JOIN USTea or coffee served in cold afternoons tastes even better with a side of spicy and crispy snacks served hot. Here are a few recipes that you could try for a yummy snack or even as starters for lunch or dinner. Be forewarned, these are definitely not for the calorie-conscious.
Crunchy onion pakoda
Ingredients: 1 cup gram flour, ¼ cup of maida, 2 tbsp rice flour, 2 cups of thinly sliced onions, 2 tsp green chillies (finely chopped), 1 tsp coriander (chopped), 1 tsp curry leaves (chopped), 1 gm baking soda, salt to taste, 2 tbsp vanaspathi or oil, 3-4 tsp white sesame seeds, oil for frying.
Method: Mix the dry ingredients – gram flour, maida and rice flour, salt and baking soda and sieve it. Transfer to a big bowl. Heat vanaspathi and pour it over the flour mix. Add onions, green chillies, coriander, curry leaves and sesame seeds and knead without adding water. The water content in the onions is sufficient to make the dough soft. Take small portions of the dough with your fingers and drop them into hot oil. Fry till they turn golden brown on all sides. Place the pakodas on a kitchen tissue to drain excess oil. Serve hot with coconut chutney or tomato sauce.
Moong vada
Ingredients: 1 cup green gram, 1 cup of channa dal, a handful of avarebele (hyacinth beans), 1 cup onions (finely chopped), 2-3 tsp green chillies (finely chopped), a fistful of greens (finely chopped coriander, dill, curry leaves and methi), salt to taste, a pinch of asafoetida, a pinch of baking soda, oil for frying.
Method: Wash, soak and grind the pulses separately to a coarse paste without adding water. Combine the batter and mix all other ingredients. Mix in salt and asafoetida. Make lemon-sized balls, flatten them lightly and fry in hot oil till they turn golden brown. Serve with mint and sweet ‘n’ sour chutney.
Dal marbles
Ingredients: 1 ½ cups channa dal (coarsely powdered), 2-3 green chillies (finely chopped), 2 tbsp each coriander (finely chopped), 2 tbsp mint (finely chopped), 2 tbsp curry leaves (finely chopped), 1 tsp ginger (finely chopped), 2 cloves of garlic (crushed), a small piece of cinnamon (powdered), 2 cloves (powdered), salt to taste, a pinch of baking soda, a few pieces of cashew nut, oil for frying.
Method: Soak the channa dal in sufficient warm water for about an hour. Drain out excess water before adding the rest of the ingredients. Make small-sized marbles and insert a piece of cashew nut in the centre. Seal well on all sides and fry in hot oil till they look golden brown and crispy. Serve hot with tomato sauce.
Cabbage vada
Ingredients: 1 cup maida, 2-3 tsp of rice flour, ½ cup cabbage (finely chopped), 2 onions (chopped), 2 tsp green chillies (finely chopped), a pinch of baking soda, 2 tsp of coriander (chopped), salt to taste and oil for frying.
Method: Combine maida and rice flour in a bowl and knead with 3-4 tsp of hot oil. Make lemon sized balls, flatten them on your palm and slide them into hot oil. Fry on both sides till they turn golden brown.