Category Archives: Snacks

Eggless Cinnamon Rolls

By Posted in Other Bakes, Snacks, What's cooking Tagged , , , 10 Comments

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The second dish in this week’s theme of ‘Wraps & Rolls’ is the classic Cinnamon Roll. I have previously posted this dish which is an egg version whereas this one is an eggless version. My recent endeavour has been to bake eggless versions of the dishes I usually bake with egg. This one is delightful, so soft and delicious. The best part is that it tastes so good without the glaze. It reduces work not to mention calories.

Adapted from here

Makes 15-16 rolls

WHAT WE NEED

For the dough

3/4 cup warm milk

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup Oil

1 tbsp Butter, melted

2 tsp Instant yeast

1/4 cup Sugar

2 1/4 cups All purpose flour

1/2 tsp Baking powder

1/4 tsp Baking soda

1/2 tsp Salt

For the filling

1/2 cup Brown sugar

1 tbsp Cinnamon powder

3 tbsp Softened butter

WHAT TO DO

  • Mix the lemon juice with the warm milk and set aside for 5 minutes
  • In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, butter, oil, baking powder, baking soda, yeast and salt
  • Add the milk and make a smooth dough
  • Set aside for an hour or till it doubles in volume
  • Mix all the ingredients for the filling and set aside
  • Roll out the dough into a 24*18” rectangle
  • Spread the filling on the dough with your hand
  • Roll the dough on the longer side into a tight log
  • Cut the log into 15-16 pieces
  • Grease a baking tray or line it with parchment
  • Place the rolls on the baking tray few inches apart so that the dough has space to increase in volume
  • Set aside for 40 minutes
  • Preheat the oven to 185C
  • Bake for 18-20 minutes or till the rolls are golden brown
  • Serve warm
  • Enjoy

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This is my post for the Blogging Marathon under the theme, ‘Wraps & Rolls’.

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Herbs & Garlic Rolls

By Posted in Other Bakes, Snacks, What's cooking Tagged , , , , 11 Comments

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All through my life I have tried to lose weight. It has mostly not worked because I would not stick to any plan for more than a week. Then I would look at people thinner than me wearing pretty clothes and sulk. This has been going on forever with no end in sight. Finally I figured out how to solve the problem. No, I am not propounding a new weight loss strategy. All I am saying is that my problem has always been other people being thinner. So I figured I would put my baking to use as a dark art and get everyone around me to put on weight. If that is not a delicious solution I don’t know what is.

So these garlic rolls are the first step in that direction. In my defense, they did turn out delicious and quite gobble-worthy.

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Recipe adapted from here

Makes 10 rolls

WHAT WE NEED

1 cup All purpose flour

1 cup Whole Wheat flour

2 1/2 tsp Instant yeast

1 tsp Sugar

1 tsp Salt

2 tbsp Olive oil

3/4 cup Warm water

60-70gms Herbed garlic butter

Sesame seeds to garnish

WHAT TO DO

  • Add the flours, yeast, sugar, salt and oil in a large bowl
  • Add 1/2 cup water and mix to form a smooth dough
  • If the dough seems too dry then add 2tsp water at a time till the dough comes together
  • Cover and set aside for an hour or till the dough doubles in volume
  • Take out the dough and roll it into a 1/2″ thick rectangle
  • Spread the garlic butter on the dough evenly
  • Roll the dough into a tight log from the longer side of the rectangle
  • Cut the log into 10 pieces
  • Grease an 8″ round baking pan and place the rolls side-up on the pan
  • Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and set aside for 20 minutes
  • Preheat the oven to 185C
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes or till the rolls are golden brown
  • Brush with the balance butter on top
  • Serve warm
  • Enjoy!

 

NOTES

  1. I used the store bought garlic butter but you can also make it at home. Take 70 gms of salted butter, 4-5 cloves of garlic and 2-3 tsp of mixed herbs. Pulse the garlic and herbs together in a blender. Add them to the butter and mix well. Add salt if needed and use.

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This is my post for the Blogging Marathon under the theme, ‘Wraps & Rolls’.

