Creamy Veg Balls

Hellooo, it is very hot in bahrain now. The cooking part is tough these days because of the heat. But still tummy rumbles for some yummy snacks once a while. This happened on one such day. This appetizer/snack is made of white sauce and vegetables. You can include veggies of your choice/chicken/mushroom.  Serve hot :)

Ingredients

• Butter - 2 tsp (unsalted)
• Olive oil - 1 tsp
• Maida - 1 tbsp
• Milk - 1 cup
• Onion - 1 medium (chopped)
• Carrot - 1 medium (chopped) see Note
• Green peas - 1 handful (frozen)
• Pepper powder - 1 tsp (or as per your spice level)
• Salt to taste
• Egg white - 1 (OR) corn flour - 2 tsp 
• Bread crumbs - as required for coating

Method

• Cook the carrot and green peas adding little salt. (You can use veggies of your choice like mushroom, corn etc.)
• To make white sauce heat butter and olive oil in a kadai.
• Add maida and stir it for 10 seconds.
• Don't let it burn. Add milk and stir very quickly so that it doesn't form lumps. 
• Let it simmer and thicken.
• Add salt to taste and pepper powder. (Be careful to add salt as required as you're cooking vegetables with salt.)
• Switch off the flame. 
• Add chopped onion, cooked carrot and green peas. Mix well.  see Note
• If the mix seems loose, switch on the flame and thicken it so that u can take scoops of it. 
• Switch off the flame.
• Put bread crumbs in a plate. 
• Keep beaten egg white/loose cornflour paste (add 1/2 cup water to cornflour and make a paste) ready
• Take a scoop of the veg mix and put in crumbs. 
• Roll in bread crumbs. 
• Dip the roll in egg white/cornflour paste
• Again roll in bread crumbs
• Deep fry in oil. 

Note

If using chicken, cook it boneless with salt and pepper. Shred and mix in white sauce along with vegetables
If you want it more rich add grated cheese while mixing vegetables. 

You don't need any sauce to enjoy this  :)

Paneer Gujiya/samosa

It was our son's birthday on friday. So had a small snack party at home. This is one of the snacks. It is a very quick and easy to make mildly sweet samosa. You can increase the amount of sugar and add nuts, tutty frutties as your wish. I had earlier tried this recipe as pinwheels. You can prepare this and freeze it. Fry it when you've surprise guests.

 Ingredients

1. Paneer - 15 small cubes
2. Sugar - 3 tbsp
3. Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
4. Cashew nuts - 6 nos. (chopped)
5. Raisins - a few (chopped)
6. Vanilla essence - 1/4 tsp
7. Maida (all purpose flour)/Atta - 1 cup
8. Oil for deep frying
9. Butter - 2 tsp
10. Salt - 2 pinches
11. Water required to make dough

Method

• Mix together maida, salt and melted butter. Add enough water to make a non-sticky dough.
• Crumble paneer well
• Mix together all ingredients from 2 to 6 very thoroughly.
• Roll out the dough into small circles (poori size)
• Put a spoon full of paneer filling in it and fold over into a half moon. Lock the sides. Give designs with fork. I used a mould to make this. (You get different moulds in market) (At this stage you can freeze it and fry as required)

• Heat 1/2 cup oil in thick bottomed vessel
• Deep fry until golden brown. 

Other things in my snack list were

Chicken rolls

Noodle balls

Puff pastry cups

 and the Marble cake

Sweet Paneer Snack

This is a very quick and mildly sweet snack which your kids will love. I was thinking of my friend's daughter while I made this. So for this time it is for Krisha who is choosy and makes her mom run after her with food. I hope this would tickle her tastebuds.

Ingredients

1. Paneer pieces - 15 cubes
2. Bread - 2 slices
3. Sugar - 2 tsp
4. Cardamom - 3 pods
5. Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
6. Egg white - 1
7. Raisins - a few (optional)
8. Cashews - a few (optional)
9. Oil for frying

Method

• Crumble paneer and bread slices. 
• Beat egg white with a fork.
• Take the seeds from cardamom.  
• Mix together all ingredients from crumbled paneer, bread, sugar, cardamom seeds, grated coconut, beaten egg white, raisins & cashewnuts and combine them well with hand applying little pressure.
• Make small balls out of it.
• Heat oil in deep vessel.
• When it is hot fry the balls until golden brown. 

