Bread potato rolls

I had some left over bread. Thought of doing some snacks for kids. Instead of making them in the regular circular shape, I made them into oval shape which will be handy for little hands. Served them with loads of salad.

Bread Potato roll served along with salad

Ingredients:

Bread slices - 4 make them into crumbs
Potato - 2 medium sized boiled and mashed
Onion - 1 small, finely chopped
Green Chilli - 2 finely chopped
Coriander - 1 tbsp finely chopped
Crushed Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Oil to deep fry

Method:

Except oil, mix all the other ingredients with hands in order to bind them well. If necessary, sprinkle some water and make them into rolls.

Heat the oil in a broad pan. When it is hot enough, gently slip the rolls into the oil and fry them till golden.

Serve them with salad or sauce... your choice....

Paneer Tikka

Paneer tikka is marinated in yoghurt sauce with added spices and grilled or barbecued in a traditional tandoor along with onions, tomatoes and vibrant bell peppers. I chose cherry tomatoes, green pepper and white onion each imparting a different color and taste to the paneer. The delicacy and balance of the flavours, infused in the paneer pieces along with crunchy vegetables makes paneer tikka, a delicious appetizer/starter.

You can either grill the vegetables or just include them raw. In order to get some flavours infused into them and get some good taste, I  just heat a tsp of oil and toss the vegetables with a dash of salt and lemon juice and serve them along with the paneer tikka.

Ingredients:

2 inch paneer pieces – 200 gms

4-5 tbsp hung curds
Salt

Chili Powder – ½ tsp 

Tikka masala – 1 tsp (Or ½ tsp of garam masala)

To prepare the hung curd, strain the thick or any normal yoghurt using a muslin cloth and drain all the water by hanging the cloth to the kitchen tap. Leave it for 1 hour.

Mix hung curd, salt, chili powder and tikka masala

Marinate the paneer pieces in the above mixture for 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Skewer the vegetables and paneer pieces and grill them for 5-6 minutes turning them around while its cooking to ensure they don’t burn and cook them till they are soft and attain a light golden shade.

Serve them in the bed of lettuce leaves

Pav Bhaji

The most simple recipe to make the full meals with packed nutrients. A famous North Indian street food which tickles our taste buds with the mouth watering ingredients.

For the Pav

12 pieces of Pav bread

For the Bhaji

Ingredients:

Mixed vegetables (Potato. Cauliflower, Green pea, Carrot, capsicum etc) chopped – 4 – 5 cups

Onion – 1 large, chopped into small pieces

Tomatoes – 3 large chopped

Kaala namak (black salt) – ½ tsp

Pav Bhaji masala – 1 tbsp

Chilli powder – 1 tsp

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp

Salt

Butter – 2 tbsp

Oil – 2 tbsp

Method:

Boil all the vegetables till they are soft. Drain out and preserve the excess water.

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Then, add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté till the onion softens.

Add the tomatoes and simmer till the oil separates.

Add the chilli powder, pav bhaji masala, black salt and salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the boiled vegetables

Mash them thoroughly using a masher and add ½ cup of water or the preserved vegetable stock and cook until the moisture is well absorbed.

For the pav

Slice each pav, apply a little butter to each side.

Heat a large tava and cook the pav on both sides till the pieces are lightly browned.

Serve the hot bhaji on individual plates and top with the onion and coriander.

Serve with the hot pav and lemon wedges.

Tip:

You can sprinkle the pav bhaji masala or any chat masala on top of the bread and then fry them till crisp. This  intensifies the flavour.

Chilli Paneer - Baked variety

I have avoided deep frying. Instead, I have baked the home made paneer until they turn brown by turning them in between. You can also fry them on a tawa by drizzling some oil.

Ingredients:

Minced Ginger – 1 tbsp
Minced Garlic – 1 tbsp
Onion – 1 large cut into chunks
Capsicum cubes – 1 cup
Paneer cubes – 2 cups
Soya sauce – 1 tsp
Tomato sauce – 1 tbsp
Vinegar – 1 tsp
Salt
Green chillies – 6-8 slit lengthwise
Oil to fry paneer cubes
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Method:

Add some salt, soya sauce to the paneer cubes.

Fry the paneer cubes till they turn golden brown. Drain them and keep aside.
As I mentioned above, I have baked them.

Heat a wide bottomed pan with 2 tbsp of oil.
Add slit green chillies, ginger and garlic mince.
Fry until they are crispy.

Now add chunks of capsicum, and onion. Toss them by sprinkling some salt.

When they are just done yet crispy, add paneer cubes.
Sprinkle soya sauce, tomato sauce and vinegar.
Toss everything and cook them for another 2-3 minutes under low flame.
Sprinkle some lemon juice and serve warm.

Tutti Frutti Cookies

Another best treat for the little ones. The colourful tutti frutti is the main pulling factor. Adding salt will not only overpower the sweetness, but also masks the odour.

