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Garlic Chilli Cheese Toast – Blog Hop 7

19 Oct

Another dish from V’s bday menu. Blog hopping schedule gives an advantage of planning as & when you require. I looked for recipe on Kalyani’s blog for a dish to accompany spinach pasta, pizza (base from outside) & what better then something similar to Garlic Bread.

Kalyani has very aptly named her blog as Sizzling Tastebuds & really all recipes sizzle on her blog. Extensive collection of world cuisine. I was waiting for a chance to create a recipe from her space so finally the Wednesday has come to share the same. I used garlic cheese spread in stead of grated cheese, rest I kept same.

Garlic Chilli Cheese Toast

Garlic Chilli Cheese Toast

Garlic Chilli Cheese Toast -

Recipe Source – Kalyani of Sizzling Tastebuds

Ingredients -

  • 10 Slices – White Bread
  • 3 Tbsp – Garlic Cheese Spread
  • 1/2 tsp – Melted Ghee (Clarified Butter)
  • 1/2 – Capsicum, finely diced
  • 1 – Green Chilli, chopped & pitted
  • 1 tsp – Dry Basil
  • 1/2 tsp – Red Chilli Flakes
  • a dash – Oregano
  • 1/2 tsp – White Pepper Powder, I used freshly ground
  • to taste – Salt (add little only as cheese spread is already salted)

Method -

  1. Mix together capsicum, green chilli, basil, chilli flakes & white pepper powder. Add cheese spread & mix well.
  2. Lightly grease the slices with ghee, using your finger tips.
  3. Spread a spoonful or more of cheesy mixture on slices.
  4. Pre-heat oven to 200 C. Very lightly grease the baking sheet.
  5. Diagonally cut the bread slices into 2. Bake for 8- 10 mins.
  6. Then grill them for 2-4 mins till cheese melts.
  7. Serve hot.

I had some leftover spread left which was happily confiscated by the guests as they wanted to make these Garlic Chilli Cheese Toast at their place. It was a very simple & quick recipe. I loved it.

Catch other Blog-Hoppers here to see what they have done for their blog hops. If you wish to join contact Radhika of Tickling Palates. Happy Hopping!!

Patrode ki Pakori (Colocasia Leaves Fritters)

24 Sep

How many times in my growing up years I’ve asked for this crunchy green pakoris, I’ve lost count! Honestly speaking my mother didn’t make this for us, it was always made & given to us by my mausi (maternal aunt). It was from my Naani’s (maternal grandmother) repertoire. Recently, when I saw green leaves in the market, I couldn’t help but pick them up. A quick call to my mother, gave me the recipe. Being weekday I was all set to make it before V arrives & disrupts my kitchen routine. :)

Patrode ki Pakori

Patrode ki Pakori

This is the first time I made these myself & I kept remembering the crunchy taste of these pakoris. These are made with Colocasia leaves, basic spices & steaming them. After refrigeration, they are sliced & deep fried. A similar version is commonly available in western region (Pune), known as ‘aadu chi vaddi‘. I’m not sure but I believe the recipe involves using a bit of tamarind, jaggery & eating it steamed. With us northies, the problem is that if a pakori is not fried then it is not pakori at all :D We need our regular dose of calories. ;) I’ve eaten Pune version a couple of times & decided that it is not for me. This was also one of the reason to prompt me in making it at home – I wanted to know if my version is better for me or Pune version.

Patthod ki Pakori -

Recipe Source – Naani

Ingredients -

  • 5 – Colocasia Leaves
  • 5-6 Tbsp – Besan
  • 1″ – ginger, finely chopped
  • 3-4 – Green Chilli, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp – Coriander Powder
  • a pinch – Asafoetida
  • 1/4 tsp – Turmeric Powder
  • to taste – Salt

Method -

Patrode ki Pakori

Patrode ki Pakori

  1. Wash the leaves, thoroughly & remove the stem.
  2. In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients except leaves. Add very little water & mix well. Ensure there are no lumps formed. Add more water, if required. The water should only be enough to form a thick paste & not batter.
  3. Now spread the leaves, one by one, upside down i.e. the side with the step should be facing up.
  4. With the help of a spatula spread the paste on the backside of the leaf.
  5. Now slowly, start rolling the leaf from broad end. First roll both ends & bring to stem starting point & then roll them together till the other end. The besan paste will help in sticking the leaf together.
  6. When rolled, steam in a microwave for 5-8 mins. You can steam in electric steamer or gas.
  7. After steaming the leaves would become hard & change color to dull green. Allow them to cool completely.
  8. When cool, wrap them in aluminum foil or plastic wrap & refrigerate for 1 hour or for as long as you want. I kept it for 2 days & fried them for breakfast on Saturday.
  9. Before frying remove from refrigerator & allow to thaw for 1/2 hour.
  10. Cut the rolls into 1 cm thick rings & fry. Serve hot with chutney or ketchup.

