Popular Indian Vegetarian Snacks Cooking Recipes

Paneer Rolls Cooking Recipe

These extra-crisp rolls are coated in vermicelli (seviyaan) – the filling is channa dal cooked with nuts and raisins.

INGREDIENTS
Makes 12-14

2½ cups grated paneer (250 gm),
½ cup chopped coriander,
¾ tsp chaat masala
3 slices of brown or white bread – processed in a mixer to get fresh bread crumbs
½ tsp roasted cumin powder (bhuna jeera),
¾ tsp salt,
½ tsp pepper

FILLING

% cup yellow split peas (channa dal) – soaked for 2 hours & ground coarsely without water in a mixer
1 tbsp oil,
1 onion – chopped finely,
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
1 tbsp cashews (kaju) – chopped,
2 tbsp raisins (kishmlsh) – chopped
¼ tsp turmeric (haldi),
½ tsp salt,
¼ tsp red chilli powder
¼ tsp dried mango powder (amchoor),
½ tsp garam masala

TO COAT

½ cup very thin vermicelli (seviyaan) – roughly broken into small pieces by hand

COOKING METHOD

1. Strain dal and roughly grind in a mixer to a coarse thick paste. Do not grind too much and make it thin and smooth.

2. Heat oil. Add onion, ginger, cashews and raisins. Cook till onions turn light golden. Add ground dal, turmeric, salt, red chilli powder, amchoor and garam masala. Stir for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and keep filling aside.

3. Mix grated paneer with coriander, chaat masala, fresh bread crumbs, roasted cumin, salt and pepper.

4. With a ball of the paneer mixture, make a 2” long oval roll. Flatten it to get a slight depression in the centre. Place 1 tsp of the filling in it along the length. Pick up the sides to cover the filling, such that the filling is completely covered on all sides with the paneer mixture. Shape to give a neat roll with slightly flattened ends.

5. Break seviyaan into 1-1½” small pieces. Spread on a plate. Take 1 cup of water separately in a shallow flat bowl (katori). Dip the roll in the water for a second and then immediately roll it over the seviyaan. All the sides should be completely covered with seviyaan. Keep aside to set for 15 minutes. Deep fry 2-3 pieces at a time. Serve with pudina chutney.

Khandavi Cooking Recipe

A very popular snack of Western India. Strips of cooked gramflour are rolled into a delicious snack. The asafoetida and mustard seeds add their delightful flavour to this light snack.

INGREDIENTS
Makes 8 Rolls

½ cup gramflour (besan),
¾ cup yogurt,
¾ cup water
½ tbsp oil,
a pinch of asafoetida (hing),
½ tsp salt,
¼ tsp turmeric (haldi)
½”/1cm piece ginger – crushed to a paste
1 green chilli – crushed to a paste

TEMPERING

2 tbsp oil,
½ tsp mustard seeds (rai),
1 green chilli – chopped finely, optional
2-3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves,
1 tbsp freshly grated or desiccated coconut

COOKING METHOD

1. Mix together gramflour, yogurt and water well with a beater so that no lumps remain. Heat ½ tbsp oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Reduce heat. Add asafoetida. Wait for a few seconds. Add the yogurt mixture slowly, stirring continuously. Mix well.

2. Add turmeric, salt, ginger and chilli paste. Stir continuously on low heat for about 4-5 minutes till the mixture turns thick and gets cooked properly.

3. Remove from heat. Mix well and spread quickly, thinly on a plastic sheet or cling film, to a size of about 10 x 12″/25 x 30 cm. Let it cool for 5-7 minutes. Cut into thin strips, about 1″/5 cm broad. Roll each strip to make the snack. Arrange the rolls on a serving platter.

4. For tempering, heat oil. Add mustard seeds and green chilli. When the seeds stop spluttering, add coriander leaves and coconut. Mix and immediately pour all over the prepared snack.

Achaari Tikke Cooking Recipe

Kebabs that melt in your mouth.

INGREDIENTS
Serves 6

400 gm mushrooms – boiled in water with a pinch of turmeric (haldi) for 3-4 minutes
400 gm paneer- cut into 1½” pieces
4 tbsp ready-made mango pickle (achaar) – discard any hard portion, chop finely and grind to a smooth paste in a mixer
2 cups yogurt – hang in a muslin cloth for 1 hour,
3 tsp garlic paste,
2 tsp ginger paste
¾ tsp black salt (kala namak),
½ tsp salt,
¼ tsp white pepper powder
2 tbsp lemon juice,
1 tsp chaat masala,
1½ tsp cumin (Jeera) powder
¼ cup grated processed cheese,
1 tbsp butter
¾ tsp pomegranate seed (anardana) powder
3 tbsp gramflour (besan),
3 tbsp mustard oil

TEMPERING

3 tbsp mustard oil,
2 tsp degi red chilli
1 tsp fennel (saunf),
½ tsp onion seeds (kalaunji)
¼ tsp fenugreek seeds (methi dana),
½ tsp mustard seeds (sarson)

COOKING METHOD

1. Heat mustard oil in a pan. Add gramflour and roast on low heat for about 4-5 minutes till gramflour just starts to change colour and turns fragrant. Keep aside.

2. In a flat dish place cheese. Rub with the palm till smooth. Add yogurt, mix thoroughly until cheese is smoothly mixed with the yogurt.

3. Add ginger, garlic paste, salt, black salt, lemon juice, pickle paste, white pepper powder, chaat masala, cumin powder, pomegranate seed powder and roasted gramflour along with the oil. Mix well till smooth.

4. Take a small pan, heat 3 tbsp mustard oil. Remove from fire. Add fennel, onion seeds, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and degi mirch. Put this mixture into the yogurt marinade. Mix.

5. Add paneer and mushrooms in the marinade. Mix well. Arrange paneer and mushrooms alternately on well greased skewers, or simply place them on a grill rack covered with aluminium foil. Grease foil before placing the tikkas.

6. Preheat oven to 180°C or a tandoor on moderate flame. Cook for 15 minutes in the preheated oven till well-browned and cooked. Serve hot.