Ingredients:
Plain flour – 1 cup
Butter – 6 tbsp
Sugar – ½ cup (Powdered)
Tutti frutti – 1/3 cup
Milk – 1 tbsp
Salt – small pinch
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp

Method:
Cream the butter and sugar
Add Plain flour, salt, baking soda and tutti frutti to the cream along with milk and mix everything into soft dough. Now roll the dough into logs.

Cover each log with plastic wrap and place them in the refrigerator to chill until firm.
Cut into medium thick slices and spread them in a baking sheet.

Pre-heat the oven and bake them for 10 – 12 minutes at 150 degree C

Instant Dhokla

This is another best recipe for the working women and mothers with fussy kids. This can be prepared instantly with very few ingredients. This is one of my son's favourite. All of a sudden he asks dhokla for his lunch box. Now I know the fix for these unexpected issues.

Ingredients:

Mix these ingredients together and let it rest for 30 minutes:

Sooji / Rava / Fine Semolina-1 cup

Basin / Senagapindi - 2 tbsp

Yoghurt-1 cup

Water-1 cup

Salt

Hing-a pinch

Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp

Green chilli chopped-1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves(Cilantro) chopped-2 tbsp

Coconut grated-1 tbsp

Lemon juice-2 tsp

To season in 1 tbsp oil:

Jeera-1 tsp(optional)

Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp

Other ingredients:

Eno fruit salt-1 tsp

Method:

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and jeera and allow it to crackle. Add this to the batter that has been sitting for 30 minutes.

Just before steaming add eno fruit salt. Mix the batter well. 

Dhokla steamer

Pour the mixture into greased plates.

Pour 1 or 2 cups of water into the steamer and steam on high flame for 12 minutes.

If you do not have the dhokla plates, you can use idly plates or even cake tins.

Allow it cool down and cut into desired shapes. Sprinkle some fresh grated coconut.

Note: These measurements are for one 7 inch plate. If you want to make more, increase the ingredients in the same ratios.

Bhel Poori

This is a crunchy snack served with sweet and sour chutneys. You can find this snack almost at every Indian street. I was so fascinated towards the street vendors, the way they move their hands so swiftly to assemble the ingredients in one plate.

Ingredients:

Potato - boiled and mashed - 1 cup

Carrot, grated - 1

Chopped Onion - 1 

Chopped tomato - 1 

Chopped coriander - 1 tbsp

Roasted peanuts - 2 tbsp

Puffed rice - 4 cups

Papdi / Flat poori or golgappas- 16. Break 12 of them into large chunks and keep the rest to on the top.

Thin Sev - 1 cup

Sweet chutney - 4 tbsp

Mint Chutney - 2 tbsp

Beaten yoghurt - 2 tbsp

Method:

Roast the puffed rice in a broad pan until they turn little extra crunchy.

Mix all the ingredients.

Serve the mixture in a container and sprinkle some chat masala for extra spice.

Note: Mix them just before serving to retain the crunchiness, otherwise they will turn soggy.

Kaaram borugulu / Spiced rice puffs

This is a nice low calories snack. Puffed rice mixed with roasted garlic, peanuts, roasted chick pea with a hint of turmeric. The turmeric itself gives the nice aroma.  This can be served as it is or can be mixed with some chopped onion, tomato and some fresh coriander.

Can also be eaten as a meal ....(Cheeky)

Ingredients:

Rice puffs / Marmaralu – 200 gms

Peanuts – ¼ cup

Dalia / Roasted chick pea – ¼ cup

Garlic – 6-8 cloves crushed

Curry leaves – 4-5 strings

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Cumin – 1 tsp

Turmeric – 1 tsp

Salt

Red Chilli – 4-5

Oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

Heat a broad kadai with oil.

When it is warm add peanuts, red chilli and roast them on medium flame.

When they are half done add garlic.

Roast everything until the garlic gets browned and peanuts get crunchy.

Now add roasted chick pea, mustard seeds, cumin and curry leaves.

Fry them for few seconds and add the puffed rice

Toss every thing thoroughly, so that the puffed rice get coated with oil. At this point add salt and turmeric.

Keep mixing every thing until the puffed rice get mixed well and coated with turmeric.

Remove from flame. Allow them to cool down completely and then store in an air tight container. They remain fresh up to 10 days.

You can also mix some sev if you like.

Matri

Matri is a deep fried Punjabi snack recipe. We can have them as it is or we can prepare chat with them. 
A nice evening snack which goes very well with chai.

Ingredients:

Plain flour – 1 cup
Butter – 1 ½ tbsp
Ajwain / Carom Seeds – 1 tsp
Salt
Oil to deep fry


Method:
Sieve the flour and add all the ingredients except oil.
Mix them thoroughly to form crumbles.
Now add water little by little and make a stiff dough.
Cover and keep for 15 minutes.


Pinch small amount of dough and roll in to 1" wide rounds.
Keep a little thicker than puris. prick with a fork.
Spread them all on a plate or on a wet towel.

