Anshu's Food Odyssey

Bharwa Shimla Mirch or Stuffed Capsicum is a delicious Indian side dish made by stuffing green bellpeppers with a spicy potato filling, which are then cooked further until completely done. A Punjabi style recipe, it makes for a comforting dish to complete your meals.  Though traditionally, this recipe is made using green peppers, if you want to add some color to your plate, you can definitely go and use the colored bellpeppers as well. Also, the slitting style of the peppers varies across different homes in India, I have grown up watching the capsicums to be halved lengthwise at my home, so I do it the same way. If you wish, you can just chop off the head of the capsicum and stuff the entire pepper; whatever way you like. Bharwa Shimla Mirch | Stuffed Capsicum Recipe INGREDIENTS Green capsicums - 3 to 4 Boiled and mashed potatoes, medium sized - 4 to 5 Finely chopped green chilies - 2 tsp Finely chopped ginger - 2 tsp Crushed dhaniya seeds - 1 tsp Jeera - 1 tsp Fennel...

Idli is one the most popular breakfast options across India. While traditionally, it is made with fermented rice and lentil batter, now-a-days many instant idli variations made with healthy grains are getting popular too. Some of them include the instant oats idli, rava idli and ragi idli. You can find the oats and rava idli on my blog and I make them quite often, however, this time I thought of making the idli with daliya or the broken wheat and to my utter happiness, it came out absolutely perfect and spongy. If you too are looking for instant and healthy breakfast options to try, then I must say, this is the recipe you must go for. Instant Daliya Idli | How to Make Daliya Idli | Healthy Daliya Idli INGREDIENTS (makes 10 to 12 idlis) Daliya/ Broken Wheat - 1 cup Thick yogurt - 1/2 cup Water - about 1 cup Finely chopped green chilies - 1 tsp Finely chopped coriander - 1/4 cup Broken cashews - 8 to 10 Chana dal - 1 tsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Oil - 1 tbsp + grease idli mou...

The Indo Chinese Fried Rice is something we all have grown eating in the Chinese restaurants all across India. Though far from the authentic Chinese, I guess, this is what we are addicted to. One of the most delicious and simple recipes, it comes together in no time and makes a wonderful use of the leftover rice. So, just the rice and some assorted vegetables to go in and you are ready for a wholesome meal, simple isn't it?. Here I would like to mention that though fried rice can be made with any variety of rice, jasmine rice gives it a nice authentic Chinese feel and aroma. But, just in case you cant lay your hands on them, any short grain rice works perfectly well for the recipe. Also, the veggies that you want to go in the rice depend on your preference and choice; I have added carrots, broccoli, beans and bellpeppers, you feel free to add any that you like. Only thing you need to take care of is, sauteing that vegetable first which takes longer to cook. For example...

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 ...

Weekend dinners at our place are meant for some Non-Indian recipes, highly preferable being Thai, Italian or Chinese. This beautiful recipe of spaghetti in creamy broccoli, spinach and walnut sauce is something that was the showstopper on our table last Saturday night and was loved to the core by everyone in the family. The sauce of this spaghetti recipe makes for its fundamental ingredient. Loaded with spinach, broccoli and walnuts, its rich in vital nutrients such as iron, calcium, anti-oxidants and essential amino acids. The best part is, it comes together in no time and can be used in variety of dishes other than pasta. Use it as a spread on your favorite bread or have it as a dip along with nachos, chips or any other crispies. And oh! did I tell you, this sauce is very light in terms of calories as it is sans off the cheese and cream. So, if you are watching your weight and crave for some creamy pasta, this is just for you; enjoy it without any guilt. Spag...

Kheer is one of the most famous and loved desserts in India; be it any festival or auspicious occasion such as Diwali , Holi , Eid or Raksha Bandhan , it is one delicacy that finds a top place on the festive menu . Having said that, kheer is of different types and can be made with varied ingredients depending on the occasion and the region. While the most traditional version of kheer that can be found across India is the kheer made with rice, yet there are other farali versions too that are often made during the festival of Navratris and the holy month of Shravan, when many Hindus observe fasts and abstain from having any grains in their meals . Amongst all the farali versions,  sabudane (sago pearls) ki kheer is byfar the most common and is literally enjoyed by anyone and everyone. I too am fond of this delicious kheer and make it whenever there's an opportunity. For past few weeks, I have started observing fasts on Thursdays and as an offering (prashad), I try to make som...

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...

Come monsoons and my tastebuds start craving for all the chatpata fried stuff starting right from our very own comforting pakoras and bhajjis to spicy samosas and kachoris. While they make for an unmatched treat along with a cup of "garma garam adrak wali chai" (hot ginger tea) on a lovely rainy evening, just to add some variety to my list of monsoon snackers , this time I thought of getting away from the regular stuff and try something new. I had heard of these delicious beetroot croquettes from my husband who spent almost 5 to 6 years of his childhood in Kolkata. The idea of using beetroot is what that instigated me (obviously because of its nutritional value and amazing color) and with lots of it readily lying in my refrigerator, I had another reason of actually trying out this popular delicacy from the streets of Bengal: the sweet & spicy Beetroot Chops , also famously referred to as Vegetable Chops in some parts of the region. What I know so far is, they ar...

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...