    Patrode ki Pakori

    Patrode ki Pakori

They are very crispy & crunchy to eat. V said it was a great breakfast. I got to eat my favorite dish all over again, what more could I ask. :D Full tummy, Happy Heart!!!

Sending this crunchy green leafy fritters to Life is Green, an event started by Shilpa of Yummy Food in Tummy, check out her blog for some very interesting greens :)

Namkeen Vermicelli with Bread Crumbs

3 Sep

This is one of my favourite breakfast. And not just mine slowly V & other family members have also happily adopted this breakfast. You would wonder that what is so special in making savory vermicelli, all household has this once a while or once a week. Well the specialty lies in addition of bread & the way it is made.

Namkeen Vermicelli

Namkeen Vermicelli

And not just me, this recipe is enjoyed by my mamaji as well, whenever he is visiting us, he makes it a point to stay for breakfast so that he can enjoy this. Hats off to you mom for creating something so enjoyable. Even my MIL has incorporated this recipe to her taste into her own.

Namkeen Vermicelli -

Recipe Source – My mother

Ingredients -

  • 1 cup – Vermicelli
  • 3-4 – Bread slices
  • 2-3 – Green Chillies, Finely Chopped
  • 2 – medium Tomatoes, Chopped
  • 1 – medium Boiled Potato, Chopped
  • 1/4 cup – Peas
  • 1 tsp – Carom Seeds
  • 1/2 tsp – Turmeric Powder
  • to taste – Salt
  • 1/2 Tbsp – Ghee (Clarified Butter)
  • 1 Tbsp – Lemon Juice
  • Ghee for frying

Method -

  1. Chop bread into small pieces, about 1.5 cm squares.

    Namkeen Vermicelli

    Namkeen Vermicelli

  2. Heat ghee in a wok & fry these bread pieces till golden brown. Remove & allow to drain ghee on paper towel.

    Namkeen Vermicelli

    Namkeen Vermicelli

  3. In the same ghee, roast the vermicelli. Roast in ghee even if you have bought roasted ones or have already roasted them at home. This step is what really gives the taste to this dish. Remove & drain excess ghee on paper towel.
  4. In a pan, heat ghee. When it is hot, add carom seeds, when they splutter add green chillies, turmeric powder & salt. Add peas, & boiled potatoes. Lightly roast them for 2-3 minutes.

    Namkeen Vermicelli

    Namkeen Vermicelli

  5. Add roasted vermicelli. Cover them with water. Add enough water to allow them to be completely submerged in it. Cover the lid & allow to cook on slow flame.
  6. When only little water is left, add tomato & mix lightly.
  7. Once totally dry, add bread pieces & mix gently. Turn off the flame. Mix in lemon juice & serve hot.

This is a yum tasting & filling breakfast. Even my son eats it. If you want, you can replace ghee with oil in all steps but trust me the taste really comes from ghee. You can also skip roasting vermicelli in ghee/ oil completely. But again this enhances the taste of the dish.

Sending Namkeen Vermicelli to Let’s Cook Series – Scrumptious Breakfast by Radhika of Tickling Palates. My other entries are – Channe ke Kebabs & Noodles Cutlet. She needs no introduction as I’m sure all of us think of her almost daily with all the events & hopping happening. I sure do :) Hop onto her blog to know more about her ongoing events & hopping.

Noodles Cutlet – 2 Minute Maggi Cutlet

26 Aug

Some time ago, V’s colleague invited us over. She is a north-Indian & dishes up very tasty food more to the taste we like. She also has many quick snacks & sandwich recipes up her sleeve. Everytime I’ve been to her place, she has treated us to a new snack. And V would gorge telling me with his mouth full to replicate the same snack at home.

Well I obliged him this time and made Noodles Cutlet which she served us. What I liked about this snack was use of maggi to create a cutlet. I never ever thought it. She rolls the cutlets in bread crumbs, I felt that adding them into the batter makes them more stable while frying.

Noodles Cutlet

Noodles Cutlet

Noodles Cutlet -

Recipe Source – minimally adapted from A friend

Ingredients -

  • 1/2 Cup – White Sauce
  • 1/4 Cup – Finely Chopped Carrot
  • 1/4 Cup – Finely Chopped Capsicum
  • 3-4 – Cheese Cubes
  • 2 – Maggi Noodles (2 chunks of Maggi, usually a single pack contains one chunk of twisted noodles)
  • 1/4 Cup – Bread Crumbs or Crushed Rusk
  • to taste – Salt
  • to taste – Pepper

Method -

  1. Boil Maggi without the tastemaker. Cook Maggi as per packet instructions. Do NOT add tastemaker. Allow them to cool.
  2. Grate cheese cubes.
  3. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients – noodles, cheese, carrot, capsicum, white sauce, bread crumbs, salt & pepper.
  4. Make small round balls & flatten them into discs gently.
  5. Deep fry and serve hot with chutney or ketchup.

