Elevate a few humble ingredients into drool-worthy dishes with these snack recipes.
1. Falafel with Wasabi Mayonnaise
Serves: 4
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Calorie count: 400 calories (per serving)
Ingredients:
250 ml oil, for deep frying
Salt, to taste
1 onion, chopped
10g coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 green chilli, chopped
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1-inch piece of ginger, crushed
½ bell pepper, finely chopped
100 g Kabuli chana, soaked overnight
For the wasabi mayonnaise:
5 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp wasabi
Method:
- To prepare the wasabi mayonnaise, mix the mayonnaise and wasabi together. Set aside.
- Coarsely blend together the salt, onion, coriander, green chilli, garlic, ginger, bell pepper and soaked chana.
- Deep fry the falafels on a medium-high flame. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
- Serve with the wasabi mayonnaise.
Tip: Keep your chana blend a little grainy, rather than smooth.
2. Sweet and Sour Bitter Gourd
Serves: 4
Prep time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Calorie count: 200 calories (per serving)
Ingredients:
3 tsp jaggery, grated
Salt, to taste
1 tsp tamarind paste
1 tsp raw mango powder
½ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
3 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp ginger, grated
2 green chillies, slit
1 tsp cumin seeds
6 curry leaves
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp black mustard seeds
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tender karelas (bottle gourd)
To garnish:
Coriander leaves, chopped
Method:
- Wash the bitter gourd and pat dry. Top and tail each, then slit vertically down the centre. Use a spoon to scoop out all the seeds. Cut the halves into quarter-inch-thick pieces. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a pan over a medium-high flame and splutter curry leaves, green chillies, cumin seeds, and mustard. Add the onion and saute for a minute.
- Add the garlic and ginger and saute for another minute. Toss in the raw mango powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, and coriander powder and mix well. Sprinkle a little water and saute for a minute, stirring well.
- Add the salt, tamarind paste, and bitter gourd. Stir and cook until the bitter gourd is soft. Add the jaggery, stir and allow it to melt and begin to caramelise a little. Take the pan off the flame.
- Serve the bitter gourd hot, garnished with the coriander leaves.
Tip: Serve with hot chapatis or parathas.
3. Corn and Zucchini Fritters with Roasted Bell Pepper Sauce
Serves: 4
Prep time: 60 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp parsley, chopped
5 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying
1 big pinch smoked paprika
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp baking soda
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp baking powder
3 tsp besan
3 tsp maida
2 green chillies
3 tsp polenta
100 g zucchini, grated
50 g corn kernels, boiled
2 garlic cloves
1 small onion, chopped
3 tsp olive oil
For the sauce:
2 garlic cloves
1 pinch smoked paprika
2 tsp wine vinegar
3 tsp olive oil
Pepper and salt, to taste
Method:
- To prepare the sauce, rub the red bell pepper with olive oil, pepper and salt. Roast in a preheated oven at 180C or char on a grill for 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Cover the bowl with a cling film. Peel off the skins when cool, slice the pepper into two to remove the stem and seeds. Puree the bell pepper with the garlic, paprika and red wine vinegar to thicken the sauce.
- Heat the olive oil in a pan on a medium-high flame and seat the chillies, zucchini, corn kernels, garlic and onion for 2 minutes.
- Transfer to a food processor with paprika, cumin powder, baking soda, baking powder, besan, maida and polenta. Blitz to make a stiff dough, adding a little milk if the mixture is dry. Shape into fritters.
- Deep fry the fritters over a medium-high flame until golden and crisp.
- Serve the fritters with the roasted bell pepper sauce.
Tip: Serve these fritters on chilly nights.
