'Starters' ↓

This is prepared in Karnataka, in which instead of steaming they fry it.

They call it by a special name called ‘Karjikaai’; It resembles Samosa but tastewise, it is sweet.

 Photo from Wikipedia

 The Coconut and Cardomom stuffing give it a unique taste. It is prepared during Southern India festivals like Ugadi, Deepavali and Ganesha Chaturthi.

You will need:

• 1 cup wheat Atta[or wheat flour]
• 4 table spoons Ghee
• Salt to taste[a pinch]
• A pinch of cardomom powder
• 1 cup grated coconut
• 3 cups sugar
• Alittle milk
• Raisins

Method:

Mix the flour,salt,and ghee well. add water and make a dough as for chapathis. Keep aside.

Cook the coconut, sugar, milk, raisinsand cardomom powder till dry. This is for the stuffing.

Make balls out of the dough. Roll them into little Rotis, place some stuffing in the centre , fold into semi circles and bind the edges together. You can use the milk for this fopr extra bonding.

Take care to see the edges are closed completely. Otherwise they’ll open in the oil and disintegrate.

Fry till light brown. The end-result should be crispy Karjikai with the sweet coconut layer coated inside.

Serve as a Sunday evening Snack.

Capsicum Sauce

250 gm capsicum - deseeded and finely chopped
4 tbsp oil
1 dsp chilli garlic sauce
1 tbsp grated jaggery
4 tbsp lemon juice

Topping

red, green and yellow capsicum - deseeded and shredded
50 gm tender green beans
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tsp sesame oil
8 roughly chopped spring onions
25 gm unsalted cashew nuts
1 tbsp honey
1 dsp soya sauce

• 350 gm whole mushrooms
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp shredded spring onions
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• 3 shredded green chillies
• 1 tbsp thick tomato puree
• 1 tbsp cream
• 2 tbsp shredded garden herbs

Spinach raita

• 200 ml yoghurt
• 2 tbsp blanched spinach paste
• grated rind 1 lime
• grated nutmeg
• ¼ tsp roasted, ground cumin
• salt and pepper

Stir in tomato puree and cream. Season well and finish with herbs. Serve hot with raita.

To prepare raita, whisk all ingredients together. Season and serve with mushrooms.

This recipe comes from the books of Laxmi Hiremath, an advocate of Indian cuisine in the US. She has written many cookbooks, most of them about Indian vegetarian cooking.
This recipe is a quick snack with ripe fruits. Kiwwi fruit is not commonly available in India, though a few supermarkets stock them. When you do try this recipe you’ll find it refreshingly apt for summer (in India) with the Indian spiciness intact. -:)

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Snacks and Chaats recipes

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For about 8 servings

2 1/2 cups diced (3/4 in.) peeled firm-ripe papaya (about 14 oz.)
2 1/2 cups diced (3/4 in.) peeled firm-ripe kiwi (about 16 oz.)
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
2 fresh red or green jalapeno chilies (1 1/2 oz. total), rinsed, stemmed, and  thinly slivered or minced
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup shelled roasted, salted pistachios
1 teaspoon chaat masala (or freshly ground toasted cumin)
Salt (optional)
1/3 cup sev 
1. In a wide serving bowl, mix papaya, kiwi,onion, chilies, and mint.

2. Gently stir in orange juice, lime juice, and nuts, Sprinkle with chaat masala (if using
cumin, add salt to taste) and sev, if desired.

Instead of the chaat masala Hiremath sprinkles over this salad, you can use ground toasted cumin seeds: stir 1 teaspoon seeds in a frying pan over medium heat until they begin to brown, about 1 minute, then finely grind with a mortar and pestle or whirl in a blender. You can complete step 1 up to 3 hours ahead; cover and chill.

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Snacks and Chaats recipes

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Here’s a nice snack for Brunch or for starters. It is similar to Gobi Manchurian but tastes different.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower 2, medium sized
Curd, 1/2 cup
Lime juice, 3 Tbsp
Chilli powder, 2 tsp
Jeera powder, 1 tsp
Garam masala, 1 tsp
Pepper powder, 1tsp
Corn Flour, 1/4 cup
oil for frying.

Method:

Put the whole cauliflower in cold water with a pinch of salt. After 10 minutes wash again with running water. Seperate into small flowerets. Mix curds or lime juice with the flowerettes along with pepper powder, jeera powder, garam Masala Powder and salt. Mix all of these well. Leave it for about 10 minutes. After about 10 minutes, mix adequate amount of cornflour and fry till golden brown. Serve with Green Chutney or Tomato Sauce.

Roshan,
Indian Food Kitchen
Category: Snacks