Snack attack

FOOD FIX

Mint Nuts

Ingredients:

Mint leaves — 1 small  bunch; Coriander leaves — 1 small bunch;  Finely chopped green chillies — 4-8; Rice flour — 25 gm; Gram flour — 50 gm; Groundnuts — 100 gm; Salt — to taste.

Method: Mix all the ingredients with 3 or 4 tablespoons of water. Deep fry small portions of the mixture in hot oil till golden brown. Garnish with a finely chopped raw onion and serve with tomato ketchup.

Tip: Eating a handful of nuts every day helps to lower total cholesterol.

Sheekh kabab

Ingredients: Black channa — 1 cup; Peeled, boiled and mashed potato — 2; Gram flour —  ½ cup; Ginger-garlic paste —  2 tsp; Asafoetida —  1 pinch; Chilli powder — ½ tsp; Finely chopped green chillies — 4; Salt — to taste.

While serving:  Lemon wedges,  onion rings and green chutney.

Method: Soak the black channa in water for 8 hours, drain and grind with asafoetida to make a smooth paste. Mix with gram flour, ginger-garlic paste, mashed potato, salt, chilli powder and green chillies. Do not add water. Roll it into fingers and deep fry in hot oil till golden brown. Serve with onion rings, green chutney and lemon wedges.

Ingredients for Green Chutney: Mint leaves — 1 small bunch; Coriander leaves — 1 small bunch; Ginger — ½ inch piece; Garlic — 1 peeled clove; Salt — to taste; Cumin seeds —1 tsp; Jaggery — ½ tsp; Tamarind pulp — 1 tsp; Green chillies — 3; Fried gram dal — 2 tsp.
Method: Grind with a little water and make a thick paste.

Buttery pakodas

Ingredients: Gram flour — ½ cup; Rice flour — ¼ cup; Maida —  ¼ cup; Fine sooji — ¼ cup; Chopped onion —   ½ cup; Chopped green chillies —  5, Chopped curry leaves — 10 leaves; Chopped coriander leaves — 2 tsp; Salt — to taste; Chilli powder — ½ tsp; Butter — ¼ cup; Oil — for deep frying.

Method: Mix the ingredients, except oil, with hot butter. Make small balls and deep fry them in hot oil.

Note: Do not use water to mix the pakoda batter.