Achari Paneer is flavorful, healthy and high in protein.  Paneer is an Indian cheese, also known as chenna.  Achari paneer is very versatile and can be served as an appetizer or as an accompaniment to a main course.

 This recipe will serve 8.

Ingredients

• 14oz paneer cut in ½ inch cubes (paneer you can find in Indian grocery store)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 cup yogurt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 whole red chilies
• Pinch of asafetida (hing)
• 1/4 teaspoon nigella (onion seeds or kalonji)
• 1 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 ½ cup baby spinach leaves

Method

1. Mix paneer, yogurt, turmeric and salt. Set aside.
2. In a frying pan over medium heat, dry roast nigella, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, and black pepper for 1-2 minutes. Seeds will become darker in color and give off a beautiful aroma.
3. Crush the roasted seeds using a mortar or rolling pin.  Set aside.
4. Add oil to the same pan, at low-medium heat.  Roast red chilies till they turn a darker color.  Remove from pan and break each one into 2-3 pieces.
5. Increase to medium heat; add asafetida, followed by paneer mixture.   Stir fry for 3-4 minutes until most of the moisture has evaporated.  Do not overcook the paneer as it will become dry. The yogurt should coat the paneer nicely so it remains moist. Turn off the heat.
6. Add all the dry spices and mix well.
7. Serve warm achari paneer over a bed of spinach leaves.

Tips

Achari paneer can be made in advance and refrigerated up to a week.   However, it tastes best when served warm.

Banana Puries are delicious fried Indian puffed bread. Puries have richness of banana flavor enhanced with cardamom. Banana Puries are good for festive occasions and holidays. These can be served for breakfast or as a snack. Puries are especially good for picnic or to take for travel.

This recipe will make about 40.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup ripe mashed banana (about 8” long banana)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon melted ghee or butter
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed cardamom powder
• Pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons coarsely ground almonds about 18 almonds
• Approx ¾ cup whole-wheat flour
• Approx ¾ cup all purpose flour
• Oil to fry

Method

1. Peel and mash the banana, add the sugar, almond, butter, salt and cardamom mix it well.
2. Add whole-wheat flour and all-purpose flour to the banana mix and make a firm and smooth dough. Keep it aside for about 2 hours.
3. Grease the fingers and knead the dough for a minute and divide in four equal parts.
4. Roll them into 8” diameter and cut them in about 2” diameter, using a cookie cutter.
5. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat. To check the heat if oil is ready put one piece of dough in oil, dough should sizzle and come up slowly.
6. Fry the puries few at a time don’t over crowd the frying pan. Puries will puff and fry them till they are dark brown from all around. It will take about 2 minutes to fry every batch.
7. Take them out over paper towel so it can absorb the extra oil.
8. Puries are ready.

Notes:This is good recipe for vegan by replacing the butter with oil. Puries can be served hot or eaten at room temperature. Banana Puries can be stored for a week; you don’t need to refrigerate them.

These besan paares are crunchy and spicy. Paares makes a great snack. Serve anytime.

Recipe will serve 4 to 6.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour (plain flour, maida)
• 1 cup gram flour (basen)
• 2 tablespoons fine semolina flour (fine sooji)
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 1 1/4 spoon salt, adjust to taste
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
• Pinch of asafetida (hing)
• 1/2 cup water or add as needed
• Oil to fry

Method:

1. Mix flour, semolina (sooji), gram flour (basen), salt, carom seeds, asafetida, chili flakes, and oil, together.
2. Add water as needed to make firm but smooth dough. Cover with damp cloth and set aside at least for ten minutes.
3. Knead the dough for another minute and divide into four equal parts.
4. Take each part of the dough and make a flat ball shape.
5. Roll them thin into about 9-inch circles. Prick them with a fork all over the rolled dough, so the paares do not puff when frying.
6. Cut each of the rolled dough into about half inch wide and 3 inch long pieces. Note: you can cut them in your desire shape.
7. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat.
8. The frying pan should have at least 1inch of oil. To check if the oil is ready, just put a small piece of dough in the oil. The dough should make the oil sizzle and come up slowly.
9. Make sure to place just enough paares so you can turn them over easily when frying. Fry the paares until both sides are light golden-brown.
10. After basen paares come to room temperature they should become crisp.