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Honey glazed carrots

By Posted in Munchies, Snacks, What's cooking Tagged , , , , , 13 Comments

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For my third and final dish in the ‘One vegetable three ways’ theme, I chose to do the ever simple and ever popular dish -honey glazed carrots. Usually baby carrots are used for this recipe but since those aren’t available in my part of the world, I picked the bigger carrots and sliced them to make this dish. I make it for the daughter for her snack box or an evening snack and she likes it most of the time. Kids!

Serves 2

WHAT WE NEED

300 gms Carrots (3-4)

1-2 tbsp Butter (Salted / unsalted)

1-2 tbsp Honey

A pinch of red chilly powder

A pinch of salt, if using unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups Water to cook the carrots

WHAT TO DO

  • Heat the water in a vessel
  • Wash, peel and cut the carrots into finger long pieces
  • Add the carrots to the water once it starts getting hot
  • The carrots should be tender in 5-7 minutes
  • Drain the water and set the carrots aside
  • In a pan, heat the butter
  • Once the butter melts, add the carrots and salt (if using) and mix well
  • After 2-3 minutes, add honey and mix well
  • If this is not for kids, then use red chilly powder to balance the sweetness of carrots and honey
  • Simmer for 3-4 minutes
  • Once the carrots are glazed well, take off from the heat
  • Enjoy!

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This is my post for the Blogging Marathon, under the theme, ‘One vegetable three ways’.

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Cheese & Garlic Scones

By Posted in Other Bakes, Snacks, What's cooking Tagged , , , , , , , 14 Comments

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When I made a Hi-Tea combo couple of months ago, my favourite of the lot of dishes was the Cheese and garlic scones. These are super easy to make and taste so good. It is one of the few baked dishes that even my husband liked and asked for seconds. I have made it several times since and it has been appreciated by kids and adults alike. This makes for a quick and easy snack with all ingredients easily available at home. I do think of adding some vegetables to it but then I feel maybe some dishes should be left just for taste instead of trying to healthy-fy everything all the time.

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Recipe from here

Makes 8 scones

WHAT WE NEED

1 cup All purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp Baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup shredded cheese

1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated

1/2 cup Milk

WHAT TO DO

  • Preheat the oven to 220C
  • Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl
  • Add the shredded cheese and garlic to the bowl and mix well
  • Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in the milk except for 2 tsp of milk
  • Bring together all the ingredients and form a dough
  • Do not overmix
  • Grease a baking tray and transfer the dough to the tray
  • Pat it into a 1″ thick circle and cut into 8 wedges
  • Brush the balance 2 tsp milk on the dough
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes or till the top gets brown spots
  • Cool for 10 minutes
  • Serve warm with butter

NOTES

  1. I have tried this dish with cheddar cheese, pizza cheese (mix of cheddar and mozzarella) and matured goat cheese and it works beautifully with each one
  2. I found the goat cheese (matured) slightly bland in comparison to the other two and so I sprinkled some dried rosemary to enliven it

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This is my post for the Blogging Marathon under the theme, ‘One protein three dishes’.

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Cheese & Oats Paniyaram

By Posted in Snacks, What's cooking Tagged , , , , , , 17 Comments

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So I am back after a month though it seems like ages. In March, I had a very different perception of how April and May would turn out considering it is the daughter’s vacation time, but it wS hectic and chaotic in wholly different ways. Right from having a oil splash accident to help organise the brother & sis-in-law’s baby shower to help playing nurse to the father-in-law, this summer has me running in circles. Now it’s hardly any time left for school time and to begin the routine again.

In between all this activity the husband managed to travel for work and wearily asked me if I would need some rye flour or gluten again. Seems like he has finally resigned to fate, which is nice! I was kind and asked him to only pick up some cheese since he was in Amsterdam. He did and has been asking me to add cheese to everything I make. So when I picked this theme of ‘One protein three dishes’, I knew it simply had to be cheese. So here is the first of my three ‘cheesy’ dishes which is a quick and comparatively healthy snack for adults and kids alike.