This is a very filling snack & perfect for kids as it contains richness of veggies & cheese. You can add as many and as little veggies you want. The sauce needs to be of right consistency or the batter may become to watery.

Sending Noodles Cutlet to Let’s Cook Series – Scrumptious Breakfast by Radhika of Tickling Palates. She needs no introduction as I’m sure all of us think of her almost daily with all the events & hopping happening. I sure do :) Hop onto her blog to know more about her ongoing events & hopping.

Channe ke Kebab – Black Chickpea Kebabs

23 Aug

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve made this, every time it has been a winner. From V to his friends, relatives, family etc, they all love it. For us vegetarians, this is in close running for Best Kebabs, beside Hara Bhara Kebab & Dahi ke Kebab. As I’ve been singing praises of my mother’s food post after post, you guys must be sick of it, so I won’t bore you further – just suffice to say it is really awesome snack/ breakfast/ starter for drinks.

Channe Ke Kebab - Black Chickpea Kebas

Channe Ke Kebab - Black Chickpea Kebas

Channe ke Kebabs (Black Chickpea Kebabs) -

Recipe Source – My mother

Ingredients -

  • 250 gms – Black Channa
  • 2 medium – Onions (finely chopped)
  • 3-4 – Green Chillies
  • 2 Tbsp – Cornflour
  • 1 tsp – Garam Masala
  • 1/2 tsp – Red Chilli Powder
  • Salt – to taste
  • a pinch – Asafoetida

Method -

  1. Soak channa overnight. Boil it with little salt & then allow it to cool.
  2. Drain water (preserve as stock for innumerable uses) & coarsely ground channas once it is cooled. Add little water to grind if required.
  3. Mix in onions, chillies & other ingredients.
  4. Now form into small balls, slightly press them to flatten & deep fry them. Serve hot with chutney.

This is as easy as a recipe can get. V demands it quite frequently. Don’t just go by my word, try them and enjoy. pssst… the photo is quite terrible, my old photography days, please excuse.

Sending Black Channa Kebabs to Let’s Cook Series – Scrumptious Breakfast by Radhika of Tickling Palates. She needs no introduction as I’m sure all of us think of her almost daily with all the events & hopping happening. I sure do :) Hop onto her blog to know more about her ongoing events & hopping.

Sending Black Channa Kebabs to What’s on your Kebab Platter by Khushi of A Girl’s Diary Her Diary has turned 1 this year, I can anticipate how she must be feeling as I’m also looking forward to reaching that milestone, though a long way to go for me. She has giveaways – for Best Veg Kebab, Best Non-veg Kebab & Best Pic (I loose for sure here :( ) Hop onto her blog to know more & participate.

Tri-color Pinwheel Sandwich – Happy Birthday Mom & Celebrating 64 years of Independence – Jai Hind!

14 Aug

Today is mom’s birthday. She is the most special person in my life. I’ve been told lately many a times, that I’m strong – some in derision & some in awe. I wish to tell you mom today that this strength has come from you. I’ve seen you brave life and circumstances as a woman should. You have risen upto the challenge and given your best. You have never as kids let us down in any way & always pushed us to do our best and leave the rest to fate. I love you mom!

Pin Wheel Sandwich

Pin Wheel Sandwich

During school days, Independence Day being next day to mom’s bday, 2 days were like extended break – one at home and other in school. After all these years, I thought of celebrating this extended weekend – Rakhi, Mother’s Birthday & Independence Day – by posting something which has childhood memories, mom’s recipe & at the same time it represents India.

This a sandwich which my mom used to make while we were kids and I loved it. I still love it very much and got my mother to make it again for me while I was visiting her. Here is my favourite sandwich made by mom and enjoyed by me.

Pin Wheel Sandwich -

Recipe Source – My mother

Ingredients -

  • 1 – Big Bread, sliced lenghtwise (horizontal)
  • 1/4 Cup – Tomato Sauce
  • 1/4 Cup – Green Chutney
  • 1/4 Cup – Butter

Method -

  1. Wet cheesecloth or fine muslin. Spread on a tabletop or work surface.
  2. Take a rolling pin & lightly roll 3 slices of bread separately, as to slightly flatten the bread slice without breaking it.

    Pin Wheel Sandwich - Spread

    Pin Wheel Sandwich - Spread

  3. Now spread butter on one slice, chutney on second & sauce on third slice.
  4. Place all slices on top of each other with butter slice in middle.
  5. Now take one end (smaller edge) of the bread sandwich & start rolling it towards the other end. Roll firmly & evenly.
  6. Once rolled, roll them in aluminium foil or cling film tightly. I had run out of foil/ film so I used plain paper.

