Category: Snack

Poha is a favourite breakfast in the West of India. It is made with flattened rice flakes and sautéed with spices and onion and served with hot tea or jalebi. There are two varieties of Poha that is available. Maharashtrian poha is different from Indori Poha. The spices added are different in Indori than Maharshtrian. It needs a special masala called ‘jeeravan’. The major difference is it is served with Jalebi a classic combo. This time I did not make jalebi, so maybe when I make jalebi I should make poha as well !

Need –

To make Jeeravan masala

-1 tsp – coriander seeds , jeera

-1/2 tsp – fennel seeds, ajwain , dry ginger , amchur , nutmeg

-1 inch cinnamon stick , 4 cloves , 1 bay leaf , 4 dry chilli , salt

• Thick flat poha – 2 cups
• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Peanuts – 2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
• Curry leaves – 6
• Potatoes – peeled and cubed
• Green chilli – 2 chopped
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
• Sugar – 1 tsp
• Jeeravan masala – 1 tbsp
• Lemon juice
• Onion – 1 chopped
• Salt
• Sev – handful
• Coriander – handful

Process –

• Dry roast all spices mentioned in jeeravan masala and grind it when cool. Wash the poha in a colander and keep aside. too much water will make it mushy.
• In a pan , heat oil , add mustard seeds , peanuts , curry leaves and chilli.
• Now add potatoes and sauté till soft . Now add turmeric , sugar , jeeravan masala , poha , salt and toss.
• Top with chopped onion , sev and coriander.
• Serve with Jalebi

How many of you are guilty of wanting something to much at night or grabbing whatever you find to much while listening to music or Netflix. What is more fun is when your partner wants to munch along and approves of anything you make. For this all you need is 4 ingredients and 5 minutes of your time.

Need –

• Bread slices – 6
• Onion – 1 large – sliced
• Gochujang paste – 6 tsp
• Cheese slices – 4

Process –

• Heat a pan place a slice of bread.
• Apply 1 tsp gochujan on the slice , top with onion and cheese and cover and cook for 3 minutes till cheese melts
• Munch on!
• Replace gochujang with any other form of chilli paste you have or ketchup + japanese/chinese spice mix.

If rains don’t scream bread pakora and chai I don’t know what will. Every north Indian will relate to this emotion. It takes us back to those times when the evening tea-breaks meant going to a nearby roadside small stall and having “cutting chai” (a 2 sip thick flavourful masala tea) and piping hot pakoras. The bread pakoras are of 2 varieties – one when bread pieces are dipped in chickpea flour and fried and the other with potato stuffing.

Need –

• Potatoes – 3 – boiled and peeled
• Onion – 1 – chopped
• Green chilli – 2- chopped
• Ginger – 2 inch – chopped or grated
• Turmeric – 1/2 tsp
• Salt
• Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
• Chana dal – 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves – 5 – chopped
• Jeera – 1/2 tsp
• Oil – 1 tbsp + for frying
• Lemon juice- 1 tbsp
• Bread slices – 8 slices
• For batter – 1 cup besan
• Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Salt
• Hing – 2 big pinch
• Rice flour – 1 tbsp
• Water

Process –

• Grate or mash the boiled potatoes.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil and temper mustard seeds, jeera , chana dal and curry leaves.
• Add chilli , ginger , onion , turmeric and sauté , add the potatoes and salt , mix well . Add lemon juice and keep aside.
• Mix the batter with enough water to keep a thick pouring consistency. Easier way is to check with the back of a spoon if it coats well and stay there. Heat oil for frying.
• Cut the bread slices into triangles. Take one triangle and place the stuffing in the middle leaving 2 cm gap on all sides. Place the other one over it and pinch all sides together to stick and so that the filling doesn’t come out.
• Now carefully dip it in the batter to coat all sides. Use a fork to dip if necessary.
• Fry them in hot oil in medium temperature till nice and crispy and you see brown spots.

Kachoris are fried snack filled with moong dal and spices and deep fried. It is native to Marwari’s , the traders who needed to travel for days together and had to carry something that was filling and would stay for a longer time. Hence the marwari women came up with Kachoris. Kachori or Kachodi are called Khasta Kachori . There is a version of stuffing made with Urad dal too. Here I made a mix of both and the other cover is made with whole wheat opposed to flour that is normally used.

