Category Archives: Snacks & Appetizers

Kheema Paratha

Snacks & Appetizers

The paratha is a good lunch for the kids or a snack on the go.  On the coast in East Africa kheema paratha is a street food served in the evening.. It was fun watching the vendors make them in front of you.  They do it by pulling the dough and breaking a couple of eggs on the kheema. We always had it as a light dinner.  There were vendors selling  khawa (black coffee)  nearby too.

 

food pictures May 8 019I have used chicken kheema today.  You can use either beef, chicken or lamb.

Makes 12

Ingredients

  • 2                 lbs lean ground beef
  • 1/4             cup water
  • 1                 tsp salt
  • 4                 tsp green masala
  • 1-1/2         tsp freshly ground cumin
  • 1                 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 2                 large onions finely chopped
  • 1                 cup chopped green onions
  • 2                 tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 1                 tbsp chopped mint
  • 1/2             tsp garam masala
  • 4                 eggs
  • 12              pastry sheets

Paste to seal

  • 3                  tbsp white flour
  • 2                  tbsp water

Instructions

  1. Cook  meat on medium  heat with 1/4 cup water.  Stir and break the meat until the meat changes color.
  2. Add all the spices and cook till meat is dry and cooked.
  3. When mixture is cool add garam masala, chopped onions, cilantro and mint.
  4. Mix white flour and water to make a paste.
  5. Take the pastry (see separate recipe to prepare pastry),  put 2 tablespoon of meat mixture in the centre.
  6. Pour 2 tbsp  beaten egg on top and  seal.  Pick up the corners of the opposite side  Apply a little paste on one corner and seal.  Apply paste to the side and bring in the other sides.  You should have a square.
  7. Cook on  frying pan on medium heat  turn over, brush with oil and cook on both sides.
  8. Serve with a salad and riata.

food pictures May 8 009

 

food pictures May 8 010

Vada(Wada)Daal Bhajiya

Gluten Free, Snacks & Appetizers, vegetarian

Vada is a savoury fritter-type snack from south India.  Vada is made with mung daal which is soaked overnight and pureed in a food processor with the herbs and then deep fried.  You can use a soup spoon, your fingers or a falafel maker to shape the vada..  Although vadas are deep fried, the finished product should not be too oily if prepared correctly, since steam build-up within the vada pushes all oil away.

Vadas are a snack food served with Amli(tamarind chutney) and coconut chutney.  It can also be served with chana batata.  Vada  tastes  good eaten freshly fried, while still hot and crunchy.

At home vada and passion fruit juice was a Saturday morning snack at small cafes.

Ingredients

  • 2              cup mung daal with skin
  • 1              medium onion
  • 2              tsp green masala
  • 1/2           tsp salt
  • 6              cups vegetable oil  for frying

Directions

  1. Soak daal overnight in  6 cups of cold water.
  2. Remove husks by rubbing, and washing several times with several changes of water.  Drain.
  3. Blend drained daal in a food processor.
  4. Blend onion in a food processor and add to the daal mix.  Add rest of the ingredients and mix well.
  5. Heat oil in a karia or a deep frying pan to medium hot.  The oil is ready when, if you put the handle of the wooden spoon in oil and bubbles start to form around  the spoon.  You can use a falafel maker,  or a spoon to slide the mixture into the oil.  You can use your damp hands to form a 1” ball and make round wadas or  flattened slightly into a patty.
  6. Fry on both sides  until golden brown.  The wada will puff up.  Drain on paper towel.
  7. Serve with coconut chutney and tamarind chutney.

Daal Bhajiya Mix

Daal Bhajiya Frying

Dhebra

Gluten Free, Snacks & Appetizers, vegetarian

This is iron and fibre-rich snack made with fenugreek leaves and bajro flour from Gujarat.  It is served as yoghurt plain or chutney as an afternoon snack.

If you are making it first time then you have to keep in mind that it is sticky dough and you have to be gentle with it.  Because of the bajro it will not be a perfect round, you will have rough edges.

This can be cooked over a tava or frying pan but then it is masala rotla, not dhebra.  Dhebra is best deep fried, so forget the healthy diet and enjoy it fried.

