Anshu's Food Odyssey

Indian food culture is absolutely incomplete without the dry snack mixtures; be it South India or North India, people here need something to munch on either to curb their hunger pangs during the day or as an accompaniment to their evening tea or coffee. I remember during our childhood days, a huge wooden cabinet in the kitchen was used as a storage for a variety of such homemade snacks; methi nimki , namak paarey , besan ke laddoo , homemade jeera biscuits and nan khatai were some of the regular stuff that was stocked out in small portions whenever we felt hungry or when some guests visited our home. This healthy and absolutely lip smacking shahi namkeen mixture was also one of such snacks and was made quite frequently. Comprised of assorted nuts blended with spicy, tangy and sweet flavors, it truly used to be an addictive stuff that we loved to have with our tea in the evenings. Plus, come Diwali, and my Mom would make this mixture in big batches, seal them up in beautifu

Come summers and fruit markets are lined up with vendors selling a variety of mangoes. Emanating a strong aroma, just enough to captivate your senses, you certainly get tempted to buy some and arrive home with a bag full of them. Well! that is what exactly happened with my husband last week. He is so fond of mangoes that he could not resist himself and bought a huge basket of these sunshine fruits while returning from office. Besides relishing them as is, I invested some of them in this delicious, creamy and luscious " mango kulfi ". Imparted with a hint of cardamom and rose, it tasted simply divine, and not to mention explicitly, much much better than the store bought ones.    Creamy Mango Kulfi  Oh my my !! can you see the creaminess oozing from these kulfis in the picture above? That is exactly what we Indians love in our kulfis...don't we? In case you agree, I am sure you will love the recipe too which only requires three main ingredients. So, what are

In chilled weather, when you are down with fever, flu, and body ache, all you need is a drink that not only gives you warmth and comfort but also, that much needed energy and strength to recover at a faster pace. This dates and almond milk is one such magic potion that is sure to leave you completely revitalized in just a day or two. A tried and tested recipe that my Mum used to make for us every winters, it tastes simply delicious and needless to say, can be had even on normal days when you are absolutely fit and fine. Without wasting anytime, let's go through the detailed recipe below which is quite simple and can be made with only a handful of ingredients. Also, I have added only almonds in this milk, one can also go ahead and make it richer by adding other nuts of their choice. Dates and Almond Milk | Khajoor aur Badaam ka Doodh Ingredients (yields about 3 cups) Milk - 4.5 cups Dates (pitted and chopped) - 12 to 15 Almonds - 10 to 12 Dates and

Me and my husband are a great fan of Italian food; be it pizza or pasta, we have to have one of these two at least twice a month...and since the time I have perfected myself in making the pizza dough at home, this frequency has increased even more. Besides the dough, what elevates my pizza and pasta a notch higher in taste is my homemade sauce that I make with red ripe tomatoes, adding to it, just a hint of freshly plucked basil and dried oregano that makes it all the more aromatic and flavorful. Not to exaggerate, I simply have no words to describe how amazing my kitchen smells whenever I am baking pizza or cooking pasta using this beautiful sauce. Here's the recipe of the same, you can make it in a big batch and refrigerate or freeze as per your convenience. When refrigerating, it would last for about a week whereas when freezing, it can be used up to a month.    Homemade Pizza & Pasta Sauce Ingredients Red ripe tomatoes (chopped, medium sized) - 4 to 5 Onion (medi

One of the most popular and flavorful rice dishes from Southern part of India, Lemon Rice need no special introduction. Packed with freshness of lemon, crunch of peanuts and a soothing aroma of curry leaves, they are my absolute favorite when it comes to relishing a South Indian meal . In case you have some precooked steamed rice lying in your refrigerator, then this is probably the best dish that can be made out of them, that too in just a whiff of time. All you need to do is take them out, prepare a lemony tempering and lo ! your rice is ready. Although this rice can be enjoyed as is paired with some curd and poppadom on the side, I usually make Sambhar with them to relish a wholesome hearty meal. This time, as my husband had brought some fish, so instead of Sambhar, I made the yummylicious Kerala Style Fish Curry using Coconut Milk to go with these aromatic rice and trust me, it came out to be a stupendous gastronomic treat for both of us. I'll be posting the recipe of fish