Homemade Paneer Puffs

It is long weekend this time (all together 4 days)here in bahrain. And so the request for snacks and special foods will be more too. I tried these quick and easy paneer filling to make paneer puffs. I had earlier made puff pastry sheets and kept it in freezer. So it was easy to take it, thaw and bake. You can use this filling to make paneer samosa or paneer dosa. We love paneer and love to add it in anything. You can also add green peas or capsicum to the filling. You can buy puff pastry sheets from super markets. So don't hesitate to try this simple yet yummy puffs.

 Ingredients

• Puff pastry sheets - 3 (cut each into 2 to get 6 sheets)
• Paneer - 15 cubes
• Ginger - a small piece (chopped)
• Onion - 1 big
• Tomato - 1/2 of one
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Coriander leaves - a little (chopped)
• Egg (for egg wash)
• Oil 

Method
I made those puff pastry sheets at home and took the recipe from Julie's Erivum Puliyum.

Filling

• Thaw your paneer and crumble it.
• Heat a pan 
• Add little oil
• Add chopped onion and ginger
• Saute until it turns pink and transparent
• Add the chilli and turmeric powders. Saute until the raw smell goes.
• Add chopped tomato and crumbled paneer. Add salt to taste.
• Saute, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
• After 5 minutes switch off the flame and add chopped coriander leaves. 

Baking

• Thaw your puff pastry sheets.
• Allow your filling to cool. 
• Put the filling in the sheet and fold into preferred shape. 
• Preheat your oven at 200 degree centigrade.
• Keep the filled puff pastries in a baking dish.
• Beat one egg well and brush it over the filled pastries.
• Keep in oven and bake for 20 minutes are 200 degree centigrade. 

Cauliflower Fritters/Pakoras

Cauliflowers are mostly kid's favourite. I love making fritters of it and my family enjoys it as a snack. This time I added a little hand-broken coriander leaves which really upgraded the taste. Try these crunchy fritters with tea. Have a happy weekend

You need

1. Cauliflower - 1 small
2. Ginger - 1 small piece (chopped)
3. Chilli powder - 3 tsp 
4. Asafoetida - 1 pinch
5. Coriander leaves - 1/2 bunch (handbroken)
6. Salt to taste
7. Wheat flour - 1 cup
8. Water - as required
9. Oil for frying

Method

• Clean and wash cauliflower well and separate the florets (dry it well on a tissue). 
• In a bowl mix together ingredients 2 to 7 adding enough water to get a thick batter.
• Heat oil in a thick bottomed vessel
• When the oil becomes hot dip each floret in batter and deep fry in oil.  (or you can mix all florets in batter and scoop it into hot oil)
• Serve warm with your favourite sauce and tea

Pasta Fritters/Pakoras

Enjoy these spicy pakoras on a rainy day. I had to imagine a rainy day and have it here in bahrain. But still it made my day. 

You need

1. Any pasta - 1 cup
2. Chilli powder - 2 tsp
3. Besan - 1 cup (+ 1/2 cup if required)
4. Ginger - 1 small piece (chopped)
5. Asafoetida - 1 pinch
6. Salt to taste
7. Water as required
8. Oil for deep frying

  

Method

• Cook the pasta and allow it to cool. (Put the pasta in boiling water along with salt and little oil. Allow it to cook until done. Drain the water and pour cold water into it. Add a tsp of oil and mix well so the pasta pieces don't stick together. Keep aside)
• In a bowl mix together ingredients 2 to 7 (remember you've cooked pasta with salt)
• Mix the pasta into the above batter. If required add more besan. 
• Heat oil in a vessel and put scoops of batter mixed pasta.
• Deep fry and serve

Uzhunnu vada/Medu vada

These are the uzhunnu vadas without a hole. :) I don't think anyone can imagine a uzhunnu vada without the hole. But believe me I tried really really hard to get a hole in the middle of the vada, but it adamant that it won't form. There was no problem with batter. It was thick. The only reason is my hands are not so artistic enough to make holes. So finally I scooped batter and deep fried in oil. The taste was the same but the shape was different. Serve these crunchy uzhunnu vadas with coconut chutney. Enjoy your teatime.

Vada
Ingredients

1. Urid dal - 1 cup
2. Green chilli - 2
3. Shallots - 4 to 5
4. Ginger - 1 small piece
5. Salt to taste

Method

• Soak the urid dal in water for 2 hours
• After soaking put all ingredients in small jar of mixer and grind it to a smooth paste. (There is no need to add water. If you require little water to grind, then add a tbsp rice flour to batter to soak it up).
• Heat oil in a vessel
• When oil becomes very hot, put a scoop of the vada batter into oil and deep fry till golden brown.