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Recipe adapted from here

Serves 3-4

WHAT WE NEED

1 cup Quick cooking oats

1 small sized carrot, grated

2 tbsp Rice flour

1 tbsp Semolina

2-3 tbsp shredded cheese

1-2 green chillies, finely chopped

1″ ginger, grated

1/2 tsp Baking soda

Few coriander leaves

Salt

Oil

Water

WHAT TO DO

  • Heat an appe pan with 2-3 drops of oil in each cavity
  • Mix all the ingredients except baking soda and oil
  • Add enough water for the batter to be thicker in consistency as compared to idli batter
  • Add baking soda and give it a quick mix
  • Pour the batter into the appe pan till it is almost full
  • Cover and cook in simmer for 2-3 minutes
  • Once the top part seems cooked, turn it over with a spoon and cook uncovered for 1-2 minutes
  • Take it off from the pan and repeat for the remaining batter
  • Serve with chutney or ketchup or mayonnaise of your choice
  • Enjoy!

NOTES

  1. I used matured goat cheese but cheddar should also work just as well
  2. Green chillies and ginger can be reduced or omitted if making for kids

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This is my post for the Blogging Marathon under the theme, ‘One protein three dishes’.

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Hi Tea

By Posted in Muffins, Other Bakes, Snacks, Sweets & Desserts, What's cooking Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , 20 Comments

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This is the final post in this week’s Thali series. My sister-in-law gifted me a cupcake / hi tea stand and I have been planning to use it in the blog for ages now. I didn’t want to miss the chance this time and so I figured making a hi tea spread for the Thali theme would be just perfect. Hi tea is a British tradition of drinking tea sitting on high back chairs at the table with a spread including cold cut meat, fruits, breads, crackers, etc.

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This hi tea spread includes –

1. Iced tea (because it it summer now)

2. Regular black tea & milk

3. Cheese and Garlic Scones

4. Walnut Cake Slice

5. Masala Chai Mini Muffins

6. Dry fruit biscuits

7. Pistachio and chocolate biscuits

8. Peas & Carrot Finger Sandwiches

9. Cucumber & Mayonnaise Finger Sandwiches

8. Jam

9. Honey

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Here is a quick recipe for the masala chai muffins –

Makes 16-18 mini muffins

WHAT WE NEED

3/4 cup Whole wheat flour

1/2 cup Granulated sugar

1/2 tsp Baking powder

1/4 tsp Baking soda

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup Masala chai / tea ( no sugar)

1 tsp Vinegar

2 tbsp Oil

WHAT TO DO

  • Preheat the oven at 190C
  • Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl
  • Mix the oil, masala chai and vinegar in another bowl
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well to combine
  • Line a mini muffin tray and pour the batter up to 3/4 full for each muffin mould
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes or till the toothpick inserted comes out clean
  • Cool for half hour
  • Enjoy!

This is my post for the Blogging Marathon under the theme, ‘Thalis’.

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Kadala Thel Dala | Stir fried Chickpeas

By Posted in Snacks, What's cooking Tagged , , , , , 11 Comments

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The second dish for the Sri Lankan cuisine theme is a popular snack called Kadala Thel Dala which is quite similar to the sundal prepared in Tamil cuisine. One main difference is the addition of onion to this dish which is not usually added to sundal but which makes this a simple yet delicious bowl of snack.

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Serves 2

Recipe adapted from here

WHAT WE NEED

1 cup boiled chickpeas
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
1/2 tsp chilly powder
1 tsp vegetable oil

WHAT TO DO

  • Heat the oil in a pan
  • Add mustard seeds and cumin.
  • Once the mustard seeds pop, add the curry leaves and onion and fry for 3-4 minutes or till the onion turns golden brown
  • Add the chickpeas, salt and chilly powder
  • Fry for another 2-3 minutes.
  • Serve hot.

NOTES

  1. Soak the chickpeas overnight in sufficient water and pressure cook for 3 whistles and then use in this recipe
  2. The onion will cook faster if sliced very thinly

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This is my post for the Blogging Marathon under the theme, ‘Sri Lankan Cuisine’.

