Anshu's Food Odyssey

Chholey (chickpeas) is a delicacy, a mere mention of which brings a big smile on every Punjabi's face and yes, that includes me as well 😜. Visit any Punjabi's home on a weekend morning, and there's a ninety percent possibility you would end up inhaling in that beautiful aroma of ajwain, anaardana and other dried whole spices emitting from the chholey being cooked in the kitchens either for breakfast or for brunch.....and our home too is no exception; its a ritualistic breakfast for all our family members on Sundays and absolutely makes for a wonderful delight that is gorged upon unstoppably. Authentic Punjabi Chikkad Chholey with Beetroot Masala Pooris Now, many of you must be thinking what is chikkad and why this delicacy is named so. To answer your question, chikkad in authentic Punjabi dialect means muddy and if you notice the color and texture of Chikkad Chholey, you would see a great resemblance between the two. Having said that, this texture and color is the s

This easy-peasy no-bake recipe has been a super-duper hit at my home this summer season. I have already made them twice and this is the third time I am once again making them on special request from my husband. As he is quite fond of sweets and desserts and you would always find him in the kitchen looking for some sweet little munchies to have after his dinner, these yellow little balls make for an apt choice for him to just gobble down. Talking about from where I got the idea of making these yummy truffles, its from homemadehooplah.com  where the blogger had posted this amazing recipe of orange creamsicle truffles. The pictures lured me so much that I straightaway went in my kitchen to try them out. And since I did not have oranges, I decided to go with lemons with a gut feeling that they would turn out as delicious. And I am glad, I was not wrong in my thinking. If you love the lemony tartness and freshness as I do, I am sure you are also gonna love these sunshine balls. Do try th

I was craving for some pulao or biryani today but it had to be quick, chatpata and absolutely lip-smacking. The only recipe which fitted my imagination was this famous dish from the streets of Mumbai, the Tawa Pulao . Loaded with the goodness of assorted vegetables, tartness of tomatoes and spiciness of the pav bhaji masala, this street delicacy can be found being made on every Pav Bhaji stall in Mumbai on big large iron skillets and I guess, it is from there, where it gets it name from. Undoubtedly, this rice specialty finds a special place in the heart of every Mumbaikar and perfectly makes for a delightful one-pot meal option that can be relished anytime of the day. Plus, this pulao always come to the rescue of bachelors and singles who are looking forward to try their hands at something which is not only simple and faster to cook but, tastes delicious too. So, here I am with my version of this awesome recipe...make it and satisfy your cravings as I did....and yes, its not necess

Bhein or Kamal Kakdi has always been one of my ultimate favorite vegetables since childhood. When I moved to Singapore, I had this notion in mind that from now on, I'll not be able to get such exotic vegetables here. One day, while roaming in a supermarket for the daily grocery shopping, I saw these very clean, nice and plump lotus stems lying in a basket; I jumped with joy and straight-away picked them up thinking of the delicious lotus stem & green peas curry that I'll prepare for dinner once I get back home.... since that day, lotus stems have become a must-buy item in my grocery shopping list and I often get them to prepare bhein koftas, bhein pakodas and ekadashi wale chatpate aloo bhein....don't worry...I shall post the recipes of these mouth-watering delicacies too very soon. Till then, get in your kitchens and try this bhein matar ki sabzi and I assure, you will not be disappointed. Lotus Stem & Green Peas Curry Ingredients Lotus stems (peeled and

With mangoes all around, it was now high time to make this beautiful dessert which had been hovering on my mind for quite a while. And also, as it was Father's Day today, I all the more had an apt reason to once again treat my tastebuds with a delectable dessert. The recipe is very simple, a little variation to the much famous Bengali Mishti Doi and gets prepared in just no time; all you have to do is mix the ingredients, bake and chill in the refrigerator. Simple Na? I told ya 😊. So what are we waiting for? Let's get started with the step-by-step procedure to make this super yummy and heavenly Baked Mango Yogurt . Baked Mango Yogurt Baked Mango Yogurt Ingredients Hung curd/yogurt - 1 and 1/2 cups Sweetened condensed milk - 1 cup Mango puree (I used canned Alphonso puree) - 1 cup Fresh cream (Amul) - 1/2 cup Vanilla extract - 1 tsp Baked Mango Yogurt Method 1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes. 2. In the meanwhile, mix all ing

It had been quite a while since I had baked anything; my last baking adventure I remember was when I made these delicious, crunchy and crumbly Chocolate Marble Icebox Cookies  some 15-20 days back. So, the baking bug inside me was again ticking me to get up and provide some workout to my long resting hand and shoulder muscles (if you didn't know, baking is quite a good exercise and a relaxing therapy for your tired minds 😊). Yesterday only, I had bought a pack of fresh blueberries and rosemary from the supermarket with an idea of making a summer drink ..... but, as you know mind often plays fluky games 😉...so, I left the idea of the drink and got into the kitchen to bake this beautiful blueberry and rosemary focaccia bread and enjoyed it with my evening tea. If you too are fond of baking, go ahead and try this delicious bread and I promise, you will make it quite often.... Wholewheat Blueberry & Rosemary Focaccia Ingredients Wholewheat flour - 2 cups All purpose

Arbi Tuk is a very famous recipe which has its roots in the Sindhi cuisine. I first got a chance to savour this tongue-tickling delicacy at one of my Sindhi friend's home; crispy taro root bites bursting with tangy and spicy flavors were delectable enough to turn me into a great fan of this recipe the very moment I tasted them.....that is not all, when I first made this recipe at home, my husband too loved it and since then, whenever he gets to know that I have bought arbi from the market he is like 'please arbi tuk zaroor banana'....today also I made it on his request and thought of sharing the recipe with you all...also, just to tell you, I have given these tuks a chatpata achaari twist which definitely makes them all the more irresistible....do try them and have them as tea-time snack or as a side dish on your dinner table. Arbi Tuk Ingredients Arbi (Colocasia or Taro Root) - 18 to 20 pieces Oil - for deep frying Salt - as per taste Chaat Masala - 2 tsp Red