The moment we start boiling water to make our evening tea, our taste buds send signals to the brain, asking for crunchy snacks to go with it! Indeed, if we think about it, many of us probably spend more time preparing and purchasing snacks than in cooking the main meals. Life would be very boring without snacks. From evening tea time to rainy afternoons, from after school treats to party snacks, there are snacks for every occasion too!

Nothing describes the winter better than a plate of steaming pakoras, and a hot cup of tea. Winter is the season, when your heart and brain, by default start feeling good, your heart definitely wants just one thing — delicious and mouth-watering food! In order to calm your food craving, I want to list few items that are synonymous with winter.

MIXED LENTIL FRITTERS

Ingredients

¼ cup red lentil, masoor dal

¼ cup yellow lentil, moong dal

¼ cup yellow lentil, khesari dal

½ cup grated onions

4 green chillies, chopped

1 tsp chilli flakes

¼ cup chopped coriander leaves

Salt to taste

Oil for deep fry

Method

Soak the lentils in water for 5-6 hours or until softened. Then wash and drain the water. Put the lentils in a food processor and blend into a semi coarse mixture. Pour the mixture into a bowl together with the rest of the ingredients. Mix until well combined. Heat oil in a pan, fry the fritters in small batches until golden brown. Remove and place them on kitchen paper to absorb the oil. Serve warm!

VEGETABLE EGG ROLL

Ingredients

4 cups cabbage, shredded

1 carrot, shredded

½ cup fresh bean sprouts

½ cup green onions, chopped

2 tbsp chopped onions

3 green chillies, chopped

1 tbsp soy sauce

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp black pepper powder

1 egg, beaten

Corn starch as required

15 egg roll wrappers

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

Method

In a large bowl, mix together cabbage, carrots, sprouts, green onion, green chillies, onion, garlic powder, black pepper powder, and soy sauce. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan. Pour beaten egg into a pan placed over medium heat. Cook flat and thin, flipping once, until done. Remove from pan, cool, and chop finely.

Stir egg into cabbage mixture. Sprinkle top with corn starch, mix and allow it to set for 10 minutes. Mix 1 tablespoon corn starch with 2 tablespoons cold water. Set aside.

Place 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable mixture into the centre of an egg roll skin. Dip a spoon into the corn starch mixture, and moisten all corners of the sheet. Fold the egg roll skin from the bottom over the mixture, making a tight tube of the vegetable mixture. Fold corners in from the sides, and press to stick against folded roll. Then roll the rest of the way. Repeat with remaining egg roll wrappers. Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Carefully place egg rolls into hot oil, and fry until golden brown

Remove to paper towels.

Serve hot with sauce.

GHUGNI

Ingredients

1 cup dried yellow peas, or motor dal

1 medium potato, cut into small cubes

½ cup onions, finely chopped

½ cup tomato, finely chopped

3 fresh green chillies, finely chopped

2 tbsp tamarind pulp

½ tsp garlic paste

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 bay leaf

1 small cinnamon stick

1 green cardamom

2 tbsp mustard oil

2 cups water to cook the dal

2-3 tsp chat masala

Salt and sugar to taste

Method

Soak the dried peas in water for 8 hours or overnight. Wash and drain the dal. Transfer this to pressure cooker, add salt and turmeric powder. Cook until the peas soften and keep aside.

Heat oil until smokes, then lower the flame and add the whole spices. Once they become fragrant add the onions.

When onions turn light brown, add chillies along with ginger-garlic pastes. Fry until their raw smell goes off. Add potatoes and stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Next add all the spices powder, salt, sugar and little water. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then add the tomatoes and wait until soften.

Pour cooked yellow peas, tamarind paste and mix well. Add ¾ cup of water and cook on medium heat for 6-7 minutes. Turn the flame off and add the chat masala. Let it sit covered for 5 minutes.

Serve ghugni with some chopped chillies, onions, and coriander leaves.

KEEMA ALOO SINGARA

Ingredients

500g beef/mutton mince

2 boiled potatoes, cut into small cubes

2 cups refined flour

1 tsp ginger paste

½ tsp garlic paste

½ tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp red chilli powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

¼ cup chopped onion

3 chopped green chillies

½ tsp garam masala powder

Salt to taste

1 tbsp oil for staffing

4 tbsp ghee

Oil for deep fry

Method

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds. When they begin to change colour, add ginger-garlic paste. Fry for few seconds. Add meat mince, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, and salt. Mix well and stir. Cook for 7-8 minutes. Add boiled potatoes, onions and chopped green chillies. Fry for few minutes and remove from heat. Allow it to cool completely. Now combine refined flour, salt, and ghee in a bowl.

Add sufficient water and knead into a stiff dough. Divide the dough into small portions, shape them into balls. Roll out each ball into oval shaped puri and halve each. Dampen the edges of each halved puris with water and shape into a cone, stuff with some of the meat potato mixture and seal the edges to make singara. Heat oil in a pan. Fry the singara on low flame until brown and crisp. Arrange on a serving platter and serve hot.

KHAJA

Ingredients

1 cup flour

2 tbsp ghee

¼ cup water

Oil for deep fry

For sugar syrup —

1½ cup sugar

½ cup water

¼ tsp cardamom powder

1 tsp lemon juice

Method

Firstly, in a large bowl take flour and ghee. Crumble and mix well, making the flour moist. Now add ¼ cup water and knead smooth and soft dough. Grease the dough with oil. Cover and rest for 15 minutes. Dust the dough with flour and roll with the rolling pin.

 Roll as thin as possible making sure to dust flour as required.

 Cut the sides forming a large rectangle/square. Start to roll tightly from one side. Dust flour on each roll to prevent layers from sticking to each other. Roll the cylinder tight to remove any air gaps, if present. Cut it into 1 inch pieces and slightly flatten. Keep aside.

 Boil water and sugar for making sugar syrup. Add lemon juice and cardamom powder. Cook for few minutes. Heat oil in a pan. Fry the khaja on low medium flame till they turn crispy and golden in colour. Immediately drop the fried khaja into the warm sugar syrup. Soak them in the syrup for 3-4 minutes. Finally, serve khaja or store in an airtight container for 10-15 days.

Photo: LS Archive/Sazzad Ibne Sayed