Tips:

1. Basen paares can be stored for one month in airtight containers.
2. If the Basen paares are cooked on high heat, they will be soft.

Suggestions:

• Try replacing carom (ajwain) seed with dry fenugreek leaves.

This is a simple spicy snack with a light crunch! This is very popular with street vendors in Mumbai, Bhel puri. Every street vendor has his own twist but it doesn’t matter how you make it, two main ingredients remain the same . . . puffed rice (murmura) and fine sev.

Recipe will serve 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 3 cups puffed rice (murmura, kurmura)
• 1 cup fine sav (vermicelli-like snack made from gram flour)
• 1 cup papdi broken in small pieces
• 1/2 cup of chopped boiled potatoes
• 1/2 cup of chopped cucumber
• 1/2 cup of chopped tomatoes remove the seeds
• About 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• About 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to your taste)
• About 4 tablespoon of hari cilantro chutney
• About 4 tablespoon of tamarind chutney
• 1 tablespoon minced green pepper optional

For Garnish

• 1/4 cup fine sav
• About 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Notes

Puffed rice (murmura) and fine sev you can find in Indian grocery stores. Also papdi you can find with Indian grocers.

Method

1. In frying pan over medium heat dry roast the puffed rice for 3 to 4 minutes. Let it cool of.
2. Combine the dry ingredients puffed rice, sav, papdi and salt together mix well. Keep aside till ready to serve.
3. Mix chopped potatoes, cucumber, tomatoes, cilantro and minced green pepper if like hot and keep aside.
4. When ready to serve mix dry ingredients and potato mix.
5. Next add chutneys making sure chutneys should coat the bhel puri mix not soak otherwise dry mix will become soggy.
6. Garnish with sav and drizzle the lemon juice to taste.
7. serve immediately,

Tips

1. Puffed rice (murmura) with time looses some of the crispness  by roasting crispness and freshness is back.
2. Mix bhelpuri just before you’re going to eat it to prevent the puffed rice from getting soggy.

Cereal Chivda is a great substitute for original chivda. This is a quick and easy recipe to make. Mix of different cereals, mildly spiced makes an enjoyable crunchy snack.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups rice crispy cereal
• 1/2 cup corn flakes
• 1/2 cup fine potato sticks
• 1 tablespoon raisins
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup roasted chana dal
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
• Pinch of asafetida (hing)
• 1 green chili chopped adjust to taste
• About 10 curry leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
• 1/4 spoon red chili powder adjust to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon mango powder (amchoor)

Method

1. Heat the oil in a wide saucepan over medium high heat. After oil is moderately hot add mustard seeds.
2. As mustard seeds crack add asafetida, green chili, and curry leaves. As precaution cover the pan immediately for few seconds because as you add curry leaves to oil it will splatter.
3. Lower the heat to medium low, stir-fry for about 30 seconds; add raisins, peanuts and chana dal, stir-fry for one minute.
4. Add fennel seeds, chili powder, turmeric, and salt mix it well.
5. Add rice crispy cereal and corn flakes (crush the corn flakes before adding to the mix) stir the mixture gently, mix it well quick and turn off the heat. Chivda is ready.
6. Let the cereal chivda cool of to room temperature before serving.
7. Cereal chivda can be kept for several days in airtight container.

This is a easy and delicious recipe. Serving creamed corn over toasted bread makes a great appetizer. This can also be served as a side dish.

Recipe will serve 4 to 6.

Ingredient

• 2 1/2 cups corn kernels
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour (maida or plain flour)
• 1/2 cup finally chopped red bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2  teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese or Italian mix cheese

For Garnish

• 1 seeded and minced green chili
• Some fresh cilantro leaves
• Bread of your choice (I like French or sourdough bread)

Method

1. In a sauce pan cook the milk and corn kernels until corn is tender. Stir the corn occasionally making sure it doesn’t burn in the bottom of the pan.
2. Add the all purpose flour and lightly mash the corn using the food processor or blender, (do not make the paste).
3. Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Oil is the right temperature when cumin cracks immediately after being put in the pan.
4. When the cumin seeds crack add the corn mixture, black pepper, salt and red bell pepper.
5. Stir and reduce the heat to medium. This should take 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Next stir the cheese and close the heat.
7. Corn should be in the consistency of a spread not very dry.
8. Serve over toasted bread and garnish with minced green chili and cilantro.