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Bhajiya Pav

By Posted in Snacks, What's cooking Tagged , , , , , , 9 Comments

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As someone who was living in Mumbai for most of her life, I am going to commit blasphemy by uttering the next few words – I am not a big fan of the Vada Pav. Let the lynching begin. Somehow, all my life I tried to like it because duh! But I simply could not find it in me to enjoy Vada pav. I enjoy them separately – I love the batata Vada and I can eat pav with nothing on the side because bread! But put them together with the spicy green chutney and I start backing off from there. But Bhajiya pav is something I adore and crave and can eat as many as you can get me. Each bite holds so many memories and conversations of the years gone by. In our school, we did not have a proper canteen. We had two ladies who would come at break time with huge tubs full of Vada pavs, samosa pavs and bhajiya pavs. By the end of the 15 minute break they would walk out with empty tubs but full pockets. Since my mother took our eating out as a personal affront, we did not eat out much except for the birthdays – ours and our friends’ when the treat always was bought from the aunties at the ‘canteen’.

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Later, we discovered the ultimate maker of Vada pavs and bhajiya pavs near our home in Mumbai. Ever since, no trip of mine to Mumbai is complete without a bite (so much more than a bite!) of his bhajiya pavs. He fries the bhajiya, rips open the pav, fills it with the chutneys and bhajiya, packs it in old newspaper and ties them with many metres of thread in a blink of the eye. We spend more time in pulling out the thread and untangling it from our fingers than we spend in actually eating the contents inside. Though I still don’t like the green chutney, I have included it here husband will not have it any other way. But trust me, if you top it with loads of dry garlic chutney and close your eyes, you will find yourself in a Mumbai street corner near a push cart which is super hot because of the incessant frying, with aromas that could make you hungry even though you just had lunch and an invisible magnetic pull towards it saying the golden words “Bhaiya 2 bhajiya pav parcel”.

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Serves 2-3

WHAT WE NEED

6 Pavs

Dry garlic chutney

For the Bhajiya

1 Potato, large

1/2 cup Chickpea flour

2 tbsp Rice flour

1/2 tsp Red chilly powder

Salt

Water

Oil for deep frying

For the green chutney

6-7 stalks of fresh coriander

1 garlic clove

1 green chilly

3-4 drops of lemon juice

Salt

WHAT TO DO

  • Heat enough oil in a pan to deep fry the bhajiya
  • In a bowl, mix together the chickpea flour, rice flour, chilly powder and salt
  • Add enough water to form a slightly thick batter. The batter should not be too thin else it would be difficult to coat the potato and not too thick in which the flavour of the potato is lost
  • Slice the potato into thin slices in a mandolin slicer
  • Once the oil is hot, take one slice of the potato and coat it well with the batter and drop it into the hot oil
  • Once it is nicely cooked on both sides, take it out of the oil and place it on tissue to absorb the excess oil
  • You can fry multiple potato slices at a time depending on how big your pan is
  • Repeat the procedure with all other slices of potato till you have the desired number of bhajiyas
  • Add all the ingredients for the green chutney in a small mixer jar
  • Add enough water to blend together all the ingredients into a chutney. It needs to be slightly runny so that it is easy to slather it over the pav
  • Cut open the pav in half horizontally but leave it joint at one end

Assembling the dish

  • The pav is usually eaten as is but you can lightly toast it with some butter if you want
  • Apply the chutney on the inside of the pav and place 2-3 bhajiyas in it
  • Top it with dry garlic chutney and serve
  • Enjoy!

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This is my post for the Blogging Marathon under the theme, ‘Street Food’.

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Banana Flittas

By Posted in Snacks, What's cooking Tagged , , , , , , 14 Comments

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One advice I would like to give people who are yet to be married is that to look for someone with similar taste in food. A surprisingly lot of time and effort in your life is with regard to food – buying, making, eating. If you don’t agree on that, it is not going to be easy. Trust me. You’ll thank me later. It has taken us nearly a decade to find a middle path and now we have the daughter’s taste to consider which is very likely to disrupt the equation we have painstakingly worked on to cause equal grief to both of us. 

