Love for food got her on TV

Munching on a yummy snack is a great pastime.  Snacks are also an easy way out for people looking to grab a quick bite when on the move.  

Cooking and baking is my passion. It's something that I am always thinking about  - even when I'm dozing off. I also love experimenting with new recipes and cuisines though I prefer to stick to the ingredients found in my kitchen. That's  how my new show on Living Foodz 'Snack in a Box' came about. Set to launch in the coming week, it will enable everyone to find a recipe of their liking; something which they can make them at home.  

As a restaurateur, a chef, consultant, author and anchor I have worked across the globe. This has helped me come up with snacks in a range of cuisines like Indian, continental and fusion.  

You can pretty much turn anything into a snack, even a biryani or 'dal chawal'.  If you believe, even a salad can become a snack.  

Whenever I'm at home, I make sure that I cook something for myself, even if it is just popcorn that has a different flavour. I have a sweet tooth and it's become a habit of mine to have  dessert after every meal. But my comfort food is French fries. It's so hard to  go wrong while making those and they taste so good!

My mother is a great cook. Her traditional dishes are amazing but I've always wanted to go beyond making the same thing. I like adding my own twist to things and that's how I came up with the recipe for 'Soya Cigars with Pineapple Relish'. It was a result of one my experiments with the common ingredients you find at home.

So get snacking!

Chef Shipra Khanna

Soya Cigars with Pineapple Relish

Ingredients

For Soya Kheema

Soya granules (soaked), 1 cup  
Onions, 2
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 tbsp
Green chilli, 1  
Red chilli powder, 1 tsp  
A pinch of garam masala powder
Coriander powder, 1 tsp  
Oil, 1 tsp  
Spring roll sheets
Coriander leaves  
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

For slurry

All-purpose flour, 2 tbsp  
Water as required'

For the relish

Pineapple, 3 slices  
Chilli flakes, 1 tsp  
Oil, 1 tsp  
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan; add chopped onions and sauté until golden brown. 

Add ginger-garlic paste, coriander powder, little bit of garam masala, chilli powder and chopped green chillies. Stir for a while and add soaked soya granules. 

Now remove the soya keema off flame, add salt, chopped coriander and mix well. Keep aside for cooling.

To make slurry

Take 2 tbsp of all-purpose flour, add little bit of water and mix well to make a thick slurry.  
For pineapple relish: Heat oil in a pan, add chilli flakes, chopped pineapple, and salt and stir well.  

Stuff soya kheema masala inside the spring roll sheet, use slurry to stick the sides and give them a cigar shape.

Heat oil in a kadhai for deep frying, gently drop the soya cigar rolls, and fry until they turn golden brown.

Serve with pineapple relish.