For chutney
Ingredients

1. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
2. Green chilli - 2 (chopped)
3. Ginger - a small piece (chopped)
4. Shallots - 2 (chopped)
5. Water for grinding
6. Salt to taste

Method

• Grind together all ingredients in a mixie to get a smooth paste.
• Serve with hot vadas

Bread Ball Snack

Try these yummy bread snack with hot tea. I promise, you won't stop munching. :-)

You need

• Bread slices - 4
• Egg - 1
• Ginger - 1 tiny piece chopped (1/2 tsp)
• Onion - 1 small chopped
• Green chilli - 1 chopped
• Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp (chopped)
• Salt to taste

Method

• Crumble bread well and mix with rest of the ingredients. Better to use your hand to mix them well
• Make small balls of this mix and fry in oil.
• Serve with your favourite chutney or sauce

Puff Pastry Cups

Earlier I had tried making cups with breads (check bread cups), this time I've used puff pastry to make these small tiny cups. It came out really cute. Actually these puff pastries were low fat ones and had broken due to long time in refrigerator. I didn't have another option than making putting it in cupcake tray and making it small cups. You can make the filling of your choice. I've tried a spicy veg filling here. The combination was very tasty.

You need

• Puff pastry - 3

For filling

• Frozen vegetables - 1/2 cup (you can use fresh ones. dice the vegetables)
• Onion - 1 medium
• Garlic - 1 clove
• Tomato - 1 medium
• Oregano - 1/2 tsp
• Steak sauce - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Oil for sauteeing

Method

• Thaw the pastry sheets. Cut each one into four squares and line the cupcake holes.
• Puree the tomato and keep aside
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add chopped garlic. Saute
• Add chopped onion and saute until pink and transparent.
• To this add red chilli powder and oregano.
• Saute for a few seconds and add pureed tomato. Let it cook until all juices dry up.
• Now add the thawed vegetables, add steak sauce and salt to taste
• Mix well, cover and cook. 
• Once the vegetables are cooked, allow it to cool. 
• Spoon into the pastry cups in the tray. 
• You can top it with cheese if you like
• Bake in a preheated oven at 150 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until done. 

Stuffed Mini Buns

It is yet another weekend. Hope you all must've planned for a great weekend. Yesterday I made these small buns in cupcake tray. Hence got a lovely shape. I've stuffed it with sausage, jam and cheese. It is easy to make but a bit time consuming as you've to wait for the dough to raise and become double. Kids will surely love this tiny-mini buns. I've used a mix of wheat flour and maida to make it. Do try. 

You need

• Maida - 1 cup
• Atta - 1 cup
• Yeast - 1 tsp
• Milk - 1/2 cup
• Water - 1/2 cup
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt as required
• Sugar - 1 tsp

Method

• In a glass, put sugar and yeast and add 1/4 cup of lukewarm milk. Stir, cover and leave undisturbed for 5-10 minutes. 
• Sieve together atta and maida. Add salt 
• Mix together the remaining milk with water.
• Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour the fermented yeast.
• Add oil and knead. Add milk-water duo little by little until you get a not too sticky dough. 
• Keep it covered for 1 hour. It will double in volume. 
• By this time prepare the filling of your choice. 
• I've used a sausage pepper stir fry, jam and cheddar cheese.
• The fillings should be really cool before you stuff in. 
• When the dough has doubled in volume, punch it down.
• Make small lemon size balls out of it, make a hole it in center
• Place your favourite filling in it and cover well. 
• Put each ball in each space in cupcake tray.
• Brush with milk or egg. Cover the tray with foil
• Leave it for another 20 minutes. It will raise again.
• Preheat your oven and bake them at 150-160 degrees centigrade for 15-20 minutes.

Sweet Paneer Pinwheels

Puff pastries are so versatile. You can make so many yummies with them. This one also was a small trial and came out well. I made a sweet filling with paneer. You can use the same filling to make sweet spring rolls. Loved it.