Serving Suggestion

Serve the creamed corn as a side dish.

Spinach pakoras are delicious as a snack. Spinach pakoras can be served many different ways and they always taste great. One of my favorite ways to serve these pakoras is papdi chaat.

Recipe makes about 30 pieces

Ingredients

For Batter

• ½ cup gram flour (basen)
• 1 tablespoon corn starch (arrow root powder)
• ½ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon asafetida (hing)
• About 3/4 cup water

Also need

• About 30 fresh spinach leaves
• Oil to fry

Method

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together: besan, corn starch, black pepper, cumin seeds, asafetida, and salt. Corn starch adds to the crispness.
2. Add the water slowly to make a smooth batter (batter should be thin consistency).
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium high heat.
4. The frying pan should have at least 1 ½ inch of oil. To check if the oil is ready, put one drop of batter in oil. The batter should come up but not change color right away.
5. Dip the spinach leaf into the batter one at a time, making sure it is covered by the batter completely; wipe it from side of the batter bowl making sure batter is evenly spread over spinach. Then, slowly drop in the slices into the frying pan.
6. Fry the pakoras in small batches. The pakoras will take about 2 to 3 minutes to cook.
7. Turn them occasionally. Fry the pakoras until both sides are golden-brown.
8. The crispy, delicious pakoras are now ready to serve.
9. They can be stored for several days in air tight container.

Tips

If oil is too hot pakoras will not be crispy; if oil is not hot enough, pakoras will be greasy.

Serving Suggestions

1. Spinach pakoras can be served as chips with your choice of dipping sauce.
2. Spinach crisp can also be served as papdi chaat.

Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern chick pea patty. Falafel is stuffed in pita bread with salad and sauce.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Recipe serves 4.

Ingredients

Falafel

• 1 cup dried chick peas (garbanzo, kabli chana)
• 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 1 green chili
• About 1/4 inch piece of ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour (plain flour, maida)
• Also need oil to fry

Tahini Sauce

• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• About 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
• About 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 1 green chili adjust to taste
• About 1/4 cup water use as needed

Also Need

• 2 cups of thinly sliced lettuce
• 2 medium size chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
• 4 pocket pita bread

Method

Tahini Sauce

1. In a small frying pan dry roast the sesame seeds on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
2. mix all the ingredients and blend to make a pourable paste use water as needed
3. Keep it aside.

Falafel

1. Soak the chickpeas in 4 cups of water over night. After soaking chickpeas will be about 2 and half time in volume.
2. In pressure cooker add chickpeas with the 3 cups of water. Close the cooker and put the pressure on.
3. Cook on medium high heat.
4. As pressure cooker starts steaming turn the heat down to medium and cook for about 4 minutes.
5. Close the heat and wait until steam has stopped before opening the pressure cooker. Chickpeas should be just tender not very soft.
6. Drain the water and let it cool; combine all the ingredients for falafel grind using food processor, mixture should be grainy. If needed add few spoons of water.
7. Divide the mixture in 24 equal parts or make them as desired size patties.
8. Heat oil in a frying pan on medium high heat.
9. The frying pan should have at least 1 ½ inch of oil. To check if the oil is ready, put small piece of dough in oil. The dough should come up but not change color right away.
10. Slowly drop the falafel patties in the oil and fry until they are brown in color both sides. It should take about 5-6 minutes to cook each batch.
11. Keep the patties aside.

Serving suggestion

1. Take pita bread and heat over the skillet on medium high heat both sides lightly.
2. Slice the pita bread from center in half take one part and open from center looking like a pocket.
3. Fill the pita pocket with chopped lettuce so it 1/3 full. Next add some chopped tomatoes and cucumber.
4. Pour about one tablespoon of tahini sauce, 3 to 4 pieces of falafel and again tahini sauce.
5. It’s best to serve the sandwich with hot falafels. Falafels can be easily re-heated before serving using an oven or toaster oven.