This is my grandmother’s recipe and I have used it for a long time.  You will find different version of this recipe.  This mixture has to rest overnight or at least 5 hrs.  If you make it instantly the texture will be different.  We had always used fresh methi in Africa, but it is not always available in the western countries so now I use the frozen methi.  Frozen Methi and bajro is found in an Indian grocery store.  You will also find different brands of bajri(millet flour), I use Jalpur.

Dhebra

 

 

Ingredients

  • 2             cups bajra no atta (millet flour)
  • 1             tbsp sugar
  • 1             tsp salt
  • ½            teaspoon haldi
  • ½            tsp crushed garlic
  • ½            tsp crushed green chillies
  • ½            tsp crushed ajma
  • ½            tsp crushed cumin
  • ½            tsp crushed black pepper
  • ½            tsp sesame seeds
  • 2             tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 1             cube frozen methi(fenugreek leaves)optional
  • 3/4          cup  yoghurt
  • 2             tbsp oil
For Frying
  • 3             cups oil for frying

For Decoration

  • 1/4          cup sesame seeds for decoration

For Serving

  • 1              cup yoghurt

Directions

  1. Put everything in a bowl and make a stiff dough with yoghurt.
  2. Leave it overnight or at least 5 hours.
  3. Make small balls about an inch round, roll this in sesame seeds
  4. With your fingers and on a kitchen towel, flatten the ball into a patty about 2” round.
  5. Deep fry this in a medium- hot oil. You can fry about 6 – 8 at a time.
  6. Serve this with Yoghurt
  7. You know the oil is hot when you put the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil and the oil bubbles around the handle.
  8. Use a coffee grinder to crush Ajma, Cumin and Black Pepper.
  9. You can make a chutney with garlic, Green Pepper and Cilantro.
  10. Use a little chutney in the yogourt and serve this with the dhebra

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Batata Wada

Snacks & Appetizers, vegetarian

Batata Wada is a nice mid-afternoon snack.  Batata  Wada means Potato Ball.  Mashed potato is delicately spiced,made into a round ball and dipped in a chickpea flour batter and deep fried.

 Ingredients

  • 2               lb Potatoes
  • 1               lb sweet potatoes
  • 1/2            cup chopped cilantro
  • 2               tsp  salt
  • 1               tsp  citric acid
  • 3/4            tsp  crushed black pepper
  • 3/4            tsp  crushed cumin
  • 1/2            tsp  turmeric powder
  • 1               tsp  garam masala.
  • 2               jalapeño
  • 2               tbsp chopped mint
  • ½              tsp  turmeric powder
  • 4               tbsp oil
  • 1/2            tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/2            tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 10             curry leaves
  • 1               cup mixed vegetables

 Batter

  • 3                 cups chana flour
  • 2                 cups water
  • ½                tsp  salt
  • ½                tsp  red chilly powder
  • 6                 cups oil for frying

Instructions

  1. Boil the potatoes & sweet potatoes, peel them and mash them.
  2. Add the chopped cilantro, salt,citric acid black pepper, cumin, Turmeric powder and garam masala.
  3. Blend the mint and  jalapeño and add this to the potato mix.
  4. Heat the oil in a small saucepan and make Vagar with curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. Add the vegetables and cook for about 5 min on med heat.
  5. Add this to the potato mix and mix everything together.
  6. Roll this into 1” balls.
  7. Make a batter with chana flour, water, salt, chilly powder. The batter should be running consistency.
  8. Dip the balls in the batter. ( The ball should be covered with the batter) and deep fry in medium to hot oil. The batter will be firm and you will have a golden brown crust. (about 5 minutes.)
  9. If your balls stick to the bottom of the Deep frying pan, your oil is not hot enough.

A wok is good for frying.

Serve this will Ambli.

You can adjust the salt and chilly powder according to your taste.

