Anshu's Food Odyssey

Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means, at no extra cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click and make a purchase through them, helping me retain and maintain this blog. Biryani is by far the most loved and most popular delights not only in India but across the world. Having said that, every country, every region and every state has their own method of cooking this biryani and with different ingredients. Well, talking about the Indian varieties of biryanis, the Lucknowi or Awadhi Biryani is probably the most famous with mild spices and floral notes to it, the Hyderabadi Biryani is quite rich in piquant flavors, and then there are Kolkata Style Biryani and the Kerala Biryani, which again have distinct flavors and style of cooking.  With all that intro to the Biryani, let me come to what I have in store for you today - the very enticing Chicken Biryani cooked in typical Hyderabadi "Dum Pukht" style wherein a succulent jhol (curry) of chic...

Kathal ki Biryani is a wonderful and interesting vegetarian take on the otherwise non-vegetarian biryanis usually made using animal meat such as chicken and mutton. Slow cooked or as said, "DUM COOKED" in a typical Hyderabadi style, it comes out really delicious with all those meaty textured pieces of kathal or raw jackfruit giving a feel of a typical non-veg biryani to all the vegetarians. Along with kathal, it is the melange of fresh spices and home made biryani masala that makes this biryani a real keeper. I must say, if you love jackfruit, then this recipe is a must-try. Jackfruit is an exotic fruit native to South India. Its meaty texture compared to shredded animal meat, makes it an ideal substitute for vegetarians. However, having said that, peeling, cutting and chopping of jackfruit can be a real tedious and messy job due to its sticky gel/milk that it secretes when cut. This milk secretion can cause severe itching on the...

Loaded with some tantalizing flavors, Tawa Pulao is a delicious and popular recipe from western parts of India, particularly Maharashtra. A wholesome and delectable meal, it finds its origin in the streets of Mumbai; it is said that a couple of decades back, a Pav Bhaji vendor curated this wonderful recipe to put his leftover Bhaji gravy to use. He just added some already cooked rice in the gravy and lo! this beautiful, aromatic and spicy pulao recipe was created, which today, counts amongst the most popular Mumbai Street Food delicacies. And since it is cooked on the same tawa or griddle where Bhaji is cooked, it got its name as the "Tawa Pulao" .  So, ideally this tawa pulao has an already prepared gravy to put to use, however, if we want to relish its tongue-tickling flavors, we can easily prepare it from scratch at our homes. All we need is few basic pantry ingredients along with the most essential, PAV BHAJI MASALA and we are good to go. So, what are waiting ...

Pineapple Fried Rice is a classic recipe from the Thai cuisine which essentially has prawns added for the dose of protein. I have, however, tried to give the beautiful recipe a twist by using the chicken instead of prawns. You can, however, go and add any protein that you like or even skip it altogether. Also, do try to always use the fresh pineapple instead of the canned one as the latter has a high sweet content. Just in case, you only have the option to use the canned pineapple, drain the syrup, wash the pineapple and dab with a kitchen towel to get rid of excess sweetness. As for the sauces, feel free to use any you like; for example, if you like extra spice, try to go for sriracha which will surely add that nice kick. Let's get onto the recipe now... Pineapple Chicken Fried Rice INGREDIENTS Fresh pineapple cut into bite size cubes - 1 cup Cooked and cooled rice (I used the short grain rice) - 2 cups Boiled and shredded chicken - 1 cup Egg - 1 Onions (...

Poha or Pohey is an easy and healthy recipe that comes together in no time. The dish makes for a  quintessential breakfast in Maharashtra and Gujarat ; and if you happen to visit these states, you would find them being served in every nook side eating joint and restaurant. Cooked with beaten rice that are tossed with peanuts, veggies/sometimes just onions and a subtle hint of spices, they absolutely make for a delicious meal. I first happened to savour pohey during my visit to Ahmedabad 5-6 years back. My husband was deployed on a project there and right across our house, was this busy breakfast corner that used to serve poha and fafda/jalebi during morning and evening hours. Packed with lovely flavors with a little hint of sweetness and tartness, topped with chopped onions, coriander, green chilies, pomegranate pearls, beetroot juliennes and a whole lot of nylon sev, oh! poha instantly became my favorite recipe to devour with a hot cup of ginger tea. Not to mention, it ...

Thai Cuisine needs no special introduction; a unique blend of flavors with refreshing aroma of exotic herbs, unmatched sharpness of red chilies, soothing sweetness of coconut milk and a tantalizing tartness of limes, it has carved its own very niche on the international culinary platform. Truly speaking, Thai Food is all about a well balance of flavors: sweet, sour, spicy, salty and bitter. Our love for this exotically flavorful cuisine started during our three years of tenure in Singapore, a country that truly deserves to be called a melting hot pot of South East Asian flavors, be it Thai, Malay, Korean, Japanese or Vietnamese. The best part was, since every ingredient used in Asian cooking was so easily available, I could try out many recipes at home....and Thai was always preferred over other cuisines because my husband was a big fan of Thai cuisine; off-course the credit goes to his frequent visits to Thailand for work where his taste buds got acquainted to all the enticing...

Delhi is burning these days with temperature rising over 40 degrees C. In such a scorching heat, it seems a horrendous job standing in kitchen for hours cooking elaborate meals. So, I am always in a lookout for simple meals that can be cooked in a jiffy yet are wholesome, delicious and nutritious in every possible way. With that being said, to make such recipes, I often make use of the leftovers which obviously helps me put together a nice dish in minimum possible time. One such easy and quick recipe that I made lately is this " Stir Fried Chickpea and Spinach Rice ". I already had some plain cooked rice and boiled chickpeas from last day's lunch lying in the refrigerator; all I did was tossed them up with some spices, chopped garlic and spinach and I was instantly ready with this yummilicious one pot meal. My family completely enjoyed it some boondi-mint raita and papad on the side. A simple and must try recipe, do try it out !!  Indian Style Stir Fried C...