Anshu's Food Odyssey

Come winters and farmers' markets are lined with a plenty of fresh greens like sarson (mustard greens), palak (spinach), methi (fenugreek) and bathua (amaranth). And there is one veggie that we Punjabis or more precisely the "Multani Punjabis" eagerly wait during the season, that is swanjana also known as "Sehjan ke Phool", "Moringa Flowers" or "Drumstick Flowers". Why I insisted on Multani Punjabis (Indian Punjabis ancestrally hailing from Multan, now in Pakistan) is because I have actually seen this vegetable made only in their homes; rarely have I come across people from other communities knowing about this utterly nutritious and healthy winter green. Pale white in color and quite bitter in taste, they are perfect for diabetics and those looking to shed few extra kilos. Plus, a regular consumption of these flowers help improve your immunity against cough and cold, which is quite common in winters. Coming to the recipe, it is made b

" Gajar ka Halwa ", " Gajrela " or the " Indian Carrot Pudding " is a quintessential winter delight for every Indian. One of the most popular Indian desserts , it is heavenly delicious and finds its origin in the kitchens of Punjab Sikhs who are also believed to have first introduced it to the Royal kitchens of the Mughals. A tasteful aroma, vibrant color and a chewy texture is what that must have greatly enticed the emperors about this halwa. It was in no time that the Gajrela made its way from the royal culinary repertoire to the commoner's kitchen and became widely popular across the country. Today, it won't be incorrect to say that more than food, "Gajar ka Halwa" is an emotion that reminisces a lot of fond memories of those chilled winter evenings when we would all be cozying up in our warm blankets and quilts watching TV; and Mom would get those little bowls of piping hot gajar ka halwa to comfort us even more...aah, that

It was my Mom's Birthday yesterday, so I thought of treating her with one of her favorite cake flavors - the   Black Forest Cake.  I guess, it is one of the most popular cakes  on earth because of the very fact that I am seeing it cut on almost any and every birthday party since my growing years (and not only me, I am sure, many of you would agree with me on this...hai na? 😉). Layers of rich chocolate cakes, soaked in cherry liquor, topped with fresh cherries and then frosted with a thick layer of simple whipped cream simply make it a delightful affair that is loved by almost everyone. Although, traditionally, a substantial amount of cherry liquor goes in making this cake, I have customized it a little by substituting the liquor with the cherry compote simply because I wanted to make a cake that is sans off any alcohol (but hey! I am not stopping you to go ahead and use the cherry liquor in case you want that hint of booze in your cake 😜). Also, since it's not the cher

If you remember, about 2 weeks back I had posted the recipe of " KHOYA PANEER GULAB JAMUNS " on my blog. To my utter happiness, the recipe was loved by a lot of my readers and I was swamped with appreciative comments on social platforms, especially on Facebook and Instagram . These Gulab Jamuns were so addictively delicious and melt-in-mouth that as soon as the batch got over, I was again bombarded with demands from my family and friends to make another batch at the earliest. Since its the Diwali time, I thought of fulfilling their demand and instead of making the usual big sized Gulab Jamuns, I made these mini ones which came out equally inviting and finger-licking. I even packed a few in individual decorative boxes and distributed them amongst my friends in the form of Diwali Goodies.  If you too are looking for some Diwali Gifting Ideas , then I must say this recipe is just for your sorts. Do try and I promise, you would thank me later!!    Angoori Gula

Recently my husband travelled to Ahmedabad and while returning brought a 3-in-1 dhokla/idli/patra steamer for me. Since then, I am always in lookout for opportunities to use this versatile steamer. Well! in the past 15 - 20 days I have already tried my hands making the instant KHAMAN DHOKLA and the 3 GRAIN DHOKLA , both of which were a big hit on my blog. It was now time again to experiment something new; and because we all are observing the Navratri fasts , there was no choice but to come up with a farali dhokla . A few days back, I was just scrolling through various blogs to find a dhokla recipe for the vrat (fasting) but each one listed a recipe that called for use of either eno or baking soda. Since I did not want to incorporate any of these ingredients in my fasting recipe, I thought of  going the old-fashioned way i.e. fermenting the batter overnight so that it gets a natural rise while steaming. And to my utter surprise, it actually worked. I got a nice spongy and fluffy

Sooji ka Halwa or the Indian Semolina Pudding is one of the most popular desserts made across India, especially on auspicious occasions and festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi , Holi and Diwali . Having said that, every household follows its own way of preparing this soul satisfying halwa, yielding in different tastes, colors and textures. The recipe that I am going to share today is my Mum's, which is a keeper and has never ever failed me so far. It calls for a patient roasting of sooji on low heat along with some besan till it attains a nice deep golden hue. Yes, you read that right! my Mum always added a little besan (gramflour) to the halwa for a beautiful taste and texture. And I guess, the patient roasting is another key that imparted it a great color. I still remember my childhood days when this halwa was prepared on the day of Durga Ashtami for Kanya Pujan ; me and my sister would sit back impatiently and wait for the pooja to get over so that we could just dig in th

Mirchi Vada is a popular street food from the colorful state of Rajasthan in India. A bit spicy with tongue tickling flavors, it is made by first stuffing the de-seeded green chilies with a delectable potato filling, coating them with a seasoned gram-flour batter and then deep frying to get one of the most yummilicious snacks on earth. Generally served with green and tamarind chutneys on the side, it is quite an addictive stuff and makes for a perfect recipe to go with a cup of hot tea, especially on chilled winter evenings.  Don't get intimidated by the fact that this snack is made with green chilies because the chilies that generally go in making these fritters are actually one of the most mildest of the varieties (called the Bhavnagari Chilies), plus they are de-seeded to get rid of all the heat. A little tip for the ones living out of India and who cannot lay their hands on Bhavnagarai Chilies, they can make these fritters using the jalapeno peppers; just de-seed the pe