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

Loaded with a medley of flavors - little spicy, subtly tangy and mildly sweet, Gujarati Kadhi is one of the most easiest and delicious kadhi recipes made across India. Though I grew up eating the classic Punjabi Kadhi Pakora that used to be made in our household quite often, however, in recent times, I must say, I have developed a certain fondness for this beautiful and comforting Gujarati Kadhi, which is not only tasty but also very light on the palette. Pair it with simple boiled rice or khichdi (as most Gujaratis do) and you are all set for a hearty meal.   To all those who are not aware what a kadhi is, it is basically a yogurt based curry thickened with gramflour and tempered with some basic Indian spices. The style of preparing the kadhi is slightly different in Northern and Western parts of India. The Punjabi Kadhi, which comes from North India, uses somewhat more quantity of gramflour compared to the Gujarati Kadhi, which has its origin in the Western India. That is the r

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

Rich, creamy and decadent loaded with all the citrus flavor, Lemon Chicken is an easy-peasy chicken preparation that comes together in just under 30 minutes. As the name suggests, it has a nice drizzle of lemon juice that adds so much zing and flavor to the dish. Not to mention, it makes for a perfect option to make for those busy evenings, parties, potlucks and get-togethers. Looking for the recipe? Scroll down below...  Lemon Chicken Recipe | How to Make Lemon Chicken INGREDIENTS Chicken on bone - 1/2 kg Curd - 1/2 cup Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp for marination Salt - to taste Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp Lemon juice - 1 tbsp + 2 tbsp to be used in the gravy Oil or butter - 1 tbsp Ginger juliennes - 1 tsp Slit green chilies - 1 to 2  Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Bay leaves - 2 Black pepper powder - 1 to 2 tsp Milk - 1/4 cup Fresh cream - 1/2 cup Cornflour - 1 tsp Crushed kasoori methi - 1 tsp

Kadhi is a popular delicacy from the Indian cuisine that is made using gram flour and yogurt as a base. Having said that, the recipe of this luscious and beautiful curry differs from region to region and from every household to household. Coming from the Punjabi family, for us, Kadhi Pakoda has always meant a sour and spicy kadhi, which essentially has the soft onion or palak/spinach fritters dunked into the luscious gramflour-yogurt gravy. And I guess, most of the Punjabi households make the kadhi in a similar manner...  However, if you have ever had kadhi at a dhaba or a street-side restaurant, you would have noticed that the pakodas added in the kadhi doesn't make use of onions, spinach or any other vegetable.  The pakodas are more like phulkis (plain and soft gramflour dumplings), which are spiced with just a handful of spices and some ginger for the rustic flavor. Despite of that the kadhi is simply delectable and the spicy tadka with whole lots of crushed dhaniya seeds ma

Pineapple Fried Rice is a classic recipe from the Thai cuisine which essentially has prawns added for the dose of protein. I have, however, tried to give the beautiful recipe a twist by using the chicken instead of prawns. You can, however, go and add any protein that you like or even skip it altogether. Also, do try to always use the fresh pineapple instead of the canned one as the latter has a high sweet content. Just in case, you only have the option to use the canned pineapple, drain the syrup, wash the pineapple and dab with a kitchen towel to get rid of excess sweetness. As for the sauces, feel free to use any you like; for example, if you like extra spice, try to go for sriracha which will surely add that nice kick. Let's get onto the recipe now... Pineapple Chicken Fried Rice INGREDIENTS Fresh pineapple cut into bite size cubes - 1 cup Cooked and cooled rice (I used the short grain rice) - 2 cups Boiled and shredded chicken - 1 cup Egg - 1 Onions (

Arbi  or Taro Root and Palak combined together make for a yummilicious and highly nutritious vegetable curry that goes awesomely well with hot phulkas, chapatis, paranthas and rice. One of my most favorite curries, it comes together just under 30 minutes and makes for a perfect dish to be carried in school and office lunch boxes. Being excessively rich in fiber content, this arbi palak masala is great for those suffering from gut problems and dealing with diabetes. Additionally, palak or spinach in this recipe makes it a great contender for anemics and to-be mothers too. Health benefits apart, if you are looking to add some variety on your dinner table, it makes for a perfect recipe to be served and rest assured, it will be a hit with your family in no time. Don't agree? do give it a try and then thank me later ....😊    Arbi Palak Masala | Colocasia and Spinach Curry Ingredients Arbi/Colocasia - 200 grams Palak/Spinach (washed and shredded) - 1 cu

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