You need

1. Puff pastry - 4 
2. Paneer - 15 small cubes
3. Sugar - 3 tbsp
4. Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
5. Cashew nuts - 6 nos. (chopped)
6. Raisins - a few (chopped)
7. Vanilla essence - 1/4 tsp

Method

• Crumble paneer well
• Mix together all ingredients from 2 to 7 very thoroughly.
• Thaw the puff pastries. Press together 2 pastries at one end to get a lengthy one. (Now you'll have a lengthy rectangle shaped pastry)
• Lay it flat on a plate and spread the above mix on it. 
• Start rolling from the smaller side of the rectangle. Roll it away from you into a big spiral. Paste the
• Slice this long spiral into small 1/2 inch sections 
• Lay them on a baking sheet and brush with egg/milk
• Bake at 150 degrees for 20-25 minutes

Bread cups with filling

At times I think we should be named "snack family". Everyday we need something to munch on in the evening. So this is today's teatime snack. It is quite easy to make. Bread cups will be ready in 10 minutes. If you want to make a quick filling, try making a scrambled egg. You can make the filling of your choice. Do try. Have a great weekend. 

You need

• Bread slices - as required
• Oil for brushing

For filling

• Frozen vegetables - 1 cup
• Boneless chicken - 1/2 cup
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Tomato sauce - 2 tsp
• Soya sauce - 1 tsp
• Garlic - 1 clove
• Salt as required
• Oil for sauteeing

Method

• Cut circles out of the bread slices.
• Brush some oil on both sides of bread circle and put it in a muffin hole
• Bake at 150 degree celsius for 10 minutes. Your cups are ready

For the filling

• Cook boneless chicken and tear into small pieces
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add chopped garlic. When it turns light brown, add the thawed vegetables and cooked chicken pieces
• Cover and cook for 2 minutes.
• After 2 minutes add chilli powder and pepper powder. Saute. 
• Add tomato sauce and soya sauce. Saute again
• Add salt as required (remember soya sauce contains salt)
• Stir fry for a few minutes until dry

Allow the filling to cool a bit before spooning into the bread cups. It is a yummy starter or a great snack after school.

Paneer Spring Rolls

Spring rolls are one of our favourite snacks. My husband always want something when he is back from office. This is one in "hit list". This filling is super easy to make. I've made the crepes myself. Instead you can use the spring roll pastry found in super market. That makes it even easier. You just've to thaw it and roll with filling. We prefer these crepes than the pastry ones. This one is more tasty and filling. You can put it in your little one's lunch box too as a healthy filling meal.

You need

• Oil for frying

For making Crepes

• Egg - 1
• Maida (All purpose flour) - 1/2 cup
• Corn flour - 1/2 cup
• Water/Milk  as required
• Salt to taste

For paneer filling

• Paneer cubes - 50 gms
• Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp (Increase if you want it more spicy)
• Coconut powder/Grated coconut - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste

Method

• In a bowl mix together all ingredients for the paneer filling. Combine well with your fingers. Keep aside. 
• Mix together the flours, beaten egg and salt.
• Add milk/water to above as required to get a very loose batter (watery batter).
• Heat tawa and put it on low flame.
• When warm pour a ladle of loose batter on to tawa. 
• Rotate the tawa in circular motion so you get a big crepe and let it cook 
• Remove the crepe from tawa when one side is cooked. 
• Put it on a wide plate. Put some paneer filling to one side of the crepe
• Fold the right and left sides of the crepe over filling, then lift up the wide end nearest to you and put it over. Roll to the other end. Secure the roll by using a little all purpose flour paste and paste it tight. 
• Repeat to make crepes and roll with filling. Make sure you make thin crepes. 
• You can fry this in oil until golden brown. Serve warm with tomato sauce. 

Idiappam Surprise

This is a leftover surprise with Idiappams which is a usual breakfast in Kerala and Tamil nadu. If you've some idiappams left after the breakfast you can easily make this as a snack for kids after school or as dinner. It is very tasty. Do try.

You need

• Idiappam - 8
• Mustard seed - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger - 1 small piece (chopped)
• Onion - 1 chopped
• Green chilli - 2
• Egg - 2
• Coriander leaves - 1 bunch
• Salt to taste
• Oil for sauteing

Method

• Crumble idiappams and keep aside
• Beat the eggs, add little salt and keep aside
• Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds
• Once it splutters add chopped ginger, green chilli and onion. Add salt and saute
• When onion turns pink add the small pieces of hand broken coriander leaves (don't chop)
• Saute for a minute. Add beaten egg and saute again well until it becomes semi dry. 
• Add the crumbled idiappam and saute until dry. 
• Serve hot.