Anshu's Food Odyssey

I am a big pumpkin fan since my childhood days. Seriously, I love this vegetable in any form and the khatti meethi pethey ki sabzi is my absolute favorite. Coming to the halwa, my mum always used to make it during the Navratri fasting and its flavors, texture and aroma is something that I remember even till date. After I got married, pumpkin was a rare treat for me because none of the family members at my in-laws side liked this vegetable. Gradually, I too stopped making it. But, this time during Navratri, I thought making this divine halwa and remember my good old days. If you too are a pumpkin lover, this is a must for you to try as well. And don't worry, the recipe is very simple and easy and comes together in just few minutes. Kaddu ka Halwa INGREDIENTS Kaddu/Yellow Pumpkin/Butternut Squash (shredded) - 4 cups Sugar - 1/2 to 3/4 cup Milk - 1/4 cup Ghee/clarified butter - 4 to 6 tbsp Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp Nuts (melon seeds, chopped almonds, chopped pis

Malai Peda is one of the most popular Indian sweets . These little discs of deliciousness are primarily made using fresh chhena (cheese curd), khoya (dried milk solids) and condensed milk. There are numerous variants of Malai Peda that are available in the sweets shops these days; while the plain peda and kesar peda are the most common, what I am fond of the most is the chocolate flavored one. Absolutely decadent and melt-in-mouth, these chocolate pedas make for an apt sweet for any festival or special occasion.  Well, I am making them for the upcoming Raksha Bandhan , if you too are looking for some homemade sweet recipes, do try them out. I promise, you won't be disappointed. Chocolate Milk Peda | Milk Peda Recipe Before I jump to the recipe, let me tell you that I have used fresh chhena. For that, bring about a liter of full fat milk to a boil. Let it cool for 5 minutes and then slowly start adding a little vinegar until the milk is nicely curdled.

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

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

Paneer Pasanda is a rich and creamy delicacy from Mughlai Cuisine wherein stuffed fried cottage cheese cubes/triangles are dunked in a luscious tomato & cashew based gravy. This is a perfect recipe for parties, get-togethers and festive occasions. Well, paneer or cottage cheese is one ingredient that is so so versatile. There are literally an endless number of recipes that can be cooked with it; palak paneer , shahi paneer, paneer butter masala , paneer tikka, kadhai paneer, matar paneer, paneer kofta  and paneer bhurji are some of the common ones that are cooked most often at homes. Coming to Paneer Pasanda , making it is slightly complex and time consuming when compared to other paneer dishes. But, just in case you want to add a variety to your usual paneer accompaniments, it makes for a perfect dish to go on your menu. It is one recipe that was long-due on my to-do list and fortunately I got the opportunity to make it last Saturday for a small get-together at our place.