Anshu's Food Odyssey

Kathal ki Biryani is a wonderful and interesting vegetarian take on the otherwise non-vegetarian biryanis usually made using animal meat such as chicken and mutton. Slow cooked or as said, "DUM COOKED" in a typical Hyderabadi style, it comes out really delicious with all those meaty textured pieces of kathal or raw jackfruit giving a feel of a typical non-veg biryani to all the vegetarians. Along with kathal, it is the melange of fresh spices and home made biryani masala that makes this biryani a real keeper. I must say, if you love jackfruit, then this recipe is a must-try. Jackfruit is an exotic fruit native to South India. Its meaty texture compared to shredded animal meat, makes it an ideal substitute for vegetarians. However, having said that, peeling, cutting and chopping of jackfruit can be a real tedious and messy job due to its sticky gel/milk that it secretes when cut. This milk secretion can cause severe itching on the...

Mango Mastani happens to be one of the most popular street foods of Pune, Maharashtra . Come mango season and you will find this soul-soothing beverage at every ice-cream parlor and cold-drink joint across the city. Basically, a thick milkshake, made with fresh mango pulp, chilled milk and huge scoops of vanilla ice-cream topped with all those dried nuts, candied fruits and glazed cherries, it is definitely a treat to your taste buds and off-course, a huge respite from the blazing sun in hot Indian summers. It is said that Mastani, the beautiful warrior princess of Bundelkhand and the love interest of legendary Peshwa ruler, Bajirao, was an ardent lover of mangoes; and this drink was invented as a tribute to her culinary taste buds. If you happen to visit Pune, do not forget to try this wonderful drink at two of the city's most famous Mastani joints: Sujata Mastani and Gujjar Cold Drinks. BTW, in these pandemic times, till the time you ...

Semolina Almond Rose Cake is a mild floral essenced  tea time cake that can be made and served in just under an hour. Made using semolina or rawa along with almond flour, it is definitely a healthy take on the typical cakes and I must say, makes for a perfect treat to cheer your kids and family in these gloomy times. Do try and I promise, you won't be disppointed. INGREDIENTS Sooji/ Rawa/ Semolina - 1 cup Corn flour - 2 tbsp Almond meal - 3 tbsp Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup Curd - 1/2 cup Flavorless edible oil (I used regular sunflower oil) - 1/4 cup Milk - 1/2 cup Baking powder - 1 tsp Baking soda - a pinch Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp Rose water - 3 to 4 tbsp METHOD Start by grinding semolina or rawa or suji to a very fine powder.  Transfer it to a bowl. Mix in powdered sugar, cardamom powder, almond meal and cornflour. Mix everything nicely using a w...

Chicken Keema Matar Masala is a spicy and flavorful curry that goes perfectly well with various Indian breads like naan, paratha, roomali roti or even a simple plain chapati. Serve in your parties, get togethers, potlucks or enjoy as a hearty everyday meal; needless to say, this side dish is sure to come out as a winner every single time.  P.S. - Authentically, Keema Matar Masala is made with mutton mince, however, since we are not much into red meats, I usually cook it with chicken mince and it comes out as flavorful as the mutton one. If you wish, please feel free make this curry using mutton mince; the only thing you need to take care of is to cook the mince for a little longer time.     ALSO CHECK OUT CHICKEN RARA INGREDIENTS Chicken Keema (Mince) - 300 grams Finely chopped onions - 2, medium size Finely chopped ginger - 1 tsp Finely chopped garlic - 6 to 8 cloves Tomato pur...

When it comes to making paneer dishes at my home, the most requested one is by default, the very humble and delicious Matar Paneer. Whether making it as an everyday dish or for a dinner party/ get together, this recipe always comes out as a winner leaving everyone happy and satisfied. This beautiful and very popular North Indian delicacy is very easy to prepare and only uses a handful of ingredients from the kitchen pantry. So, let's see what all goes in making the same..  Also try out... Restaurant Style Paneer Makhani Restaurant Style Kadai Paneer Magaz Malai Paneer INGREDIENTS Paneer - 200 grams Medium sized onions (roughly sliced) - 2 Medium sized onion (finely chopped) - 1 Medium sized tomatoes (roughly chopped) - 3 Ginger (roughly chopped) - 1 inch Garlic cloves (roughly chopped) - 5 to 6 Roughly chopped green chilies - 2 to 3 Fresh or frozen green peas - 1/2 cup Oil - 3 to 4 tbsp Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Black pepper corns...

Red Coconut Chutney is a popular South Indian accompaniment bursting with fresh flavors of coconut and that pungent heat from red chilies and garlic. A vegan and gluten-free side dish , it is best enjoyed with South Indian quintessentials like dosa, idli, appam and much more. If you are making Mysore Masala Dosa, just have this chutney handy and you are good to use it as the spread inside the dosa. Enough of introduction now, let's look at what all is needed to make this flavorful and easy-peasy chutney at home...   South Indian Cuisine has a rich treasure of chutneys. Want to try out some? Here are some of the best and popular chutney recipes from the blog: Coconut and Chana Dal Chutney Andhra Style Peanut Chutney Farali Coconut and Peanut Chutney INGREDIENTS Fresh grated coconut - 1 cup Dried whole Kashmiri or Byadgi red chilies - 7 to 8 Pearl/Sambar onions - 3 to 4 (Or use 1 small normal onion, chopped) Roasted chana da...