Anshu's Food Odyssey

Chana Madra is one of the most popular and delicious recipes from the state of Himachal Pradesh in India. A very simple recipe that is made using white chickpeas or Kabuli Chana that are cooked in a mildly spiced yogurt sauce, it is an inseparable part of the Himachali Dham or the quintessential Himachali Thali.  Now talking about Dham , it is essentially a satvik vegetarian thali/ meal that comprises of about 8 to 10 dishes cooked without onion and garlic. This thali is an integral part of every Himachali festivity and celebration, be it a wedding, a birthday function, or just a small religious gathering; the locals gather at a place, sit down and enjoy this dham served in pattals or plates made using dried leaves.  It is said that the history of Himachali Dham can be traced to the reign of King Jaistambh of Chamba, who was so fascinated by the Kashmiri Wazwan cuisine that he ordered his botis (the brahmin cooks) to cook and serve a similar spread but, pure vegetarian and withou

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 - 5 to 6

Fajeto is a famous curry recipe from the state of Gujarat. Made with a mixture of sour curd, gram flour and ripe mango puree, it is an ultimate delight loaded with tongue tickling "khatta-meetha" flavors that go oh so well with some plain steamed rice and papad on the side. Traditionally, Fajeto is light on the palette and does not have any pakodas added to it, but me being a Punjabi, have added onion and spinach pakodas to the recipe for that extra zing; you are free to skip them altogether. Also, while making this kadhi make sure that the curd is really sour, if not so, it might result in a kadhi that is overly sweet which shall ruin all the taste. Not to mention, if you are hosting a summer party and looking to add variety on your table, I promise this Gujarati Mango Kadhi would be show stopper with its unique and appetizing flavors. Do try it out!! Off to the recipe below... Ingredients For Kadhi Sour curd - 2 cups Mango puree - 1/2 to 3/

There are days when you don't want to spend hours in the kitchen cooking elaborate meals. That is the time when potatoes come to the rescue offering a huge range of options to get you going. Amongst a wide variety of dishes that can be made from potatoes, I guess this DAHI MASALA ALOO is one of the most simplest that makes use of only minimalist of the spices and comes together in no time. I have made it with baby potatoes, but you can also make it with the regular potatoes; just dice them in bite size pieces and you are good to go. Also, this vegetable is onion-garlic free and therefore, can be made during the fasting season too. What to serve along with these dahi masala aloo? Well, they pair really well with pooris and paranthas but can definitely be served with plain simple chapatis. Take a look at the detailed recipe below. Dahi Masala Aloo Ingredients Boiled and peeled baby potatoes - 250 grams Cumin seeds - 1 to 2 tsp Finely chopped ginger - 1

Malai Kofta is by far one of the most famous and tastiest North Indian delicacies comprising of succulent balls of paneer or cottage cheese dunked in a luscious and creamy sauce. Having said so, this widely popular dish is available in two versions: one in the nuts and tomato based gravy and the other one, with a white gravy that is sans off the tomatoes. While both the versions are equally delectable and popular, the one that I am going to share today is the former variant as my husband prefers it more over the latter one. Malai Kofta Needless to say, Malai Kofta is a dish that requires a fair amount of effort and patience, however, I am sharing with you the most easiest recipe that comes together in no time. Enjoy it with any Indian bread of your choice; it's simply gonna taste heavenly. So let's begin with the ingredients... Ingredients (For Kofta) Paneer (crumbled) - 1 cup Boiled and mashed potatoes - 1/2 cup Khoya (crumbled, optional) - 1 tbsp

Being hardcore Punjabis, Chholey is something we have grown up eating. I remember, my mom would prepare them at least twice a month and just in case, there was a party or get-together planned, menu was absolutely incomplete without these delicious finger licking curried chickpeas that were either served with pooris or the Punjabi quintessential “bhaturas”.  Chholey is one delicacy that is made in different ways across the Indian households. Amongst all the varieties available, " Amritsari Chholey " are undoubtedly the best and obviously the most popular. A bit spicy and tangy oozing with lip smacking flavours, they make for an irresistible treat, especially on a comforting weekend afternoon. Pair them with a glass of buttermilk and you are certainly gone in the state of coma (well not literally 😂😂 ) for couple of hours...frankly speaking a good relaxing sleep is actually what I need after lunch on holidays to reenergise myself...so Chholey Bhaturey and Lassi is for su

One of the most popular dishes from Northern India , Palak Paneer counts no less than an exotic curry, truly making for a healthy yet delicious accompaniment to any Indian style flat bread like Naan, Parantha or even plain rice. Every household follows its own recipe to make this delectable curry, the one I am going to share today is a pure homestyle one with no addition of cream or cashew paste (although you are free to add the same to make it more creamier and richer). One thing more, I like to have my spinach sauce a bit tangy, so, I have used a good amount of tomatoes for its tempering. For those who like the gravy plain and simple, can just reduce the quantity of tomatoes to half. Now moving on to the ingredients and recipe.....    Palak Paneer | Cottage Cheese in Spiced Spinach Sauce Ingredients Washed and roughly chopped spinach - 6 cups Paneer cubes (preferably homemade) - 1 cup Garlic cloves (chopped) - 4 to 5 Ginger (chopped) - 1/2 inch Onions (finely

It's kind of a custom at our home to make kale chane every Saturday. While most of the time I go for their dry version aka the sookhey kale chane that are also prepared on Ashtami, there are times when I try cooking them in different ways. One such experiment was this " Kale Chane Ki Kadhi " which authentically comes from the "Land of the Golden Sun" - Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. Boiled black chickpeas simmered in a yogurt & gramflour based curry, simply make for a delightful and lip-smacking side dish that goes really well with steamed rice and even plain chapati. Typically, curry leaves are not used in this dish but since I love the flavor of these aromatic leaves, I have used them in tempering. For those who wish to keep the authenticity of this recipe intact, may skip using them. Also, you would notice that the color of my kadhi has a blackish tinge; that is because I have added boiled chana water to adjust its consistency. You may simply add the plain wat

Besan ke Gatte is by far one of the most loved recipes at my home. A typical Rajasthani delicacy, this curry is much versatile and every household has its own way of making it; while the dumplings are essentially made using gram flour, the base of the curry can always differ - few people like just a yogurt based gravy while others tend to have a spicy yogurt and tomato based sauce. Today, I am here with the recipe of latter one, but would also share the recipe of Gatta Curry in just the Yogurt Based Gravy sometime very soon. I also posted the recipe of Stuffed Gatta Curry a month back; if you wish, you can also take a look at the same by clicking on the link.      Rajasthani Besan Gatta Curry Ingredients For Gatte Besan (Gram Flour/Chickpea Flour) - 1 cup Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp Curd/Yogurt - 2 tbsp Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp Crushed coriander seeds - 1 tsp Salt - as per taste Red chili powder - 1 tsp Ajwain (carom seeds) - 1/2 tsp Kasoori Methi powder - 1