Idly Manchurian / Baked Idlies in Spicy Gravy
Today I wanted to make some evening snack and I remembered some leftover idlies sitting in my fridge. I thought of Idly manchurian and I did want to deep fry the idlies. Then I remembered one of my friends made this Idly Manchurian by baking them. I tried that way and they tasted so good almost equivalent to the taste of the fried idlies :). Time of Preparation : 30 minutes No of Servings : 1 Spice level : 4 out of 5 Ingredients: Leftover Idlies – 4 to 5 (cut to small cubes) Onions – 1 cup (finely chopped) Tomatoes – 3/4 cup (finely chopped) Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp Green Chillies – 2 (slit lengthwise) Sambar powder – 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp...
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Rava Dhokla / Sooji Dhokla
Dhokla is a famous Gujarati snack made of either Besan or Sooji or chickpeas. This is one of my favorite snacks and it is very easy to make. If you are looking for a real quick and tasty snack this is the one :). Time of Preparation : 20 minutes No of Servings : 20 pieces Spice level : 1 out of 5 Ingredients: Rava (Cream of wheat) – 1 cup Yogurt – 1/2 cup Water – 3/4 cup Green chillies – 1 (finely chopped) (adjust to taste) Coriander leaves – 1 tsp (chopped) Green chilli coriander paste – 1 tsp (optional) Ginger – 1/2 tsp (grated) Turmeric powder – a pinch Eno fruit salt – 1 tsp Salt – 1/2 tsp (adjust to taste) Oil – to coat the pan For Seasoning: Oil – 1 tsp Mustard seeds...
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Vegetable Cutlet (Version 2)
Vegetable Cutlet is a perfect tea time snack and wonderful appetizer which is popular among kids and adults. It is prepared from boiled vegetables and spices which is then fried in oil. It can be served with hot and sweet chutney or green chutney or ketchup. You can prepare the mixture ahead and refrigerate it for up to 3 to 4 days so that you can just fry them in the evening time and serve it along with tea. Or when you have a party, you can prepare the balls, coat it with bread crumbs, refrigerate it and then fry it just before serving. Enjoy the easy and tasty Vegetable Cutlets!! Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes Yield: 25 cutlets Spice level: 2.5 out of 5 Ingredients: Potato – 3 (s7uyyburbig) Carrot – 2 Green peas –...
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Idly Batter Bonda (Easy Bonda Recipe)
Today I wanted to make some simple snack for my husband. Suddenly I remembered my leftover batter sitting in the fridge. My mom used to make these Bondas for snack. This is very easy to prepare and it will be really tasty with coconut chutney. Time of Preparation : 15 minutes Spice level : 3 out of 5 No of Servings : 3 to 4 Ingredients: Idly Batter – 2 cups All Purpose Flour – 1/4 cup Rice Flour – 2 tbsp Green Chillies – 4 (finely chopped) Coriander leaves – 1/4 cup (finely chopped) Onions – 1/2 cup (finely chopped) Curry leaves – a few Salt – to taste Oil – For frying Method of Preparation: Mix all the ingredients together except oil and mix it without any lumps. The batter should be slightly thicker than idly batter...
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Spanakopita / Greek Spinach Pie (Step by Step Procedure)
Spanakopita is Greek Savory Pastry. The filling is made of Spinach, Feta cheese, onions, green onions and seasonings. The filling is wrapped in Phyllo pastry with butter and olive oil. Once I had the frozen Spankopita in Sams Club. From then I wanted to try this and here goes the recipe for this simple starter.. Time of Preparation : 1 hour No of Servings : 10 to 14 pieces Ingredients: Spinach – 2 bunches / 8 cups approximately Feta cheese – 8 oz (crumbled) Onions – 1/2 cup (finely chopped) Green onions – 1 bunch (finely chopped) Garlic – 3 cloves (finely chopped) Coriander leaves – 1/4 cup Parsley (dried) – 1 tsp Pepper (freshly ground) – 1/2 tsp Salt – to taste (need only little as feta cheese already salt) Butter – 1/4 cup Olive oil – 1/4...
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Samosa Chaat
Chaat is a popular Indian savory snack available in several variations. It is spicy, tangy and sweet and a popular street food in India. There are various types of chaat food and today I have prepared Samosa Chaat which is one of the popular and most wanted among all. Samosa Chaat is served by adding a plate full of peas or chole masala, mashed samosa with freshly cut veggie toppings and a dash of lemon goodness. You need quiet a bit of ingredients for making this at home and you can find all these ingredients in any Indian store here. I should definitely say that it brings back my childhood days to memory whenever I eat chaat. My dad would never allow me to eat street food so we sneak with our friends to have fun. It is so filling, if...
