Anshu's Food Odyssey

Hey Folks, how have you all been? First of all, my apologies for being away for a long time. Truly speaking, I had missed this space to the core of my heart and it feels so good to be back again. Hopefully, I'll be posting new recipes for you all regularly now...fingers crossed!! So, to start with, here's this super moist and delicious Banana Chocolate Cake that I baked yesterday after a long hiatus. I had some overripe bananas lying in my pantry so just thought of putting them to a good use by baking this utterly yummy cake. Frankly speaking, I am not so fond of bananas but, this cake with a combination of bananas and chocolate is something that I am truly a fan of. I baked this cake in a bundt pan and tried to give it a marble effect; however, it can be baked in any shape that you wish to. Please scroll below for the detailed recipe -  Banana Chocolate Cake INGREDIENTS All purpose flour - 1 cup Medium sized overripe bananas - 2 Powdered sugar - 3/4 cup Custard po...

Kulcha is a soft leavened bread made either using soda bicarb or yeast as a leavening agent. This bread is highly popular in the Northern parts of India, especially Punjab, Himachal, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, where it is often served with delicacies like Punjabi Chholey , Matra ki Chaat and Chicken Keema Masala among many others. And while this kulcha that I have been talking about is just the plain bread, there is a very different and delicious variety of kulcha that comes from the sacred land of Amritsar, often called the "Food Capital of Punjab"; the kulcha here is not simply a plain bread rather, an epicurean's delight stuffed with a tantalizing, a bit tangy and a bit spicy boiled potato filling. Traditionally made in a clay oven or tandoor, this kulcha is absolutely crisp from outside and soft from inside loaded with mouthwatering deliciousness. Served along with some spicy chhole and a spicy, sweet, tangy onion tamarind dip, not to mention, it is a sheer deligh...

This beautiful Black Forest Trifle is a delightful take on the classic Black Forest Cake , filled with layers of delicious and moist chocolate crumb, dollops of whipped cream and fresh cherry compote. I had this dessert on my mind for quite some time and was just waiting for the cherry season to arrive so that I could whip up the fresh cherry compote to use in the pudding. As soon as I saw these tiny little ruby fruits in the market last week, I picked up my first batch and was soon in the kitchen making the compote. Trust me, the aroma of cherries bubbling in the sugar syrup along with star anise was simply out of the world that transported me to a food heaven. Once the compote was done, I cooled it down in the refrigerator for a couple of hours; the rest of the assembling was quite simple because I already had few pieces of chocolate brownies lying in the refrigerator. All I had to do was whip up the cream and assemble the pudding in layers.  Black Fo...

Have you ever craved for those street style mouthwatering Matar Kulchas? Well, I was craving them since morning today so thought of having them for evening snacks. I soaked the dried yellow peas but unfortunately didn't have the kulchas in my pantry. Plus, I always wanted to try making these bread kulchas at home so, this was a great opportunity to get going. Trust me, they came out absolutely bakery style and we enjoyed them immensely with the lipsmacking dry matar ki chaat. You won't believe my husband was shocked to know later that these bread kulchas were homemade and not store-bought. If ever, you too are craving for chholey or matar kulche and are short of the kulchas, here's a fool proof recipe that will give you fantastic results. Do try it out ! Bread Kulcha | How to Make Bread Kulcha | Bread Kulcha Recipe Bread Kulcha | How to Make Bread Kulcha | Bread Kulcha Recipe Ingredients All purpose flour (maida) - 2 and 1/4 cup ...

In my childhood, I remember when there was no oven at our home, my Mum would bake (rather steam) the cakes in her dhokla pot/steamer. Their super soft, moist and melt-in-mouth texture is something that I often yearn for till date. To satiate one such craving with my tea last evening, I went ahead, called my mother and asked her about the method and the recipe she used to prepare my favorite chocolate cake . A no-fuss recipe with only few basic ingredients needed, my cake turned out absolutely delicious tasting exactly what I was craving for. This recipe is great for beginners and the ones who do not own oven but want to try their hands on homemade cakes. Do STEAM it and I bet, you are simply gonna love it. Eggless Steamed Chocolate Cake Ingredients All purpose flour - 1 cup Plain yogurt - 1/2 cup Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp Olive oil - 1/3 cup Milk - 1/8 cup + 1 tbsp Baking powder - 1 tsp Baking soda - 1/4 tsp Salt - 1/4 tsp Cocoa powder - 2 tbs...