Need –

• For Dough – Aata/ Wheat Flour -1 cup
• Maida / All purpose flour – 1/2 cup
• Salt
• Ghee – 2 tsp
• Cold water
• For filling:
• Urad Dal – 1/2 cup
• Yellow moong dal – 1/2 cup
• Green chilli – 1
• Jeera – 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
• Amchur powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
• Salt
• Jeera Dhania powder – 1/2 tsp
• Fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp crushed
• Ghee- 3 tbsp

Process –

• Soak moong and urad dal for 2 hours.
• Kneed data, maida, salt and ghee with water and form a dough. Cover and keep to aside.
• Drain water from dal and grind it coarsely but not into powder or a paste.
• In a pan take 1 tbsp ghee , temper jeera , add green chilli , fennel seeds and the spices. Now add the ground mix, salt and mix well. Cool and make 6-7 small balls out the balls.
• Similarly make 6-7 balls of the dough. Take a ball and shape like a cup , keep the filling inside and pleat it, bring ends together and press. Flatten the kachori a bit.
• Another way is to roll the dough into a thin disc , place the filling and pleat similar to a momo or a bao bun. press it down or roll it to 1 inch thickness.
• You could now fry the kachoris or apply melted ghee around the kachoris and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degree C for 25-30 minutes depending on your oven till nice golden brown.
• Serve with rasedar aalu or green and imli chutney.

Muthiya is a Gujrathi snack that has a close resemblance in taste kotahmbir wadi of Maharashtra. It is usually made with laud ( also known as Ghiya or bottle gourd). It is mixed with spices , steamed and them sautéed . Best tea time snack.

Need –

• Grated / minced cabbage – 1 cup
• Onion – grated- 1 small
• Besan – 1/2 cup
• Salt
• Ginger – 1 inch grated
• Wheat flour – 1/4 cup
• Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
• Chilli – 1 chopped
• Coriander – chopped
• Sugar – 1 tsp
• Hing – 3 pinch
• Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
• Baking powder – 1/2 tsp
• Oil
• Jeera , Sesame seeds , mustard seeds, curry leaves – 1 tsp each
• Red Chilli powder – 1 tsp

Process –

• In a bowl add the grated cabbage and onion and salt it. It will help to leave water.
• Now add the flours , salt , lemon juice, ginger , chilli, coriander , hind , baking powder, sugar and turmeric.
• Squeeze well and mix into a dough. The water from the vegetables should be enough to bind. Sprinkle water if needed.
• Make small thin logs or oval palm sized balls and steam them. you can microwave cook for 3-5 minutes till a knife comes out clean.
• Cool and slice into small bite sized pieces. In a pan take oil and temper mustard seeds , jeera and sesame seeds.
• Lower the flame and add red chilli powder, after 2 seconds add 3 tbsp water. This helps to keep the muthiyas soft. Add the muthiyas and toss and let it be in the flame till it browns and crisps up.
• Serve with chai.

Murmura is a healthy quick snack you can have when you are craving food or something unhealthy. We call it the 4PM SNACK. Chai or coffee are wonderful accompaniment or even hot chocolate. You basically combine all healthy non oily things ass spices and gobble it

Need –

• Puffed rice – 2 cups
• Poha/Flattened rice flakes- 1 cup
• Oats – 2 tbsp
• Lotus seeds/Fox nuts /Makhna – 2 cups
• Roasted peanuts – 1 cup
• Roasted gram – 1 cup
• Salt
• Ghee – 2 tbsp
• Chilli powder – 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
• Chat masala – 1 tsp
• Curry leaves – 10

Process –

• In a pan take 1 tbsp ghee , roast the curry leaves ,makhna , poha ,roasted gram , oats and puffed rice and roast till they become crisp. In this stage you can also add cornflakes (I use the cereal ones but you get cornflakes called chivda that can be fried to puff up) You can also choose to add sabudhana the ones that puff up when fried not the regular tapioca pearls.
• Now add the remaining ghee , groundnuts and spices and give it a mix till coated.
• You may add raisins or other nuts as well.

I do not know any place that makes bread pizza except India. True lovers of original pizza or Italians will absolutely hate this idea but ,we are known to adopt a recipe and make changes as per our taste. So if you have roadside pizzas in India and then have a true Italian Pizza you will have an awakening 🙂 During our everyday chat about “What for dinner” R says he wants bread pizza . I had to make since he is never very specific about what he wants.