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Spicy Chicken Cutlet
There are many many appetizers you could make either for a party or just your family. But there are only a few that can win over hearts (and tummies) like a chicken cutlet. That too with little effort on your part. Chicken cutlets are best served with some kind of sauce like Ketchup or chutney sauce – the kind you would serve with samosas. They make for a great party appetizer especially if you have non-veg lovers. Can you bake it too or just shallow fry? Preparation time: 30 minutes No of Cutlets : 10-12 Spice level : 3 out of 5 Ingredients: Boneless Chicken : 1 lb 1 Potato : 1 big (quartered) Onion : 2 cups (Finely chopped) Green chilies : 3 (finely chopped) Turmeric Powder : 1/4 tsp Ginger & garlic paste : 1 tsp Garam...
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Oats Cutlet
Now a days I want to try many recipes with oats. This is my first recipe with oats. I got this idea from my friend Jayanthi and I liked it. It is very easy to make and it is tasty to. It is very healthy too when compared to most of the snacks. Time of Preparation : 30 minutes Spice level : 3 out of 5 No of Pieces : 11 Ingredients: Oats – 1/2 cup Onions – 1 cup (finely chopped) Green Chillies – 6 (finely chopped) Ginger – 1 tsp (grated) Potatoes (boiled and mashed) – 2 (I have used 2 large go;den yellow potatoes) Peas – 1/3 cup (boiled) Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp Sambar Powder – 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder – 1/2 tsp Garam masala – 1/4 tsp Salt – to taste Bread crumbs...
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Mutter Paneer Cocktail Samosa – Green Peas with Cottage Cheese Cocktail Samosa
I just made these Samosas for a Potluck party and everyone loved it. I was wondering what to make for that potluck and my friend Nithu (author here at ST) gave me this idea of making mutter paneer samosa. I’ve always been scared to make samosa because I thought it was a lot of work to do and not so easy to make. But I came up with idea of making it with spring roll sheets, surprisingly it came out soo delicious and perfect. I made close to 45 Samosas in 60 minutes. So it’s that easy to make and it makes for such a great appetizer. Preparation Time: 30 minutes No Of Samosas : 16-20 cocktail samosas Spice level : 2 out of 5 Ingredients: Spring Roll sheets : 10 sheets (cut them into three pieces lengthwise) Oil...
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Tomato and Balsamic Bruschetta
Recently I’ve tasted this Balsamic Bruschetta in a party and since then I wanted to try this recipe. I’ve always love the taste of Balsamic Vinegar. It gives such a special kick which makes the dish really delicious. Bruschetta makes the perefect and light appetizer. If you are looking for some easy and delicious appetizer for christmas, here is the recipe for you. Also check out our Christmas recipe collection here. Preparation Time : 15 minutes. No of servings : 6-7 Ingredients: Roma Plum Tomatoes : 8 Fresh Basil : 2 tbsp (chopped) Parmesan Cheese : 1/4 cup(Shredded) Red Onion : 1/2 medium (Finely Chopped) Garlic : 2-3cloves(finely chopped) Balsamic Vinegar : 1 tbsp Olive oil : 1 tbsp Salt : to taste Ground Black Pepper: 1/4 tsp French Loaf Bread : 1 Toasted and sliced Cilantro or Parsley : for...
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Vattayappam (Steamed Rice Cake)
Vattayappam is a traditional steamed rice cake from Kerala, South India and it is served as a tea time snack. The name is derived from its shape and texture, “Vatta” means round “appam” means cake. They are also made during Christmas time and served for breakfast. Vattayappam or Vatteppam is spongy, sweet (mild) with bursting flavors. Cashew nut and raisins gives a crunchy bite. This dish is supposed to be less sweet but you can add more or less sugar adjusting to your taste. Enjoy this wonderful dish with your family for this Christmas… Preparation time: 12 to 14 hours Cooking time: 25 minutes No. of servings: 15 Ingredients: Raw rice – 1 cup Grated coconut – 3/4 cup Cooked rice – 3 tbsp Active dry yeast – 1/2 tsp Sugar – 3/4 cup (adjust to taste) Cardamom pods...
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Jalapeno Cilantro Hummus
Hummus is one of my favorite spread or dip, be it the plain hummus or the flavored ones. Jalapeno Cilantro Hummus is my favorite sandwich spread. I am a huge fan of Panera’s Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich and they use this spread for their sandwich. Apart from using it as a spread you can also serve it as a dip with freshly cut vegetables, pita bread and chips. Enjoy the simple and healthy Hummus dip. Ingredients: One 15 oz can of chickpeas (or 1 cup of dried chickpeas) Jalapeno peppers – 2 Cilantro – 3/4 cup Garlic – 2 cloves Olive oil – 1/4 cup Tahini sauce – 3 tbsp (recipe follows) Lime juice – 2 tbsp Salt to taste Method of Preparation: Drain and rinse chickpeas from the can. Add all the ingredients except olive oil and lime juice in...
