Anshu's Food Odyssey

Galette is French term signifying an open pie, pastry or a tart. While it has a lot of savory versions, the sweeter versions made using fresh fruits are more popular worldwide and make for a sinful yet a very rustic dessert to be served during parties, get-togethers or any festive events. Coming to the base or the pastry of the galette, it involves use of just three basic pantry ingredients: flour, butter and sugar. When baked to perfection, the crust comes out super flaky and buttery; and that fresh fruit with its delicious juices just makes the galette super addictive and lip-smacking. Now, for the fruits, I have made this galette using fresh peaches. However, you can go ahead and use any fruit of your liking; something like strawberry, apples, raspberries and blueberries would make for a great choice...  One more thing! Galettes are super easy to make and don't require any fancy equipment such as pie dishes or tart moulds; all you have to do is just make the pastry ...

Kulfi is one of the most popular Indian desserts loved by people of all age groups. Its rich, creamy and decadent texture comes from the use of full fat milk, milk solids and cream - that is the reason, kulfi is also often called the Indian version of Ice Creams. An ultimate treat for the sweet lovers, it is available in lots of flavors; while Mango Kulfi , Rose & Almond Kulfi and Kesar Pista Khoya Malai Kulfi have been an all time favorite with my family and I make them for sure every summers, however, this time I thought of deviating from the traditional route and give the kulfi a more cosmopolitan touch by flavoring it with chocolate. Trust me, it came out so decadent and tasty that it got finished in no time. And the texture of the kulfi oozing with all that creaminess was to die for! Sitting in the lockdown, if you too are looking forward to elevate your morale and get out of that gloominess, this chocolate kulfi is surely going to be a breather. Very simple to mak...

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...

Mango season is at its peak and all I can think of is, making use of this king of fruits in almost any and every drink or dessert. Yesterday only I served these refreshing Mango Popsicles after dinner; so much loved by my family, they just vanished off the table in the blink of an eye. Next demand came for the fresh mango cake. Decided to make it today but at the last moment, our oven went for a toss...Phew!! Nevertheless, I had seen my mother bake the cakes in cooker in our childhood days, so came up with the idea of baking it without oven. Not a tough task, you just need to have heavy bottom aluminium pressure cooker handy. Next fill it up with some salt (about an inch level height), cover and heat for about 10 to 15 minutes on medium flame. Offcourse remove the gasket and weight before heating. Once the temperature inside the cooker is fairly hot, place the cake tray on top of a ring or a stand inside the cooker, again cover and let the cake bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Wha...

A perfect teatime treat, " Chocolate Marble Cake " has been one of my ultimate favorites since the childhood days. The beautiful marbled swirls that appear on cutting a slice of this cake are simply magical and have always fascinated me with their random artistic designs. I tell you, this classic beauty is worth a try at home and the eggfree version of the same absolutely makes it perfect for all the vegetarians out there !! For the detailed recipe and technique to make swirls, please scroll down below. Chocolate Marble Cake [Eggless] Ingredients Unsalted butter (softened, at room temperature) - 1/2 cup Whisked curd/yogurt (at room temperature) - 1 cup Milk (lukewarm) - 1/2 cup Granulated sugar - 1 cup + 1 tbsp All purpose flour - 1 + 1/2 cups Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp Baking powder - 2 tsp Salt - 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract - 1 tsp Chocolate Marble Cake [Eggless] Method 1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt; keep aside. 2. Next, whis...

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and this time I thought of giving my husband a delicious surprise by making for him his favorite Indian Dessert , the very humble and yummilicious rice kheer flavored with a little hint of rose and cardamom. Well, that is not all ! this rice kheer will be served in these beautiful red velvet cookie tart shells to lend that special romantic touch to a wonderful evening. If you too are looking for some special fusion recipes to impress your valentine on the special day, then I bet there can't be a better one than this. Do give it a try !! Just in case, you want to keep away from the rice pudding, you may serve these tarts with fillings like chocolate mousse, strawberry mousse or even raspberry or rose panacotta. Options are simply endless, you just need to wear your thinking caps and get going !!      Rose Kheer Tarts with Red Velvet Cookie Crust | Indian Rice Pudding in Red Velvet Cookie Tarts Rose Kheer Tarts with R...