Pannacotta , the very famous Italian dessert was on my mind for quite some while now; I wanted to make it for past couple of months but was not getting the right opportunity....and now since its the holiday season with a get-together planned at my place over the weekend, I thought it would be the right time to finally give it a try. So, I made this batch of vanilla pannacotta as a trial and paired it up with homemade peach sauce sauce infused with some rustic flavors and aroma of star anise. At first I was a little skeptical of whether peach sauce would be a good option to go with pannacotta but trust me, it came out simply awesome and yes!! now I am all set to please my guests with this luscious and creamy dessert. Sharing the recipe below; hopefully you will like it !!....Last but not the least, my apologies for posting not so great pictures as I was running late for a meeting and clicked them in a rush....... Vanilla Pannacotta with Peach Sauce Ingredients (serves 6) Fo

Peri-Peri Chicken finds its origin in South Africa and was introduced by Portuguese who were taken by the flavors of the Bird's Eye Chili Peppers which used to cultivated in the African soil in abundance. A dash of oil and lots of garlic to the chilies gave birth to what we now know as the Peri Peri Chicken. The recipe was further made popular by the renowned restaurant chain, "The Nando's" whose first restaurant opened in Johannesburg in the year 1987. Since then, they have come a long way and now their packaged chili sauces including the signature peri-peri sauce is as famous as their chicken. While the original recipe of this classic bar-be-cued chicken calls for the piri-piri peppers or the African Bird's Eye Chilis, since I could not get the same, I used the normal chili peppers which we get in farmer's market and topped up the flavors by using extra dash of chili flakes, red chili sauce and Tabasco sauce. Also, I have used a little of juicy plums to

Minestrone is one of the most famous and nutritious Italian soups loaded with lots of seasonal vegetables and pasta. The base of this soup is quite thick which is usually prepared using tomatoes and chicken/vegetable broth. A generous sprinkle of cheese further adds that extra flavor making it simply irresistible. I have added chicken to my homemade minestrone soup; vegetarians can skip the meat and simply enjoy it with variety of vegetables, whatever they have available in their homes. Ingredients (serves two) 5-6 ripe medium sized tomatoes 1/2 onion 1/2 carrot 5-6 cloves garlic 4-5 cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup boiled pasta 1/2 cup boiled and shredded chicken 1/2 cup yellow bellpepper 1/2 cup boiled corn kernels 3-4 cups water/vegetable stock/chicken stock 1/4 cup grated processed cheese (mozarella or cheddar) Salt to taste 1 tsp crushed black pepper powder 1 tsp oregano Method 1. First make the thick base of soup using tomatoes, onions and garlic. For that,

Bursting with zingy and tangy flavors of ginger and orange, this delicious chicken recipe has its roots in the Chinese cuisine and makes for a delectable delight whether served with plain boiled rice or as a sole appetizer. Those interested in giving a try to this mouth-watering dishin their own home kitchens, are welcome to follow the recipe below. Ingredients 500 gms boneless chicken (cut into bite-size cubes) Juice of 1 fresh orange 2 inch grated ginger 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped) 2 tsp soya sauce 2 tsp vinegar 2 tsp sugar 2 tsp all purpose flour 2 tsp cornflour Salt to taste 2 tsp crushed black pepper Oil for frying Method 1. Marinate the chicken with 1/2 cup orange juice, half of the grated ginger & garlic, 1 tsp soya sauce, all purpose flour,1 tsp cornflour, salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Let it rest for 1 hour. 2. Now fry these chicken pieces in medium hot oil until they turn crisp; take them out in a bowl. 3. Prepare the sauce to coat th

Lip-smacking savoury titbits, Noodle Cutlets make for perfect party appetizers. Bursting with mild flavours and oozing with deliciousness of cheese and noodles, they are loved by kids too. In case, you have an upcoming party this weekend and you are looking for an easy snacks recipe, do try them. I am sure you will be showered with compliments from your guests. So, here goes the recipe.... Ingredients 1 boiled potato 1 cup boiled noodles 1/2 cup grated cottage cheese 2 tsp corn kernels 2 cloves garlic 1 inch ginger Some fresh coriander 1 green chilli 1 cup breadcrumbs Salt to taste 2 tsp black pepper powder 1 tsp dried oregano or Italian seasoning Oil for frying Method 1. Grate potato and cheese. 2. In a blender, make a smooth mixture of noodles, grated potato & cheese, corn kernels, garlic, ginger, coriander and green chilli. 3. In the mixture, add all the spices, bread crumbs and mix well to form a dough like consistency. 4. Grease your palms w