Usually I am of the opinion that fruits should not be cooked but should be had raw and with its skin whenever possible. I do enjoy my orange cake and banana bread (but the bananas are overripe and so shouldn’t count. Right?) but little else. So I was kind of skeptical to make these banana fritters or flitaas as they are called in Jamaica. But once I did, the husband and daughter loved it so much that they are trying to make me promise to repeat this as often as I can. I am so torn between my principles and the demands of the family. Sigh! Well, I did like it too!

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Recipe adapted from here

Makes around 10

WHAT WE NEED

Bananas, ripe, medium                    2

All purpose flour                                1/2 cup

Sugar                                                     2-3 tbsp

Baking soda                                          A pinch

Ground cinnamon                              1/4 tsp

Salt                                                         A pinch

Oil                                                           2 tsp

Milk                                                        1 tbsp

Oil for deep frying
WHAT TO DO           

  • Heat oil in a pan for deep frying
  • Mash the bananas well in a bowl and set aside
  • Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt
  • Add 2 tsp oil and the milk to the mashed bananas
  • Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and combine to form a smooth, wet dough
  • Drop spoonfuls of the dough in the hot oil and fry till golden brown
  • Enjoy!

NOTES

  1. The amount of sugar depends on the sweetness of the bananas. You need to taste and adjust to your preference
  2. An option is to roll the deep fried flittas in some cinnamon sugar to give it an additional level of flavour and sweetness 

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This is my post for the Blogging Marathon under the theme, ‘Dishes from the Carribean’.

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Coconut Rock Buns

By Posted in Snacks, What's cooking Tagged , , , 16 Comments

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During the past week in Mumbai, I accompanied my mother and daughter to many friends’ homes for the ubiquitous Navrathri vethalapakku. The norm is to invite ladies of family and friends and present to them some beetle leaves, beetle nut, turmeric, coconut and fruit. Some people go the extra mile and give additional gifts as well and I got some amazing stuff this time. B what ended up happening was that, at the end of five days, we were buried under a coconut hill. We got so many coconuts from all the houses we visited which was compounded by the fact that the daughter asked for them when she didn’t get one leading to total coconut chaos. 

My mother made me take 6 coconuts (grated, thankfully) back to Bangalore and now I am using it across dishes even in those we don’t usually add them. The only good thing is that the husband loves coconut and is a very happy soul these past few days. So when I read about coconut’s popularity in th Caribbean cuisine, I was thrilled. But I found most recipes using coconut milk and not simply coconut as is. Then I found this coconut rock and I figured I had to make it. I added more coconut than the dish needed but that only ended up making it more flavorful. I also increased the proportion of sugar which worked out well. I also added the sweet cherries on top to give the Iyengar Bakery feels to the husband who was thrilled. So, I managed to hit many birds with one stone, or should I say rock. Yay!

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Recipe adapted from here

Makes 8 rock buns

WHAT WE NEED

All purpose flour                1 cup

Butter, unsalted                  1/4 cup

Sugar                                     1/2 cup

Raisins                                   3 tbsp

Baking powder                    1/2 tsp

Ground nutmeg                   1/2 tsp

Ground cinnamon               1/2 tsp

Egg                                           1

Vanilla                                     1 tsp

Milk                                          4 tsp

Coconut, grated                      1/4 cup + 2 tbsp

Water            

WHAT TO DO

  • Heat 1/2 cup water, add the raisins to it and cover. Once it plumps up, drain the water and set aside. It should take around 10-15 minutes
  • Preheat the oven to 190C and grease a baking tray and line it with parchment paper
  • Using fingertips, rub the butter with the flour till the mixture gets a sand like texture
  • Add the sugar, raisins, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and coconut and mix well to combine
  • Mix the egg and vanilla in anothe bowl and then add to the flour mix
  • Add milk and mix well to form a dough
  • Use a spoon to drop the dough on to the baking tray. Since it is to be rocks, the shape need not be well defined 
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes till done. Broil for 2 minutes to get the golden brown colour on top, if needed
  • Serve warm
  • Enjoy!

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This is my post for the Blogging Marathon under the theme, ‘Dishes from the Caribbean’.

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