Anshu's Food Odyssey

Hi everyone, sorry for being away from the blog for quite sometime...was busy at the workfront so, could not catchup with you all.  Anyways, I wanted to share this post for a while as my gratitude to the lovely sponsors of the BarishKaChaiNashta contest that happened on Instagram a couple of months back. I just casually participated in the contest and to my utter surprise, was declared amongst top 3 winners for the same and was sent a beautiful hamper of Kehwa Tea as a gift by the hosts and sponsors. Loaded with almond flakes, dried rose petals, saffron strands, herbal tea leaves and whole lots of aromatic Indian spices, I was simply bowled over with its fresh, warm and comforting fragrance that decided to come up with an interesting recipe with it. Being an ardent tea cake lover, baking a warm aromatic tea cake with this beautiful Kehwa Tea was something that struck me instantly. The cake came out absolutely wonderful and got over in just under an hour. Still have a packet left o

Semolina Almond Rose Cake is a mild floral essenced  tea time cake that can be made and served in just under an hour. Made using semolina or rawa along with almond flour, it is definitely a healthy take on the typical cakes and I must say, makes for a perfect treat to cheer your kids and family in these gloomy times. Do try and I promise, you won't be disppointed. INGREDIENTS Sooji/ Rawa/ Semolina - 1 cup Corn flour - 2 tbsp Almond meal - 3 tbsp Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup Curd - 1/2 cup Flavorless edible oil (I used regular sunflower oil) - 1/4 cup Milk - 1/2 cup Baking powder - 1 tsp Baking soda - a pinch Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp Rose water - 3 to 4 tbsp METHOD Start by grinding semolina or rawa or suji to a very fine powder.  Transfer it to a bowl. Mix in powdered sugar, cardamom powder, almond meal and cornflour. Mix everything nicely using a wired

This Apple Streusel Cake is a beautiful and decadent fall dessert loaded with a delicious layer of slightly tart Granny Smith Apples and a crumbly buttery walnut topping oozing with all that earthy "cinnamon-y" flavor to tantalize your taste buds. Whether looking for a breakfast dessert, a tea time cake or just a sweet snacking option, this is going to be a perfect treat.    Days have gradually started getting shorter and I can already feel a slight nip in the air during mornings and evening, which means we have entered the fall season that happens to be my favorite time of the year. And why not? It is during this time of the year that all the major festivities like Navratri, Dussehra, Diwali, and Durga Puja are celebrated in India. There is a mood of fun, frolic and ecstasy all around the corner (though this time it may be a little different due to the pandemic situation around the world). The best part about this time is en

My husband has a big big sweet tooth and he needs a dessert for sure to enjoy after his meals. That is the reason, I always keep something ready to satiate his sweet cravings. While last week, I made a batch of ALMOND & ROSE KULFIS , this week I thought of getting my hands on this beautifully soft and moist fruit & nuts cake. And guess what! I actually baked it in a thick bottomed pan because my oven had gone for a toss a few days back. Trust me, it came out so beautifully done and melt in mouth that it got vanished in no time. Looking for the recipe? scroll down below. Eggless Whole Wheat Fruit & Nut Cake [No Oven Method] Ingredients Whole wheat flour - 1 cup + for coating the nuts Corn flour - 1.5 tbsp Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Softened unsalted butter - 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp Curd - 1/2 cup Water - 4 tbsp Salt - 1/2 tsp Baking powder - 3/4 tsp Baking soda - 1/4 tsp Vanilla essence - 1 tsp Mixed dried fruits & nuts (raisins,

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

It was my Mom's Birthday yesterday, so I thought of treating her with one of her favorite cake flavors - the   Black Forest Cake.  I guess, it is one of the most popular cakes  on earth because of the very fact that I am seeing it cut on almost any and every birthday party since my growing years (and not only me, I am sure, many of you would agree with me on this...hai na? 😉). Layers of rich chocolate cakes, soaked in cherry liquor, topped with fresh cherries and then frosted with a thick layer of simple whipped cream simply make it a delightful affair that is loved by almost everyone. Although, traditionally, a substantial amount of cherry liquor goes in making this cake, I have customized it a little by substituting the liquor with the cherry compote simply because I wanted to make a cake that is sans off any alcohol (but hey! I am not stopping you to go ahead and use the cherry liquor in case you want that hint of booze in your cake 😜). Also, since it's not the cher

I remember how much I loved the chocolate sandwich biscuits in my childhood. Filled with a luscious, lickable chocolate cream sandwiched between layers of crisp and crunchy cookies, they were my best accompaniment to a glass of milk every morning. Even today, these biscuits happen to be my weakness; though we can easily get a variety of them from store, the satisfaction of baking these lovely beauties at home is simply inexplicable. Plus the heavenly chocolaty aroma that fills through the kitchen is something that instantly transports you to another world. No wonder, I am always in a lookout for reasons and occasions to bake them.. If you think baking them is a daunting task, let me tell you, its quite a simple chore much like baking any other biscuits. The only new thing with them, is making a butter cream frosting which also takes just a couple of minutes that too with only a few basic ingredients in hand. I must say the end result is simply fantastic with crunchy biscuit laye