If you had been searching for the easiest brownie recipe all this while, then I must say you have stumbled upon at the right page. Loaded with the decadence of chocolate and a "just-to-die-for" gooey texture, these brownies are absolutely sinful and delish. The best thing about these brownies is, they are egg-free and make for a perfect treat for vegetarians; even vegans can try out the same recipe just by replacing milk and cream cheese with vegan substitutes such as almond/soya milk and yogurt. Do try them out the upcoming holiday season and if you like it, don't forget to drop in a comment/feedback in the section below the page.   Egg-Free Fudgy Cocoa Brownies Ingredients All purpose flour - 1 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder - 2 tbsp Baking powder - 1/2 tsp Baking soda - a pinch Salt - 1/2 tsp Unflavored cooking oil - 1/4 cup Cream cheese (or thick curd) - 1/8 cup Milk (at room temp.) - 1/4 cup Coffee powder - 2 tsp (dissolved in 1/4 cup boil...

Karva Chauth is one of the most awaited festivals in Northern and parts of Western India after Deepavali; a pious festival during which the married women fast for a whole day praying for the well-being and long life of their husbands. The fast gets started early in the morning just before sunrise and gets opened only after offering a small prayer to the moon. During the fasting duration, women abstain themselves from eating or drinking anything, even water. The preparations of this vivacious fest generally gets started about a week in advance; decked up markets with stalls selling anything and everything ranging from cosmetics, bangles and jewelry to traditional sweets and delicacies. Women queued up at Henna stalls waiting to get beautiful designs tattooed on their hands is truly a sight to behold. Needless to say, if someone visits Northern India during the time of Karva Chauth and Deepavali, he is sure to be smitten by the awe and grandeur of the mesmerizing festivities. W...

The Vanilla & Choco Chip Biscotti  that I baked a few days back got finished in less than a week. So, it was again time for me to bake another batch of cookies that I could enjoy with my cup of tea. With few basic ingredients that are always present in our pantry, I came with these delicious and crunchy biscuits that instantly took me in awe of their taste. Trust me, if you make them once, I can guarantee you would never want to get those store bought almond biscuits again. Take a look at the recipe below. Eggless Coffee Almond Biscuits Ingredients (yields about 2 dozen) Plain flour - 1 cup Almond flour - 1/2 cup (you can easily make this at home by coarsely grinding almonds in a mixi jar) Unsalted butter (room temperature) - 1/2 cup Icing sugar - 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp Almond essence - 1 tsp Milk - approx. 1 tbsp Baking powder - 1/4 tsp Salt - a pinch Instant coffee powder (dissolved in a few drops of water) - 2 tsp Eggless Coffee Almond Biscu...

" Biscotti " is an Italian term referring to biscuits that are "twice baked"... and generally the ones which most of us often relate to are these crunchy and oblong shaped cookies that are technically also known as "Cantuccini". Originated during mid-nineteenth century in the small town of Prato in Italy, these biscotti have today become a coffeehouse staple across the world; while the original biscotti flavor can be traced back to comprising of just almonds and pine nuts, today you can choose from an endless variety starting right from simple vanilla, chocolate and cappuccino to even dried fruits such as cranberries and prunes. Vanilla Chocolate Chip Biscotti I am sure, baking biscotti at home might seem to be an intimidating task for many but, let me tell you its simply the opposite - quite easy and straightforward. Once you get the heck of it, you will not be able to resist yourselves from experimenting with different flavors every other day. The...

I started this blog just as a normal home chef and at that time, I did not have even slightest of an idea that my recipes would gain quite an appreciation in such a small time...today its been two and half months, and my Facebook Page has already reached 1000 + likes. For a home cook like me, it really counts as a big achievement and to celebrate it, I am here with a delectable dessert recipe which is one of my favorites, the classic chocolate glazed doughnuts . Oozing with the scintillating aroma and deliciousness of chocolate, they truly make for an awesome treat which can be served during high-tea gatherings, kids birthday celebrations, dinner parties or picnics. And yes, as its the month of Ramadan, you can also serve them for Iftari; they would surely make for a superb choice. Chocolate Glazed Doughnuts Ingredients (yields around 8 3" diameter doughnuts) All purpose flour - 2 + 1/2 cups Butter (cold) - 3 tbsp Powdered Sugar - 3 tbsp Milk - 1/2 cup Egg (whisked...