Category: Snacks/Nibbles/Quick Bites

Spinach Corn Cheddar Cheese Muffins | Mexican Savoury Muffins

Packed with a punch of jalapenos, with cheese, corn and spinach – Mexican style muffins
08/17/2016 9:53:27 PM vindhyadesai

I have a soft spot for anything savoury 🙂 Whenever I get an opportunity, I try to make savoury things to nibble on. This is Dish 4 of the World Cuisine Series and it is from Mexico. One of my favourite cuisines to prepare and of course to eat (gobble ’em all up). These are muffins with Mexican flavours, corn, jalapenos, cheese, what is not to like about them. Whenever I bake anything I try to make them all with whole wheat. Along with whole wheat flour, I have also used yellow cornmeal which is maize flour, easily available in stores/supermarkets. It gives a nice texture to the muffins, you also get to incorporate another grain and cornmeal is widely used in Mexican cuisine! The most important thing about muffins is not to overmix the batter/mixture which will make them chewy and hard. Mix and make muffins, enjoy them as a snack or for a quick nibble with a glass of milk in the morning. Also try other Mexican recipes! ... “Spinach Corn Cheddar Cheese Muffins | Mexican Savoury Muffins”

Cinnamon Toast

Delicious comforting warm cinnamon toast
08/10/2016 9:42:23 PM vindhyadesai

Bored of eating regular bread, butter and jam for breakfast? Why not try an easy comforting breakfast with bread. Easy to prepare and it takes the same amount of time as smearing butter on your toast. Fragrant cinnamon with butter on bread toasted till golden, that has to be a super combination. I used to make only chocolate toast in the same way and I also started making this with cinnamon after I saw the recipe on ‘thepioneerwoman’. This toast is very delicious, warm and you can make it in a jiffy. Keep the butter-cinnamon mix ready at night for an easy breakfast in the morning. I have used homemade whole wheat bread here but store bought bread can be the way to go if you are in a hurry. Serve with some slices of bananas, any fruits of your choice and a swirl of honey or golden syrup. ... “Cinnamon Toast”

Roasted Mung Dal | Huride Hesrubele | Roasted Moong Dal

Bakery style crisp roasted mung dal
08/06/2016 10:52:47 PM vindhyadesai

Hurigaalu (roasted pulses and seeds) like peas, mung dal(hesaru bele), chana dal(kadale bele), chick peas, mung beans, avre kaalu(hyacinth beans) etc. are signature snacks of a typical Bangalore-Mysore (South Karnataka) bakery or condiment store. A special mention must go to ‘Subbamma Stores’ an old and famous condiment store in Bangalore, they make the most amazing crisp and traditional snacks (kurukulu tindi). Their hurigaalu is one of the best one can get. I have always wanted to make hurigaalu at home and mung dal particularly is my favourite as they are small, crisp and the masala coats really well. There are 3 cooking techniques involved in making this, soaking, blanching, roasting. Follow the times correctly for each process. ... “Roasted Mung Dal | Huride Hesrubele | Roasted Moong Dal”

Dil Pasand | Tutti Frutti Stuffed Bread

Childhood favourite, colourful, fruity, dil pasand, tutti-frutti stuffed bread
07/31/2016 1:43:40 PM vindhyadesai

The most sought-after, after school treat of the 90’s. Dil Pasand along with Dil Kush were the two types of special stuffed breads available in bakeries. Old style Iyengar bakeries still do sell them. I love the tutti frutti pieces along with the coconut filling inside the bread. The outer cover is a soft and layered sweet milk bread. It tastes so good when eaten warm directly out of the oven. It truly is one of my ‘dil pasand’ (liked) snacks. There are quite a few steps to make this, plan your recipe well, I have given some pointers to make, baking dil pasand a joy! ... “Dil Pasand | Tutti Frutti Stuffed Bread”

Onion Pakoda | Eerulli Bajji | Kanda Bhaji | Onion Pakora | Onion Fritters

Crisp pakodas to enjoy on a rainy evening
07/10/2016 8:03:31 PM vindhyadesai

On a rainy monsoon evening everyone feels like eating something crisp and spicy. Onion pakodas will be in the top 5 things to make on such an evening. It is easy to rustle up this snack and I love eating a couple of them once in a while. Add subtle spices like ajwain (om) or jeera, it will aid in digestion. Ensure not to fry them on very high heat, fry them on medium heat to cook them all the way till the middle. Enjoy these crisp, karara, onion pakoda/ kanda bhaji(Marathi)/ onion fritters/ eerulli bajji(Kannada) with your cuppa. These snacks are famous world over and they even sell these cold in supermarkets. But homemade fresh hot pakodas are the best! ... “Onion Pakoda | Eerulli Bajji | Kanda Bhaji | Onion Pakora | Onion Fritters”

