Rajasthani Mirchi Vada - Deep fried stuffed green chillies

Monsoons are the perfect time to indulge in some fried food.
The weather is just so lovely here in Bangalore, that I think of making some snack for the evening.
Recently I learnt this variation of the regular "Mirchi Bajji", called Mirchi vada..which is a Rajasthani snack or dinner starter/accompaniment.
Made this today, and my family just loved it...

Macchli Ka Pakora

"Macchli Ka Pakora" is simply deep fried fish dipped in gram flour batter served with Mint chutney.
The perfect snack for a rainy evening....!
Simple to make and lip smacking...!!

Garlic Bread - Home made

Home made Garlic bread, very easy to make and is a favorite any time snack at home.
Also is a perfect accompaniment to many continental meals.

Baked Soya Paneer Peppers

Here is a simple dish that I created last evening, for my daughter who likes to buy and eat Bell Peppers for their color but does not like the taste too much. So to make it appealing and nutritious I came upon this idea and called it "Baked Soya Paneer Peppers".
Whether red, orange, yellow or green, these Bell peppers yield the highest concentration of antioxidants . One small red, yellow or orange pepper provides three times the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C—way ahead of citrus. Red peppers stand out as one of the few foods that lowers the risk of various cancers.
Regardless of their exterior, all bell peppers share a healthy dose of fiber, which helps lower cholesterol and ward off colon cancer. They also have vitamin B6 and folic acid that protect blood vessels from damage. Plentiful A and C vitamins boost immunity and guard against a range of ailments, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis.
Soya chunks are very high in protein and is good for overall health.
Cottage cheese or Paneer is also high in protein.
Here is a delicious snack/starter which is also very healthy.

Bread Pakoda - An Indian Street Food

Another famous Indian Street food is the "Bread Pakoda".
You will find this snack in almost all snack bars, food joints and road side shacks in Mumbai and Delhi.
Simple to make and yummy too..!!
I would call it comfort food or food for indulgence as it involves deep frying, but once in awhile its allowed...
Isn't it ?

"Aloo Tikki" or Potato patties - A Popular Indian Snack/Street Food

"Aloo tikki" is a North Indian snack made of boiled potatoes and various spices.
"Aloo" means potato, and the word "tikki" means a small cutlet or patty.
It is found in almost every chaat shop or stall in Delhi as well as in other parts of India.
It is served hot along with coriander-mint chutney (sauce), known as Hari chutney, and sometimes yoghurt or chick peas curry.
We love Aloo Tikki in any form, with chutney, with chole or chickpeas curry or Ragda.

Butter Garlic Corn on the Cob

Butter Garlic Corn on the Cob, is a quick and easy recipe, and a dish which goes well as an accompaniment with any grilled food.
It can also be eaten as it is, My daughter loves this, and so do all of us.

Dill Vada

Here is the perfect evening snack for winter...
What better way to start the holiday season, than with some hot vadas and tea...
I had some Dill leaves, so thought of making these vadas or deep fried snack....
Dill leaves are called as "Sabsige Soppu" in Kannada, and I was first introduced to this herb in Hassan during my engineering days.
There were several dishes which were made with Dill, like "Sabsige soppina saaru" or "Dill Dal", "Sabsige soppina Chitranna" or "Dill rice" etc, but I loved these vadas the most.
I always thought that this herb was native to that region, since I had never eaten or seen them in Mangalore.
Its only after I started working, and then traveled the world, I got to know that "Dill leaves" are used in various other cuisines like South American, Persian cuisine etc.

Stuffed Colocasia leaves Fritters or "Pathrode Phodi" - A Konkani delicacy

"Pathrode" is a very popular Mangalorean Delicacy made using Colocasia leaves also known as "Arbi ke patte" in Hindi.
Its called as "Pathrado" in Konkani and "Pathrode" in Kannada and Tulu.
Pathrode Phodi is fritters made from Stuffed Colocasia leaves.
This is a starter that is a favorite among all konkanis.
The basic procedure for making these fritters is the same like making Pathrode except that the filling or stuffing is a bit different.
I know its not so easy to find colocasia leaves, but the solution is simple, grow them in your own garden or balcony.
In India and parts of Asia it is known as "Colocasia" and is a food crop.
But in other parts of the world like USA, Canada and Australia it is also known as "Elephant Ear" as is an ornamental plant.
Do buy the bulbs and plant them at home, you will be able to make these new dishes very easily.
Make sure to use enough tamarind in your dish to get rid of the itchiness.

"Crispy Cutlets" - made from Broken Wheat and Cottage Cheese

Broken wheat or Daliya or Burgul is as we all know boosts energy and enhances stamina.
Cottage cheese or Paneer is a food that is low in calories and high in protein.
Hence, broken wheat and Cottage cheese combination is very good for our overall health.
Although broken wheat is good for health, its not very palatable and not really liked by many, especially kids.
I make "Tabbouleh" or "Lebanese Broken Wheat Salad" quite often, but its not easy to convince my little one to eat it.
So today I decided on trying something new and different, which is not just healthy but also tasty and appealing to us and kids too!
So I made these cutlets using broken wheat as well as cottage cheese! Very simple to make and yet delicious!
After shallow frying they turned out very crispy so I have named it "Crispy Cutlets"!

"Tortilla De Patata" or Spanish Omelette

The Spanish omelette is a typically Spanish dish consisting of a thick egg omelette made with potatoes and fried in olive oil.
The tortilla may be eaten hot or cold; it is commonly served as a snack (tapa) or picnic dish throughout Spain. As a tapa, it may be cut into bite-size pieces and served on cocktail sticks.

I make this dish on days, when I am not in the mood to cook different dishes like a side, main etc, but still would like to eat some home made stuff, and we all love it!

Its easy and quick to make and filling too.

Paneer Tikka (Grilled Cottage Cheese)

Paneer Tikka or Grilled Cottage Cheese, is a very popular vegetarian starter.
There are many ways to make Paneer Tikka but this is my way of making tikka in the fastest possible way.
I have used a gas barbeque to grill the paneer.
But you can you use any kind of barbeque or grill.
The ingredients however remain the same.
You could grill capsicum, tomatoes or even pineapple chunks along with the paneer.
I made grilled only red onions with paneer since my daughter likes them. We mostly make it as a late evening snack, rather than a meal starter.

Kiddies Meal Combo 6 - Corn Cutlets and Tomato Rice

Tips for lunch box:
1. Boil rice in the cooker the previous night but do not open the cooker.
2. Make the corn and potato mash the previous night and keep in fridge.

Quick n Easy Peppy Paneer

I remember in my childhood that the best thing about getting back home after school,  was my seeing my mom's smiling face when she opened the door ready to greet me.

The next best thing was the lovely aroma of the evening snack.

There are loads of evening snacks which my mom made which I will be posting shortly.

I however have continued this tradition of making different snacks for my daughter when she returns from school.

On one such day I realized not having anything else in the refrigerator except Paneer.

So created, an evening snack of Paneer, in Indo-Italian style.

After eating this felt really pepped up so called it "Peppy Paneer"

Aloo Raitha (Potato n curd salad)

Potato popularly known as "Aloo" is my most favorite vegetable, and I know most of my friends too love Aloo.
For me Aloo means "comfort"
Since this is a very easy and quick dish, it can be eaten as a side dish with roti when you are back from office and cant find any vegetable except potato.
( Trick is boil aloo and keep in the refrigerator ).Also a quick healthy snack for the evening.