Anshu's Food Odyssey

Kuttu ka Atta (Buckwheat Flour) aur Samak ke Chawal (Barnyard Millet) ki Poori (Fried Puffed Indian Bread) is one of the most popular and delicious delicacies enjoyed during the Navratri festivities, especially in North Indian households. The poori is gluten free and makes for a wholesome meal for those observing fast (vrat/ upwas) during the nine day long festival.  At my home, my husband is a big Mata ke Bhakt and he observes fast for all the 9 days, taking meals only once a day. Therefore, I make sure, the one meal that he is taking is wholesome and delicious at the same time. This poori is kind of quintessential Navratri meal for us and I prepare it at-least one day out of the nine days. It can be paired with any farali sabzi of your choice; I however, usually serve it with either Khatti Meethi Kaddu ki Sabzi, Dry Dahi Masala Aloo or Rassedar Arbi Tamatar ki Sabzi. Offcourse, a bowl of curd is also a must on the thali.  Apart from this poor

Makhane aur Badaam ki Kheer is a delicious and creamy Indian style milk pudding made using foxnuts and almonds. Rich in proteins and calcium, this dessert is extremely nutritious and is often made during Indian festivals of Navratri , Ekadashi , Shivratri and other fasting days and vrat. Not to mention, Makhane aur Badaam ki Kheer is extremely simple and easy to make and is treat to both your palette and tastebuds. To make it, all you need to do is simply roast some makhana (foxnut) in ghee until crisp and then simmer it along with almond paste in the milk until it becomes a thick mixture. For a rich creamier texture of this pudding, make sure you use full fat milk. Also, you can use condensed milk as sweetener; it will give you even better results. I have, however, used sugar for the sweetness.  INGREDIENTS Full fat milk - 1 liter Makhana/foxnuts - 2 cups Sugar - 1/4 cup or as taste Soaked and peeled

Sabudana ki Khichdi finds its place amongst the most popular Indian breakfast dishes and that is commonly eaten during Navratri and Shivratri in Northern and Western parts of India. Needless to say, the tiny little sago pearls stir fried along with crushed peanuts, boiled potatoes and mild spices are fully packed with carbohydrates and make for a wholesome meal that leaves you energized and pepped up for the full day of fasting. With that being said, this khichdi is so tasty that you can even have when not fasting. It's also a perfect recipe for those who prefer vegan and gluten-free delicacies in their daily diet routine. So, without wasting much of the time, let's get started with the ingredients and method to make this yummylicious khichdi. Sabudana Khichdi | Sago Khichdi Ingredients 1. Sabudana/Sago - 1 cup (washed and soaked in 3/4 cup water for 5 - 6 hours) 2. Boiled potato (medium sized, chopped into bite size cubes) - 1 3. Green chilies (f

Well! I was thinking to make the falahari Malai Koftas for Sunday special lunch, but, as I entered into the kitchen I realized. I only had a small amount of paneer (cottage cheese) in my fridge, obviously not enough to make what I intended to. A quest to make something with paneer (as its my husband's favorite), I came up with these baby potato cheese pops. Though I thought of making a creamy and nutty gravy later to dip these pops into it (as a substitute for malai kofta) and enjoy with crisp kuttu pooris, it never happened because we both (me and my husband) gobbled it up as is. And trust me, they tasted truly divine and yummilicious. For the recipe, browse through the page below. Ingredients 12-15 baby potatoes 2-3 green chilies 10-15 curry leaves 100 grams paneer/cottage cheese 8-10 raisins 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp roasted cumin powder 1/2 tsp sugar 1 tsp chopped coriander 1 tsp lemon juice Salt to taste Oil for frying Method 1.