Variation

Serve the falafel over green salad use the tahini sauce as a dressing.

These mouthwatering finger sandwiches are great for any picnic or party. The flavored cream cheese spread with different herbs give a unique taste, and has a nice crunch with every bite. The recipes are for four different sandwiches: Tomato, Cabbage, Cucumber and Pineapple. You can prepare one or all four of these varieties, as they are quite easy to make.

Recipe will make 16 finger sandwiches.

Ingredients:

• 8 slices of firm white bread
• 5 oz cream cheese at room temperature
• 3 teaspoons ginger paste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 green chili, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Hari Cilantro Chutney recipe is on the web site
• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro (hara Dhania)
• 1 tablespoon minced mint (podina)
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup cabbage, finely sliced
• 8 slices cucumber, thinly sliced
• 8 slices tomato, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup crushed pineapple
• 2 pickled peperoncini, finely diced

Method

1. Trim sides of each slice of bread. Set aside.
2. Divide the cream cheese into four equal parts.

Tomato Sandwich

1. To one part of the cream cheese add black pepper, 1 teaspoon ginger, mint leaves and a pinch of salt. Mix well.
2. Spread cream cheese mixture onto 2 slices of bread. Place tomato slices and top with the other slice of bread to make the sandwich.
3. Cut into 4 pieces, garnish with a dab of spread and a sliver of tomato.

Cabbage Sandwich

1. To one part of the cream cheese add cabbage, 1 tablespoon of cilantro, 1 teaspoon ginger, half of the green chili (adjust to taste) and a pinch of salt. Mix well.
2. Spread mixture onto one slice of bread and top with another slice to make sandwich.
3. Cut into 4 pieces and garnish with a dab of the spread.

Cucumber Sandwich

1. To one part of the cream cheese add Hari Cilantro Chutney. Mix well.
2. Spread cream cheese mixture onto 2 slices of bread. Place cucumber slices and top with the other slice of bread to make the sandwich.
3. Cut into 4 pieces, garnish with a dab of spread and a sliver of cucumber.

Pineapple Sandwich

1. To one part of the cream cheese add pineapple, black pepper, 1 teaspoon ginger, pepperchini (adjust to taste), and a pinch of salt. Mix well.
2. Spread mixture onto one slice of bread and top with another slice to make the sandwich.
3. Cut into 4 pieces and garnish with a dab of the spread.

Tips

You can easily prepare these finger sandwiches with yogurt if you prefer. However, you need to remove as much water as you can from the yogurt before using it.

1. Place a muslin or cheesecloth over a strainer and pour yogurt to drain the water.
2. Gently squeeze the yogurt to remove excess water, making sure not to let the yogurt drain through.
3. Place a bowl underneath the strainer and place in a refrigerator for at least 6 hours to drain more water. Yogurt will become thick in consistency, just like cream cheese.

This is a bright, colorful and refreshing fruit chaat that can also be used as a fruit salad. My siblings and I looked forward to the fruit chaat, which was served regularly as part of our lunch. It was a delicious way of eating a great variety of fresh, seasonal fruit. This will brighten up any meal or taste great by itself, any time of the day.

Recipe will serve 4.

Ingredients

• 2 oranges skin removed and ½ each segment
• 1 apple peeled and cubed into ½ inch pieces
• 1 firm banana sliced into approximately ¼ inch rounds
• 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
• 1 cup English or Asian cucumber cubed into ¼ inch pieces
• 1 finely chopped green chili-optional
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Dressing

• Approximately 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Approximately 1 tablespoon ginger juice
• 1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin seeds powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black salt-optional
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Method

1. In a large bowl combine fruits and cucumber with the green chili and cilantro. Toss and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix all the dressing ingredients together; making sure that the sugar is completely dissolved.
3. Pour dressing over the fruits and serve.

Tips

I have used many different varieties of fruits in this chaat dish; however, I always keep the oranges and bananas, as they add a lot of color and texture to the dish.