Heat a pan with oil to deep fry the matri.
When the oil is hot enough, add few matri in a batch and fry till lightly golden, flip side and repeat.
Drain and cool to allow to become crisp.

You can store them in an airtight container to retain the freshness.

Potlakaya bajji / Snake gourd fritters

This is my all time favourite bhaji. Especially the shape of the fritters. I call them as Golden rings. The snake gourd brings the unique taste to the fritters. Topping them with chat masala will add further taste.

Ingredients:

Potlakaya / snake gourd – 1 about 1 1/2 feet long

Besan / gram flour – 3/4^th cup

Rice flour – ¼ cup

Salt

Chili powder – ½ tsp

Baking powder – 1/8^th tsp

Oil for deep fry

Snake gourd

Method:

Cut the snake gourd into ¼ inch thin round slices, and remove the centre bit.

Place the pan with oil on medium high flame. By the time, oil becomes hot, we can prepare the batter.

Combine both the flours and sieve into a large mixing bowl. Now add the baking powder, salt, chili powder and water.

Mix the batter well. The consistency should be like beaten thick yoghurt. The batter should not be too thick as the batter will not cooked properly, or not too thin as it absorbs more oil.

When the oil is hot enough, take each slice and dip it in the batter and slowly slip in into the hot oil. Repeat the same with 4 to 6 slices.

Make sure that the centre part should be empty and it should resemble like a ring.

Turn them in between and remove them into a paper towel. Sprinkle some chili powder and chat masala and serve them warm with a hot tea or coffee.

Long shot.....

Note: Always fry these fritters under medium to medium high flame. As a result, the vegetable inside the batter will also get cooked well.

Potato and Sago tikkis

This is a simple snack, easy to prepare. Kids will like them as they taste more or less like finger chips as the main ingredient is potato. Same as the fries,  you must eat them when they are warm. Unlike the other fritters like bhajis or vadas, these doesn't taste nice when they become stale

Ingredients:

Sago seeds - 1 cup

Potato - 2 medium

Green chili - 2-3 finely chopped

Curry leaves - Freshly chopped - 2-3 tbsp

Rice flour - 1 tbsp
Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Grated potato, soaked sago, green chilli and curry leaves

Method:

Soak the sago pearls / Sabodhana, in enough water to cover it, for about two hours. Drain off excess water. 

Just before making the tikkis, grate the potato and remove the excess water.

Mix together sabudana, grated potato, green chillies, curry leaves, lemon juice, rice flour and salt. Mix thoroughly. Divide into sixteen lemon sized balls, flatten between palms of your hands. 

Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep fry vadas in hot oil till golden brown. 

Drain on absorbent paper and Serve hot.

Note - For variation, you can also add chopped coriander instead of curry leaves. You can also add coarsely ground roasted peanuts. 

Kachori

This is a Gujarathi snack. There are different varieties of the fillings. I have used toor daal in this recipe. A perfect kachori is flaky outside and hollow inside. 'Khasta' actually means 'Flaky' and this flaky kachori is filled with a delectable toor daal mixture and then deep fried. Remember to fry the kachori on a very slow flame just like samosas, so that the crust is crisp and gets cooked deep inside as well.

 

 

 

Ingredients for the dough (Crust) -

 

2 Cups plain flour (Maida)

1/4 cup melted ghee

Salt as per taste

 

Ingredients for the filling -

2 cups fresh or frozen whole toor daal (Pigeon pea / Kandulu)

1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera) - roughly ground
1 tsp Green chilli paste
1 tsp grated garlic

1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp Fresh coriander chopped

Salt to taste

Oil for deep-frying

Kandulu / Pegion pea / Toovar

Method

For the dough (crust)
 

Combine all the ingredients, plain flour, ghee and salt and knead into a stiff dough using enough water. Knead very well for 5 to 7 minutes.

Divide the dough into roughly 25 equal parts and keep covered under a wet muslin cloth.

For the filling

 

Boil the toor daal by adding just enough water. Drain the excess water and use it in kneading the chapathi dough or in any other curries.

To the boiled toor dall, add grated garlic, garam masala, lemon juice, salt, cumin and chopped coriander.

Now mash the toor daal along with all the added ingredients.

Cool and divide into 25 equal portions.

For the Kachoris -

Roll out each portion of the dough into a 50 mm. (2") diameter circle.

Place one portion of the filling mixture in the centre of the rolled dough circle.

Surround the filling mixture with the dough by slowly stretching it over the filling mixture.

Seal the ends tightly and remove any excess dough. Roll it again in between the two palms to make it round.

Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make all the kachoris.

Deep fry the kachoris in hot oil over a slow flame till golden brown all around. Same as Samosas.

These take a long time to fry as the crust is thick and needs to be cooked on the inside also. Serve warm with any chutney.

Kachoris with sweet and sour Tamarind chutney

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