you go with the same. Ingredients (serves 4) Ripe mangoes - 2 Mint leaves - 8 to 10 Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup Lemon juice - 1/4 cup Water - 2 cups Method 1. Chop the mangoes. 2. Blend them together along with mint and lemon juice. Keep aside. 3. Heat water and sugar in a saucepan. Stir it occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Cook for another 5 minutes, switch off the flame and let the syrup come to room temperature. 4. Mix in the syrup with mango mint concoction and refrigerate. 5. Serve chilled garnished with few mint leaves. 

As a kid, I remember in the scorching heat of summers whenever I returned from school in the afternoon, my mum kept a cooler drink ready which used to be made with Roohafza and Tragacanth Gum, more commonly known as Gond Katira in Hindi. I am not sure if many people know about this gum that comes from a shrub and is loaded with immense cooling properties which keeps our bodies at bay from heat strokes and thermic fevers. After a long time, I saw this gum in the shelf of a supermarket which instantly struck me with an idea of making a summer drink using this exotic ingredient. So, here I came with this cooling and refreshing Black Grapes Cranberries & Gond Katira Cooler. Ingredients Black grapes - 2 cups Cranberries - 1 cup Gond Katira - 1 tbsp Sugar - 2 tbsp (adjust according to your taste) While Salt - as per taste Black Salt - 1/4 tbsp Roasted Cumin Powder - 1/8 tbsp Lemon Juice - 1/2 tbsp Method 1.  Soak the gond katira in a cup of water for about 2 to 3 hou

In this scorching summer heat, how about giving yourself a cool respite by digging into a refreshing summer drink loaded with sweetness of mangoes, zinginess of oranges, freshness of mint and a whole lot of energy from glucose? Yes ! Mango Orange Delight is sure to invigorate all your senses in just no time. Make a big pitcher of this easy-peasy coolant mocktail and delight your loved ones with a glass full of happiness and joy. Find the full recipe below. Ingredients (serves 4) 2 ripe mangoes 2 oranges 1 tsp lemon juice 2 tbsp glucose Few springs of mint Method 1. Blend mangoes to a smooth puree along with lemon juice and glucose; keep aside. 2. Squeeze out juice from the oranges, again set aside. 3. Now, in a serving glass, add ice cubes; pour in the mango puree. Top it with orange juice and serve chilled garnished with mint leaves.

Kiwi, this New Zealander fruit has always been one of my favourites. Whenever I see them in the market, I just cannot resist myself picking them up and bring home to gorge on them as is or to experiment something new. As the mercury is raising at an exponential speed this summer season, there could have been no better idea than to use these exotic beauties in a cool and refreshing drink which would invigorate all your senses just in no time. So, here I came up with this ‘ Kiwi Mint Lemonade ’ – a refreshing thirst quencher, which requires only 3 ingredients and gets prepared in just a whiff of time. If you are bored of the normal summer drinks, this is simply for you ! Do give it a try and if you need the recipe, its listed just below. Kiwi Mint Lemonade Ingredients (serves 4) Kiwi - 4 to 5 Powdered sugar - 2 tbsp, can be adjusted depending on your sweet preference and ripeness of kiwis Black salt - 1/2 tsp Roasted cumin powder - 1 tsp Mint leaves - 10 to 12