Shrimp and Avocado Salad

Snacks & Appetizers, Soups & Salads

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 2            avocados
  • 1            cup cooked shrimps
  • 1/4         cup diced cucumber
  • 1/4         cup diced carrots
  • 1/4         cup diced tomatoes
  • 1/4         cup diced celery
  • 2            tbsp mayonnaise
  • 2            tbsp sour cream
  • 1/4         tsp salt
  • 1/4         tsp Black pepper
  • 1            lime (zest and juice)
  • 1            lime for decoration
  •               Parsley sprigs  for decoration

Direction

  1. Cut the avocado in half.  Remove the pip and dice the avocado.  Save the skin.
  2. Take the shrimps and rinse them in cold water.  Drain the water
  3. In a bowl add avocado, shrimps, cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, celery, mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, pepper, lime zest and juice.  Mix everything.
  4. Fill the avocado skin with the salad mix, decorate with lime wedges and chopped parsley

Chicken Pies

Poultry, Snacks & Appetizers

 Chicken Pies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients   

  • 1                   chicken (about 3-4 lbs)
  • 1                   tsp garlic paste
  • 1                   tsp ginger paste
  • 1                   medium onion
  • 2                   sticks celery
  • 1/2                tsp salt
  • 1/2                tsp black pepper
  • 1                   can sliced mushrooms
  • 1                   can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1                   pkg frozen  puff pastry (395 gms)
  • 1                   egg

Instructions

  1. Skin and cut the chicken in quarters, remove all the fat and rinse it in cold water.  In a medium sauce pan put 4 cups of water, garlic,  ginger,  1/2  tsp salt and the chicken and boil it for about half an hour.  Remove the chicken and let it cool.  Remove the bones and cube the chicken in small pieces.
  2. Peel the onion and chop it finely, chop the celery finely.
  3. In a medium saucepan melt the butter, sauté the onions and celery.  Drain the mushrooms and add this to the saucepan,  Add the mushroom soup.  Add the chicken, 1/4 cup of the chicken stock, 1/2 tsp salt, black pepper and mix it well.  Remove from the heat and cool it in the fridge.
  4. Beat the egg with 2 tbsp water.
  5. Roll out the pastry to 1/8” thickness,  with a 3” cookie cutter cut the rounds.  Reroll  the scrapes and do the same.  Use the reroll rounds  for the bottom of the pastry.  Put a teaspoon of filling in the centre of the round, brush the sides with egg wash and cover it with a round on top.  Press the sides with a fork.
  6. Put the pastry on a cookie sheet, egg wash it and bake in a preheated 400 degree  oven for 30 minutes(it should be golden brown in colour)

 

 

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Dhokla/Dokra

Breakfast, Snacks & Appetizers

Dhokla (also spelt Dhokra or Dokra)) is a vegetarian dish that originated in the state of Gujarat in India.  It can be served for breakfast, or as a side dish,a main course or a teatime snack.  It can be served hot, cold, or at room temperature.  It is made with fermented batter made of gram flour(chickpeas)  rice and yoghurt.  The main ingredient is rice.

Dhokla is a savory cake that is steamed.

My mum used to make dhoklas for breakfast. Any left over,  we would have at teatime.  A hot garlic chutney is served with it.

Somebody came up with instant dhokla which are easier to make and you do not ferment it overnight.  Instant dhoklas are made with Sooji (wheatlets) or cornmeal.  I make it with sooji, If you are  allergic to wheat, use cornmeal.

Sooji is also known as Semolina or wheatlets

1.Semolina is the coarse, purified wheat middling’s of durum wheat used in making pasta  and also used for breakfast cereals  and puddings.  Semolina is also used to designate coarse middling  from other varieties of wheat, and from other grains such as rice and corn.

Semolina

Dokra

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Ingredients

  • 1                    cup sooji
  • 2                    tablespoon Channa Flour
  • 5                    tablespoon Yoghourt
  • ½                   teaspoon Black Pepper (freshly ground)
  • ½                   teaspoon Cumin (freshly ground)
  • ½                   teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
  • 1                    tsp sugar
  • 1                    tsp Citric Acid
  • ½                   tsp salt
  • ¼                   cup oil
  • ¼                   tsp ground ginger
  • ¼                   tsp ground garlic
  • ¼                   tsp ground jalapeno
  • ½                   tsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
  • ½                   cup warm water
  • 1 ½                tsp  rounded Baking Powder

Instructions

  • In a large sauce pan pour about 2 inches of water and boil.  The water should be boiling when you put the dhokla in.  The saucepan should be about 10 inches wide.  Put a wok ring inside the saucepan, the dhokla dish should sit on this ring. 
  • Add  everything except Baking Powder and mix well.(The mixture should be running consistency like a cake). 
  • Add Baking Powder and mix well. 
  • Pour into a greased 8” sandwich tin.
  • sprinkle chilly  powder on it.
  • Steam for 20 min.