Need-

• Bread slice – white / brown
• Pizza sauce
• Onions -1- sliced
• Capsicum – 1 sliced
• Tomato – 1 sliced
• American Corn – 1 cup
• Cheese mix
• Green chutney ( coriander + mint+salt + green chilli + lemon juice+garlic)
• Dried basil + parsley
• Butter

Process –

• Take the bread and spread butter on both side.
• Spread the sauce on one side and top with the vegetables , dried parsley and basil.
• Top with cheese. Take a flat pan and place the filled bread
• Close for 5 minutes till the cheese melts.
• Remove and drop few dollops of green chutney and serve.
• You can top with sev as well.

For me Bhindi is all love. while the West is slowly picking on it, SEA goes all blast at it. I even know few people who eat raw okra.

If you have fresh bhindi in hand its a perfect starter for an unexpected eventful evening. Cut and throw them with some spices and its ready

Need –

• Bhindi/Okra – 1/2 Kg
• Red chilli dry – 3
• Besan/Chickpea flour – 2 tbsp
• Peanuts – 1 Tbsp
• Amchur – 1 tsp
• Sesame seeds – 1 tsp
• Salt
• Oil

Process –

• Wash the bhindi and dry them completely. I would wash and dry them overnight. Else use a clean kitchen cloth and wipe them dry
• Cut in juliennes or like finger chips. Water makes it more slimy so keep them dry
• Dry roast the dry chilli , peanut and sesame seeds. Cool and powder.
• Mix the bhindi with besan. Add the powder . Sprinkle water to bind the mix.
• Add a tablespoon of oil and bake at 180 degree for 15-18 minutes.
• Once done add salt and amchur and give it a toss.

I have been craving Matar Kachori for a year now and did not find the occasion to make it. It did keep delaying for an year and then finally happened for 2 reasons – fresh peas and excess of spring roll sheets.

Matar Kachori is a much relished dish from the north of India and made when fresh peas are in town which is winter. They are filled puffed puri like savory pastry. But here I skipped making the dough out of wheat in which the peas is filled and fried. I instead made it like a swing roll just with a different shape

Need-

• Pastry sheets
• Green peas – 2 cups – boiled
• Ginger – chopped – 2 tsp
• Amchur powder – 2 tsp
• Jeera/cumin seeds – 1 tsp
• Fennel seeds -1 tsp
• Green chillies – 2 – chopped
• Chat masala – 1 tsp
• Besan – 1 tsp
• Ghee- 1 tbsp
• Salt
• Water
• Oil

Process –

• Take oil , temper jeera , green chilli , ginger .
• Add peas and all the spices , salt. Add besan to get a bit thick consistency. (skip if the mix is dry already)
• Wet the pastry sheet , keep the filling in the middle and close the pockets so that they look like squares.
• Brush with oil and bake them at 200 degrees for 7 minutes.
• This tastes good with South Indian kaapi too

I don’t know if there is any Indian who does not like Indo Chinese and in particular , spring rolls. Spring Rolls are a great starter and do not need any accompaniment dip. Though the original chinese spring rolls are made with meat , the adopted variety skips the meat.

• 

Need –

• Spring roll sheets – ready made
• Cabbage – Juliennes
• Carrot – Juliennes
• Ginger – Juliennes
• Garlic – Julienne
• Bell Pepper -Julienne
• Onion – Julienne /Spring onions if you find them
• Green Chilli- chopped
• Pav Bhaji masala – 1 tbsp
• Soy sauce , Ketchup , Green chilli sauce – 1 Tbsp
• Salt
• Garam masala- 1/2 tsp
• Coriander
• Water
• Sesame oil

Process –

• Chop all vegetables in juliennes
• Add salt to the vegetables and leave aside, Remove the water
• In a wok, take oil and temper ginger and garlic.
• Add onions and sauce and the all the vegetables
• Add spices and the sauces , keep aside cool
• Take the sheet and wet all the corners.
• Keep the sheet in a diamond shape and place the filling
• Use the water the seal and roll into cylindrical shape.
• Alternatively use a paste of maida and water to seal (makes it more crispy) if frying.
• Brush rolls with oil and bake at 180 degrees for about 10 minutes , flipping midway.