Tortilla Chips with Salsa is something which we all must have enjoyed several times. How about giving this famous Mexican recipe an Indian twist, especially for foodies who are fasting during the Navratra days? Sounds interesting? Well! I bring for you the most delectable chips made using the samak (barnyard millet) flour accompanied with a mouth-watering fruit salsa dip. The best part is, these chips are flavored with fresh strawberries and make for a delectable treat. Here's the recipe ....hope you enjoy ! Ingredients (For Fruit Salsa) 5-6 fresh strawberries finely chopped 2-3 tsp fresh pomegranate seeds 1/2 orange cut into cubes 2 green chillies finely chopped 1/2 bunch of mint leaves finely chopped 2 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp of powdered sugar 1 tsp roasted cumin powder 1 tsp black salt White salt as per taste Ingredients (For Samak Chips) 2-3 fresh strawberries finely chopped 1 green chilli finely chopped 1/2 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp salt 2 cups cooke

As rightly said, Navratris are more of a feasting celebrations rather than fasting. Many traditional snacks and puddings are made and savored during this time of the year; amongst most classic of the delicacies is the kuttu pakoras that are made using thin slices of potatoes, coated in buckwheat flour batter and fried till crisp. Here, is the step by step recipe for this traditional delicacy; hope you like it !     Kuttu ke Pakode Ingredients Kuttu ke Pakode 1 cup buckwheat flour 1 1/2 cup water or as needed 2 potatoes (cut into thin slices) 1 tsp lemon juice 1 green chilli finely chopped 1 inch ginger finely grated 2 tsp fresh finely chopped coriander Salt to taste 1 tsp black pepper powder Oil for frying Method Kuttu ke Pakode Kuttu ke Pakode 1. Make a thick batter of kuttu flour and add in the rest of the ingredients. Make sure potato slices coat well in the batter. 2. Fry the flour coated potato slices in medium hot oil until they

Also known as Sama, Samai, Varai and Samo, Samak Rice belong to the millet family and makes for a healthy replacement for rice during fasts, especially Navratris. You would be surprised to know that these rice are not a cereal but a fruit which comes from the grass that commonly grows amidst the paddy fields. Loaded with fiber, vitamin B-complex, zinc, manganese and anti-oxidants, Samak surely makes for a good choice for diabetics and heart patients too. Consumption of these rice also helps accelerate weight loss, so, anyone looking forward to shed some weight must include Samak in his/her daily diet routine. Eating Samak simply plain and boiled can surely be a tough and boring job, so, here I bring for you an interesting version of these rice which not only adds beautiful color to them but also makes them delectable and tasty. Do try making them in your kitchens and let me know how they turned out. Samak Rice Pulav Ingredients 1/2 cup samak rice (ba

Made from ingredients like raw banana, sweet potato and arbi, these falahari kebabs make for perfect treat for Navratri fasts. Do try making them at your homes and let me know how they turned out. Ingredients (Makes 12 - 15 Kebabs) 1 peeled and steamed sweet potato 1 peeled and steamed raw banana 4-5 boiled, peeled and fried arbi 1/2 cup grated radish 1/2 cup grated carrot 2 green chillies 1 small bunch fresh coriander Juice of 1 lime Sendha Namak (as per your taste) 2 tsp crushed peanuts 1 tbsp kuttu atta (buckwheat flour) 1 tsp dry mango powder 1 tsp roasted cumin powder 2 tsp pomegranate seeds Method 1. Grind the above ingredients and make a smooth dough out of them. 2. Skewer them on satay sticks and shape like kebabs using greasy hands. 3. Shallow fry in medium hot oil until they turn golden brown. Serve hot with mint and anaardana chutney. 

Navratras are round the corner and most of us would be keeping fast during the 9 auspicious days. In case you have got bored of trying the normal fast delicacies, here I bring for you a teekhi-chatpati arbi recipe which will surely give a kick to your fasting taste buds. Do try it and don't forget posting your feedback on how it turned out. Ingredients 500 grams Arbi (Colocasia) Sendha Namak (as per your taste) 1 tsp black Salt 1 tsp dry mango powder (amchur) 1 tsp roasted cumin powder 2 tbsp thick curd(slightly sweetened) 1 tbsp sweet tamarind chutney 1 tbsp green coriander mint chutney 1 tbsp chopped cucumber 1 tsp finely chopped green chillis For Garnishing Finely chopped coriander Few pomegranate seeds 1 tsp roasted/fried peanuts Method 1. Boil arbi for about 1 whistle in pressure cooker. 2. Peel off the skin. Press each arbi a little in your palms and fry until crispy. 3. In a serving platter, place the crispy arbi and top it up with all