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

Phirni is the classical dessert that finds its origin in the Indian state of Punjab. Thick, luscious and creamy dish made by thickening the milk along with coarsely ground rice, phirni is traditionally served in little earthen pots and you would mostly find it being served during festivals and weddings.  While phirni itself is quite a simple recipe, I have given it an interesting twist by adding mini gulab jamuns to the same. This delectable fusion dessert is sure to add to your list of traditional party recipes; serve it during your Diwali get-together , Holi lunch or any pooja ceremony at home. I guarantee it would be loved by your guests. Scroll down for the complete recipe. Click here if you want to know how to make homemade Angoori Gulab Jamuns . Gulab Jamun Phirni  Ingredients Full fat milk - 1 litre Rice (soaked in water) - 4 tbsp Sugar - 1/2 cup Green cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp Rose water (optional) - 1 to 2 tsp Saffron strands - a few Mini gulab j

Super moist and oozing with decadence, these double chocolate muffins are perfect for any kind of an occasion, be it your own kitty party, your kid's birthday party or a day-out or a picnic. Plus, they are made using whole wheat flour which makes them quite healthy and wholesome. To add on to the guilt-free factor, these muffins are sans off any butter, absolutely a go-to dessert for the weight-watchers. Oh, did I tell you, they are egg-free too? Well yes, these chocolate muffins are eggless and can be easily gorged on by a vegetarian crowd. Waiting for the recipe? simply scroll down and get started !!  Wholewheat Double Chocolate Muffins [Eggless, Butterless] Ingredients Whole Wheat Flour - 1.5 cups Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp Powdered sugar - 1 cup Plain curd/yogurt - 1/2 cup Milk - 1/2 cup Olive oil - 1/2 cup Vanilla extract - 1 tsp Baking powder - 1.5 tsp Salt - 1/4 tsp Melted chocolate - 1/8 cup Chocolate rice/chips - 1/8 cup + few to sprinkle on top of

In India, especially on the Northern Side like Delhi and Punjab, whenever there is a party or a get-together planned at home, one dish that is a must-make for sure, has to be paneer (cottage cheese) based. While many a times I go either for Paneer Dhaniya Adraki Korma , Paneer Butter Masala , Shahi Palak Paneer Kofta Curry or Kadhai Paneer , this time I opted to experiment with flavors keeping them plain, simple and subtle. Trust me, the dish turned out to be super awesome and left my guests licking their fingers till the last bite.    To tell you more about this paneer recipe, its heart and soul is the gravy which is made using the paste of melon seeds, a little milk and a dollop of fresh cream. What lends it a touch of spice is only a couple of green chilies and black pepper powder. And yes, it is totally incomplete without kasoori methi powder that provides it with that much needed earthiness. One of my best paneer recipes till date, it ought to be indulged with some garlic

Well, summers is all about mangoes and their unmatched deliciousness; I am sure most of you would agree with me on this. As far as I am concerned, I am truly obsessed with these sunshine beauties and love relishing them in different forms, be it salads, shakes, ice-creams or even cakes. Oh by the way, did you happen to see my post for the " Mango Kulfi " that I shared yesterday? Luscious, creamy and bursting with that heavenly mangoish flavor and aroma, it simply made for a yummilicious treat for my family and needless to say, got finished in just no time. After that sinful kulfi, today morning I was tempted to make this refreshing and one of the most popular Indian summer drinks , our very own " Punjabi Mango Lassi ". Thick and creamy with a subtle aroma of cardamom, it is certainly a great cooler; have a glass in the breakfast and you are sure to be left completely energized for a long day at work. Coming to the recipe, all you need is a few basic ingredie

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

Appe , also known a Appam or Paniyaram,  is one of the traditional breakfasts served in almost every South Indian household. Authentically they are made using fermented rice flour batter (same way as in idli and dosa), but, since its a tedious and time taking process soaking, grinding and fermenting the rice, these instant oats & rava appe make for a quick and easy alternative. Also, loaded with whole lots of veggies, they certainly provide for a nutritious, healthy and yummilicious option, perfect to pack for your kids' lunch box too. Ideally they go very well with South Indian coconut chutney , in case that is not readily available, they can be served with coriander-mint chutney or tomato ketchup as well. Do try them out and you surely won't be disappointed. Other Healthy Recipes from the Blog Potato Corn Balls [Air Fryer Recipe] Watermelon Cucumber Mint Cooler Baked Paneer Bread Rolls Vegetable Vermicelli Upma Spinach & Chia Bread Loaf Baked Masala Kac