Serve with Garlic Chutney.

Omelette Roll

Breakfast, Snacks & Appetizers

A dish consisting of beaten eggs cooked until set.  It can also be folded over with a filling inside.

Omelette  Roll is a chapatti rolled with an omelette.  It is breakfast on the go or lunch for the kids.  It is nutritious and easy to pack.

Omelettes are easy to make but are a little tricky.  You need practice to make it perfect.  Making a roll is the best place to start because if you break the omelette  nobody will know.

You can make your chapatti or buy it from Indian Grocery Stores.

Omelette Roll

Omelet

Ingredients

  • 1                   egg
  • 1                   tbsp water
  • 1                   tsp finely chopped onion
  • 1/4                tsp finely chopped cilantro
  • 1/8                tsp salt
  • 1/2                tsp butter
  • 1 chapatti

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, combine  egg, water onions, cilantro and salt  and beat with a fork till everything is mixed together.
  2. Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat, pour the egg batter and tilt the pan to spread it around.  When it starts to set, loosen it with a palette  knife, turn it over and cook on the other side for about 1 minutes.
  3. Place the omelet on the chapatti and roll it up.
  4. Wrap it in a napkin.

Variations

  • Sugar roll:            Spread butter on the chapati sprinkle with        sugar and roll it up.
  • Banana Roll:         Spread butter, sugar and a banana and roll it up.
  • Aloo Roll:             If you have  leftover Alo curry (Potato) use that and roll up the chapatti.

CHATAKO

Snacks & Appetizers

Chatako 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients 

  • 4                 medium potatoes 
  • 2                 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 – 14         oz can Patra or 1 pkg Frozen Patra
  • 1/4              cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2              tsp Mustard Seeds
  • 8                 Curry Leaves (Limbdho)
  • 1/2              tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/4              tsp Ajma (Omum)
  • 4-5              cloves, optional
  • 1 – 14         oz can Chickpeas
  • 1/4              tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2              tsp chilly powder or to taste
  • 2                 tsp Sugar
  • 1/2              tsp Salt
  • 1/2              tsp citric Acid or
  • 2                 tbsp lemon Juice
  • 1/4              cup chopped Coriander leaves
  • 1                 tbsp chopped Mint Leaves
  • 2                 cups yogurt riata
  • 2                 cups tamarind chutney
Directions
  1. Peel and cube the potatoes in 1/2 inch cubes.
  2. Coat it in 2 tbsp oil and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 min or until cubes are cooked.
  3. If using canned patra cube it in 1/2 inch cubes.  If using frozen, follow the cooking instruction and cook it then cube it in 1/2 inch slice.
  4. Open the can of chickpeas and rinse it under cold water, drain it.
  5. In a med saucepan Make the vagar.  Heat 1/4 cup oil, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, cumin seeds, ajma and cloves.  When the mustard seeds start to pop add the chickpeas, turmeric, cumin powder, chilly powder, sugar, salt, citric acid or lemon juice, half the coriander leaves and the mint and mix well.  Add the baked potatoes and patra and toss it.
  6. Pour this in a pyrex dish. 
  7. Before serving spread the yogurt riata and then tamarind chutney. 
  8. Decorate with chopped cilantro.

Peanuts

Snacks & Appetizers

      

 The peanut, or groundnut  is a species in the legume or “bean” family.  Peanuts are used in a lot of different ways,  Boiled roasted, fried, used as a sauce for meats and vegetables, cakes, peanut butter , candies, chocolates, and oil are a few examples.

In Uganda peanut soup is eaten with boiled matoka(green plantain bananas) as a main meal.  Boiled fresh peanuts are sold on the street as a snack as are roasted peanuts.  The locals make a cone using old newspaper and fill it with roasted peanuts and sell it.  When going to the movies we would buy a cone of peanuts before we went into the theatre.

In Canada we do not get the fresh peanuts so I buy the dried raw peanuts, soak them over night and then boil them.  These dried peanuts can be found in China Town, T & T Market and Osaka(Super Markets)

This is a good food to snack on when watching a movie or something to nibble on when you have a party.

  peanut cone

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Peanuts
  • 1 tbsp salt

Instructions

  1. Soak the peanuts in cold water overnight.
  2. Add salt and boil it for half an hour until soft or you can presure cook it for about 5 minutes.