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Vazhakkai Chips – Plantain Chips
Vazhakkai or Plantain Chips is an easy to make snack and my mom makes it often for most of the occasions. She is not a huge fan of store bought snacks or food and I have watched her make all different kind of chips and other snacks. Plantain Chips can be served with rice and sambar/rasam/yogurt or as a snack. They are savory and more like potato chips. Try this easy to follow recipe and enjoy your homemade chips. Ingredients: Raw plantain (vazhakkai) – 2 Chili powder – 3/4 tsp Salt – 1/2 tsp (adjust to taste) Curry leaves – 5 to 6 leaves Oil for frying Method of Preparation: Heat oil in a pan or kadai. I used canola oil. Any cooking oil would work. Cut the ends and peel the skin off plantain, cut into halves and...
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Sweet Potato Fries
These are oven baked Sweet Potato Fries with bursting flavors of sweet, spice and salt. They are very easy to make and healthy when compared to fried potatoes (French Fries). I wasn’t so sure how it would taste until I tried them because fries with sweet potatoes?? But then I was wrong. I really like them. My husband is also a huge fan of these fries because of the Home Fries from Pappy’s, a popular BBQ place in Saint Louis. For crispy fries you can add more oil. I have used olive oil but any cooking oil will work. Enjoy your homemade fries and let me know your comments. Ingredients: Sweet potatoes – 2 Corn starch – 4 tsp Garlic powder – 1/2 tsp Ground black pepper – 1/4 tsp Cumin powder – 1/4 tsp Paprika powder – 1/2...
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Stuffed Mushrooms
Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers!! Stuffed Mushrooms are one of my favorite appetizers. Being a vegetarian, I don’t get to enjoy Stuffed Mushrooms from most of the restaurants here where they fill it with meat. So I have always wanted to try this dish and finally I did it. This is an easy recipe to follow and I was amazed by the results. My husband (GS) and I couldn’t stop ourselves from finishing the whole plate. Good food always brings more joy, isn’t it!! You need a good dry white wine and Marsala wine for this recipe. You can fill the mushrooms the previous night, pop them in the refrigerator and bake them just before serving. Make your family and friends happy with this delicious appetizers and once again, Happy Thanksgiving!! Preparation time: 45 minutes Baking time: 30...
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Boiled Peanuts
Raw peanuts are boiled with salt until tender and then shelled before serving. My mom makes it often and it is a go to snack whenever we go out for a picnic. It is also a perfect snack for movie time. Boiled peanuts with Indian spices and a few crunchy vegetables makes a popular street food in India. Enjoy this simple snack with your family. Ingredients: Peanuts with shell – 500 gram (or 1 lb) Salt – 1 and 1/2 tbsp Water Method of Preparation: Wash peanuts thoroughly to remove dirt. Pressure cook with salt and lots of water (until peanuts are fully soaked) for 3 to 4 whistles. You can also boil it in a pot with salt until peanuts become soft and cooked. You will be easily able to break the shell when it is fully cooked. If peanuts...
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Sweet Somas
If you want to get into the Diwali celebration mood there is one sweet that will get you there right away- Sweet Somas. This is one of the most favorite Diwali snack my mom used to make when I was growing up. And I still hold it dear to my heart. If you like coconut and fried snacks this is just the ultimate combination of the two. It is basically a deep fried shell with sweetened coconut and sooji filling that tastes heavenly. Wishing everyone a Happy and safe Diwali!!! Preparation Time: 60 minutes No Of Somas: 18-20 Ingredients: Maida(All Purpose Flour) : 2 cups Oil : 1 tbsp Salt : a pinch Water : To knead the dough For Filling: Rawa : 1 cup(Lightly roasted in ghee) Sugar : 1 cup ( Cardamom Powder : 2 tsp Shredded...
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Spider Deviled Eggs
Deviled Eggs are a common holiday or party food served as a side dish, appetizer or a main course. Eggs are hard boiled, shelled and cut in half and filled with a stuffing made of egg yolks mixed with other ingredients. Here I have topped the eggs with creepy little olive spiders. It is perfect for Halloween and you can bring it to your office/house party and impress everyone. Ingredients: Cooked Eggs : 4 (peeled) Mayonnaise : 2 tbsp Ground Mustard : 1/2 tsp Salt : to taste Pepper : 1/4 tsp Whole Black olives to decorate Method Of Direction: Cut eggs lengthwise into half. Remove the egg yolks and keep it in separate bowl. Mash the egg yolks and add mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir everything evenly. Fill the egg whites with egg yolk mixture prepared above, heaping it lightly. Cover...
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