Asparagus With Ginger
Stir-fry asparagus is healthy and simple to prepare, yet very delicious. It is a beautiful dish to serve and makes a great appetizer or a side dish.

Battura
Battura is fried puffed bread traditionally served with chola (chickpeas). The combination, called Chola Batura, is a popular dish from
the state of Punjab. Chola Batura is a popular dish among youngsters.

Bhel Puri Chat(Spicy Crunchy Snack)
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.

Black Eyed Pea Salad
Black-eyed pea salad is very colorful and delicious. Ginger dressing gives a nice tangy flavor. This is great for quick and light lunch.

Bread Pakoras
Spicy hot bread pakoras are great as an appetizer, finger food for any type of the gathering, and a tasty compliment for your afternoon tea.

Chaat Bites
Appetizers are typically finger foods that are easy to pick up and eat while waiting for the main course. So I decided to come up with an appetizer that has all the flavors of a traditional chaat and at the same time has the convenience of being able to be made ahead of time and is also a finger food. After some thinking, I came up with these yummy Chaat Bites – a crowd pleaser for sure!

Cheese Para
Cheese is produced and consumed throughout the world in various forms. Shakkar para or Namak para are very popular snacks served in India during Diwali season. Combing cheese with Namak Para has resulted into what I call “Cheese Para”. The cheese adds a little zing to the Namak Para taking it to a whole new level.

Chilli Paneer (Indo-Chinese Dish)
Chilli Paneer is a popular Indo-Chinese dish. Chilli Paneer makes a spicy flavorful starter especially for many of my friends who enjoy the spicy food. Chilli Paneer can also be served as a side dish. This is absolutely delicious and easy to make.

Chole Tikki (Chickpeas Patties)
Chola Tikki is a spicy snack. Tikkis are also known as a chat. Just the smell of Tikki can make you hungry.

Contest 2011 April
April’s contest will be a fresh spring appetizer using two or more of the following ingredients: carrot cucumber celery banana apple As usual, you will be judged on creativity, and presentation (in addition to the recipe as a whole). Most likely, I will be selecting the top two winners myself for this month. Below is […]

Contest 2011 October Winners
There were many entries last month for the appetizer. As usual, it was tough selecting the winners. Here are the my top five entries and two top winners from those: 1st Place: Divya (Chaat Bites) 2nd Place: Dipti Joshi (Mushroom Sesame Fingers) Congratulations to both of you!! Thank you to everyone else that also participated […]

Contest October 2011
Appetizers are a great way to share with friends and family during the holidays. Since Diwali festival is coming at the end of the month, I thought it will be nice to make the contest about an appetizer. The rules for October are the following: You may create any kind of appetizer It must be vegetarian […]

Corn Cutlets (Corn Fritters)
Corn Cutlets are a mouthwatering appetizer which can be served as starters for a party or even as an evening snack. Corn Cutlets are crispy outside and soft inside. This is one of those snacks you can serve without any sauce and they taste delicious. They are also gluten free, and vegan.

Crispy Potato Balls (Potato Nuggets)
These bite-sized appetizers are the perfect snack to serve as a tea time snack or starter at a dinner party. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, these potato balls are just what you need to satisfy your taste buds. This recipe is my younger sister Kumkum’s recipe, and I am so glad to be sharing it today.

Dahi Vada
Dahi Vadas are lentil dumplings topped with a spicy savory yogurt and tamarind chutney. These are great as a side dish for a formal dinner or served as a chaat. Dahi vadad are made using wash urad dal or moong dal or with a combination of both dals using different proportions of dal.