    Pin Wheel Sandwich - Rolling

    Pin Wheel Sandwich - Rolling

  7. Twist the edges of the foil/ film like a toffee. Now refrigerate for 1/2-1 hr or even overnight.

    Pin Wheel Sandwich - Rolled & Set

    Pin Wheel Sandwich - Rolled & Set

  8. Remove from refrigerator, slice & serve cold with tea or coffee or in kid’s tiffin. :)

    Pin Wheel Sandwich - Sliced

    Pin Wheel Sandwich - Sliced

This tastes so good, I can’t describe. Even my son lapped it up happily which is quite an achievement as he is as fussy an eater as a kid can be. I can eat slices of it without keeping a tab. Happy Birthday Mom, we love you! :)

Marinated & Grilled Cauliflower Roasted in Semolina – 1st Blog Hop

3 Aug

3rd Aug & First Blog Hop Wednesday!!! Blog Hop Wednesdays is a brainchild of Radhika of Tickling Palates and I am delighted to be a part of it. She came up with this wonderful group so that we take time for other blogs around us and give the recipes due notice & consideration. She divided all willing girls/ ladies into groups & then within groups partners were made. So for this Wednesday, I go through my partners blog – choose & re-create a recipe from her blog & post it on 3rd Aug & she does the same for my blog. Next week the partners are shuffled so that we get to explore as many blogs, recipes as possible . I think it is wonderful way of appreciating & acknowledging tremendous efforts gone into making each recipe/ photo/ post.

For the first Blog Hop my partner assigned is Archana of The Mad Scientist’s Kitchen. She resides in Goa and have some very interesting local delights posted on her blog. I was very confused while choosing recipes – there was so much I wanted to try! What I loved most about her blog was the simplicity with which she creates her recipes – no fancy ingredients, no hi-fi equipments. Just basics and you are done.

Keeping with the essence of her blog (as I perceived it) I chose a simple recipe with even simpler ingredients – Cauliflower Rava Fry. I also chose this recipe as both V & I love cauliflower & experimenting with it. It is also one of the veggies which tastes very good with crunchy flavors.

As Archana very nicely pointed out to me that we both are ‘confusing’ & ‘mad’ in our kitchens, I decided to create this recipe with my touch – I added curd & lemon juice to the marinade & grilled it instead of shallow frying it.

Marinated & Grilled Cauliflower

Marinated & Grilled Cauliflower

Marinated & Grilled Cauliflower Roasted in Semolina -

Recipe Source – adapted from Archana of The Mad Scientist’s Kitchen

Ingredients -

  • 1 – Cauliflower
  • 1/2 tsp – Red Chilli Powder
  • 1/4 tsp – Turmeric Powder
  • 1/2 tsp – Lemon Juice
  • 1 Tbsp – Curd
  • 1 Tbsp – Semolina
  • to taste – Salt
  • Oil for brushing

Method –

  1. Clean & break the cauliflower into florets of your size. Medium should be good as it will allow uniform grilling.
  2. In a bowl, mix together all spices, curd & lemon juice. Add florets & mix them using a spoon or hand so that they are evenly covered with marinade. Cover with a lid & allow to marinate for few hours. I left it overnight. If you are leaving it longer then keeping it in fridge would save it from going bad.
  3. When you are ready to grill, add semolina and mix well. Spread the cauliflower in a baking tray or rotisserie, spread evenly & pour the marinate on top.
  4. Brush with oil lightly & grill on high stand/rack for 20-25 mins until done. In between turn the florets around so that they can be grilled from all sides.
  5. Serve hot with chutney. We had it as snack with drinks.

For me it has become a keeper recipe. I loved the crunchy & healthy taste of cauliflower. It is perfect as a snack or a finger food for a child. Thank you Archana for allowing me to visit your space and giving me this wonderful recipe. Hop on to her blog for some more simply amazing recipes.

Sending this Grilled & Marinated Cauliflower to Fast Food not Fat Food guest hosted by Vardhini of Zesty Palette. This event was originally started by Priya of Now Serving, in today’s fast life, health takes a back seat. It is upto us to consciously make all efforts to eat & serve healthy. Marinated & grilled cauliflower is health personified – negligible use of oil, crunchy cauliflower & spices combined with almost no efforts or prep make it fast but not fat food.

My next partner for Blog Hop is Monika of Sinamon Tales & I can’t wait to visit her blog & have fun. Catch other Blog-Hoppers here to see what they have been doing for their blog hops. If you wish to join contact Radhika of Tickling Palates. Happy Hopping!!

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