I love to have my coffee or tea with some home-baked cookies or biscuits; as soon as one lot is about to get finished, the next lot is up and ready to go in my cookie jar... for instance, its been only about a week that I baked the delicious Thumbprint Cookies filled with Chocolate Sauce , and now as only a couple of them are left, I am all set with these  Nutella & Chocolate Chip Cookies . Loaded with a rich flavor and texture, these cookies are absolutely decadent and certainly make for an addictive stuff; I promise, you wont be able stop your hands at just one. Also, the recipe is quite simple with only a few basic ingredients needed along with some Nutella offcourse... one thing more, I like to have my cookies crisp so I have baked them for around 13 minutes. For those who prefer their cookies to have a chewy core, can go ahead and bake them for just around 8 to 9 minutes. As these are quite on a sweeter side, you can also sprinkle them with some sea salt before baking, ju...

Are you too always looking for healthier options for breakfast? If that is the case, I am sure you would love this spinach and chia bread loaf which is loaded with vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. Enjoy it as a simple toast slathered with some butter or relish by converting it into a sandwich with your favorite stuffing. The recipe of this bread is quite easy & simple and while I have added few chia seeds to it, you can add any seeds of your choice or let it remain plain with only spinach. Not wasting any time further, let's begin with the recipe. Yum Spinach & Chia Bread Loaf Ingredients Plain flour - 3 cups + extra for dusting Milk powder - 1/2 cup Instant dry yeast - 2 1/2 tsp (7 gms) Olive oil - 3 tbsp Sugar - 1 tsp Salt - 1/2 tsp Spinach puree - 1/2 cup Luke warm water - 2 tbsp Chia seeds - 1 to 2 tbsp Yum Spinach & Chia Bread Loaf Method 1. Sift flour and milk powder in a bowl. Mix in yeast, sugar, salt and chia seeds...

It had been quite a while since I had baked anything; my last baking adventure I remember was when I made these delicious, crunchy and crumbly Chocolate Marble Icebox Cookies  some 15-20 days back. So, the baking bug inside me was again ticking me to get up and provide some workout to my long resting hand and shoulder muscles (if you didn't know, baking is quite a good exercise and a relaxing therapy for your tired minds 😊). Yesterday only, I had bought a pack of fresh blueberries and rosemary from the supermarket with an idea of making a summer drink ..... but, as you know mind often plays fluky games 😉...so, I left the idea of the drink and got into the kitchen to bake this beautiful blueberry and rosemary focaccia bread and enjoyed it with my evening tea. If you too are fond of baking, go ahead and try this delicious bread and I promise, you will make it quite often.... Wholewheat Blueberry & Rosemary Focaccia Ingredients Wholewheat flour - 2 cups All purpose ...

Looking for a high tea munchie or a kid's party snacker, these classic vanilla chocolate chip cookies make for a perfect choice. Crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside with the overloaded goodness of chocolate, they are sure to add that heavenly 'cookielicious ' charm to your menu. Prepare a big batch of the dough and store in the freezer; and whenever you have your guests coming, simply grab a portion of it and pop in the oven...it gets baked in just no time. Want to know the recipe? here you go..... Ingredients All purpose flour - 1 + 1/2 cup Powdered sugar - 1 cup Softened unsalted butter - 1/2 cup Baking powder - 1/8 tsp Cornflour - 1/4 cup Salt - 1/2 tsp Egg - 1 Vanilla essence - 1 tsp Chocolate chips - 1 cup Method 1. First in a bowl, combine butter and sugar. Whisk it well until they both combine well. This process is called creaming. 2. Next add in the egg and vanilla essence. Whisk again. 3. Sift together all purpose flour, baking...