Avocado Lettuce Tomato Sandwich | ALT

Crunchy avocado lettuce tomato sandwich
07/08/2016 8.11:11 AM vindhyadesai

A vegetarian version of the famous BLT, ALT is a very popular sandwich amongst vegetarians. It is crunchy yet soft and if you are looking for a low calorie, healthy sandwich then try this version of ALT. ... “Avocado Lettuce Tomato Sandwich | ALT”

Baked Nippattu

Crisp savoury bakery style crackers to enjoy with a hot cup of tea/coffee
05/31/2016 10:26:34 PM vindhyadesai

Crispy and spicy nippattu from a local Iyengar bakery with hot South Indian filter coffee(kaapi) is one of the best snacks ever. Baked nippattu turn out to be really crisp and infact that is how they make them in bakeries. Nippattu can be made plain or finely chopped onions can be added which give an extra crunch. I have made them both here and both taste very good. The most important step is to add correct amount of ghee and butter, making the dough with warm water. I have added milk powder which adds rounded flavours to this recipe as suggested from another food blogger smithakalluraya. Simple ingredients turn into a tasty snack. These can be stored for quite a few days in an air tight container if they last that long from hungry mouths and prying eyes:) ... “Baked Nippattu”

Mixed Bean Veg Chilli | Chilli non Carne

A spicy and tangy stew made with different kinds of chillies and peppers
05/11/2016 9:39:33 PM vindhyadesai

Vegetarian chilli or chilli non carne is a dish from the American and Mexican region. It is a spicy and tangy stew made with different kinds of chillies and peppers with tomatoes and beans as the base. It is thick like a gravy with different vegetables adding a lot of texture along with the beans.  This dish is high in protein and has various layers of flavours with each type of chilli adding its own flavour.
It can be served with various types of accompaniments like plain salted tortilla chips, pita chips, plain tortillas or tacos, cooked and fluffed up couscous. It can be served as starters with a big pot of chilli in the centre or even just on its own. I use this as a base for other dishes like enchiladas, burritos, filled tacos, all mouth watering Mexcian dishes. Make a big batch and use it for different recipes. I do this for atleast 2 meals.
Only one type of bean can be used or a mix like black eyed beans, red kidney beans, butter beans, lima beans, mung beans etc. If you do not have the types of chillies mentioned in this recipe substitute them with any type of Mexican chillies or bell peppers. Most supermarkets do stock these kinds of chillies in jars as pastes or powders, they stay good refrigerated for a few months. ... “Mixed Bean Veg Chilli | Chilli non Carne”

Benne Biscuit

Iyengar bakery style, smooth & soft like benne or butter biscuits
04/30/2016 5:06:58 PM vindhyadesai

Benne biscuits are one of those snacks which most of us remember from our childhood. Also called as benne biskuttu (butter like biscuits), these Iyengar bakery style soft and buttery biscuits along with the khara biscuit (spicy and salty version) used to be a special treat for most kids. Butter is not used anywhere in the recipe. I have adapted the recipe I had read a few months back on a blog called sumscuisine. Bake these aromatic soft buttery melt-in-the-mouth biscuits and store them in an airtight jar. Enjoy them one or many at tea-time. ... “Benne Biscuit”

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Avocado Grilled Cheese

Red bell pepper & avocado grilled cheese with caramelized onions & honey mustard sauce
04/27/2016 6:30:00 AM vindhyadesai

Sandwiches are a very popular snack liked by both kids and adults. The ways to make a sandwich are endless. Let me share a little anecdote with you all about the origin of sandwiches. I read this little story in a supermarket cafe near my home. Sandwich was apparently invented when a snack was demanded by an Earl from his chef. The Earl wanted a snack for which he would not have had to use a fork and knife to cut his food. The chef thought about serving bread and vegetables in this unique way and thus the ‘sandwich’ came into being. 
For this sandwich I have used roasted sweet red bell pepper, healthy and tasty avocado, creamy honey mustard sauce and cheese sandwiched between toasted slices of multi grain-seed bread. ... “Roasted Red Bell Pepper Avocado Grilled Cheese”