Anshu's Food Odyssey

In my childhood, I remember when there was no oven at our home, my Mum would bake (rather steam) the cakes in her dhokla pot/steamer. Their super soft, moist and melt-in-mouth texture is something that I often yearn for till date. To satiate one such craving with my tea last evening, I went ahead, called my mother and asked her about the method and the recipe she used to prepare my favorite chocolate cake . A no-fuss recipe with only few basic ingredients needed, my cake turned out absolutely delicious tasting exactly what I was craving for. This recipe is great for beginners and the ones who do not own oven but want to try their hands on homemade cakes. Do STEAM it and I bet, you are simply gonna love it. Eggless Steamed Chocolate Cake Ingredients All purpose flour - 1 cup Plain yogurt - 1/2 cup Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp Olive oil - 1/3 cup Milk - 1/8 cup + 1 tbsp Baking powder - 1 tsp Baking soda - 1/4 tsp Salt - 1/4 tsp Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp V

Being hardcore Punjabis, Chholey is something we have grown up eating. I remember, my mom would prepare them at least twice a month and just in case, there was a party or get-together planned, menu was absolutely incomplete without these delicious finger licking curried chickpeas that were either served with pooris or the Punjabi quintessential “bhaturas”.  Chholey is one delicacy that is made in different ways across the Indian households. Amongst all the varieties available, " Amritsari Chholey " are undoubtedly the best and obviously the most popular. A bit spicy and tangy oozing with lip smacking flavours, they make for an irresistible treat, especially on a comforting weekend afternoon. Pair them with a glass of buttermilk and you are certainly gone in the state of coma (well not literally 😂😂 ) for couple of hours...frankly speaking a good relaxing sleep is actually what I need after lunch on holidays to reenergise myself...so Chholey Bhaturey and Lassi is for su

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

If you have been following my blog, you would know how much I love making drinks with fresh seasonal fruits. And since its peak summer time in Delhi with mercury raising to almost 43 degrees C, there can be no better way than freshly homemade juices and lemonades to keep oneself sufficiently hydrated, also not indulging in those chemical loaded packaged stuff. While the markets these days are flooded with bounties like mangoes, melons, plums, peaches, cherries and litchis....I also found these delicious ripe pears at one of the fruit stalls; instantly picked them up with the idea of making this refreshing pear spritzer (because I had already tried some yummilicious drinks using mangoes, peaches and litchis, so obviously wanted to experiment something new...a food blogger's mind you know :) ). As I reached home, browsed the net what other ingredient could blend with these delicious stone fruits. The recipe of pineapple and jalapeno cocktail at one of the food blogs grabbed my a

Come summers and I eagerly wait for two of the most incredibly delicious fruits of the season: cherries and litchis. So colorful, juicy and flavorful, they have been my favorites since childhood. Though I love to eat them as is, being a foodie and off-course a food blogger , I also try to put them to use in different food preparations as well. For those who have been following my blog would know how much I love to play with different ingredients especially when it comes to drinks and beverages ; for instance my recipe of " Peach Pomegranate & Rose Agua Fresca " was the outcome of one such experiment. Not to exaggerate, it was truly loved by my family and friends; and believe me, it remained in great demand at our place for days..... But as you would agree, after a while, it tends to get a little boring, tasting the same old flavors every now and then. So, finally it was time for me to again come up with some new and interesting recipe that would help beat this sco

In this scorching summer heat, there's only one thing which keeps me going through the day and that is fresh homemade chilled drinks such as juices, mocktails and lassis (buttermilk). Well I agree that there's a considerable effort that goes in making everything fresh at home but then its worth all the hard work because at the end of the day you are not taking in something which is full of sugar, artificial colors and harmful preservatives. And yes! my family loves my fruity concoctions so I am even more motivated to treat them with something new and refreshing every other day. Last few days, I had mangoes pouring in my refrigerator. Like literally, whenever my husband or father-in-law went to the fruit market, they returned home with kilos of mangoes. If you have been following my blog you would remember how I put them to use - by making lassis, kulfis and popsicles. In a quest to experiment with a fruit other than mangoes, this time I requested them to also get about a