Hors d'oeuvre / Appetizers - Vinaya's Culinary Delights

Raw banana cutlets.

Posted on June 24, 2024 by vinayaprabhu2

Easy to make and delicious are these raw banana cutlets which can be either deep fried or shallow fried. Deep frying is definitely more tastier, but for the health conscious, air frying and shallow frying work equally well.

Ingredients:

2 raw bananas

1 onion finely chopped

1/2 tsp garam masala

1 inch piece of ginger

8 small garlic cloves

7 green chillies

Juice of half a lemon or 1 tsp Amchur powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

4 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tbsps oil

4 tbsps Besan/ chickpea flour

Semolina for dusting

Oil for frying

Salt

Method:

Boil the banana along with it’s skin till done. Remove the skin and mash it well. Keep aside. Make a coarse paste of the ginger , garlic and garlic and green chillies. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and once they splutter add the onions and the ginger, garlic and green chilly paste. Saute till the raw smell disappears and then add the turmeric , garam masala and besan. Roast for a couple of minutes. Add the salt and mix thoroughly. Drop in this mixture into the mashed banana. Add the lemon juice and coriander leaves. Mix thoroughly. Pinch balls of this mixture and shape into cutlets. Dust them with semolina and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan. Gently drop the cutlets two or three at a time and fry them on a medium flame till crisp. Drain and place on a tissue. Serve hot with coriander,mint chutney or ketchup.

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Tandoori Gobhi.

Posted on January 27, 2023January 27, 2023 by vinayaprabhu2

Tandoori cooking is a popular method of cooking in a tandoor or a clay oven which is fed with fire wood. Today smaller versions of the tandoor made of steel are available which are convenient to use and space friendly.

A “Tandoori recipe” typically describes dishes containing meat or vegetables that are marinated in yoghurt and spices. You can cook them in an authentic tandoor which you will find in most homes in Northern India or mimic the method at home using an oven.

Ingredients:

20 cauliflower florets

Salt

Boiling water to blanch the cauliflower.

Ingredients for the Marinade:

1 Cup curds/ yoghurt

1 tsp ginger, garlic paste

½ tsp roasted cumin powder

1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder

1 tsp Amchur

1 tbsp Kasuri Methi

½ tsp Shahi Garam masala

2 tbsps oil

Salt .

Method:

Clean, wash and cut the cauliflower into bite size florets.
Boil water in a pan with salt. Add the cauliflower florets in the boiling water and cook for five minutes and blanch them.
Drain the water and transfer the florets on to a strainer. Allow them to cool.
In a bowl combine all the ingredients for the marinade. Whisk well to form a smooth, lump-free marinade.
Add the cauliflower florets to the marinade. Mix thoroughly so that each piece is coated evenly with the marinade.
Marinate the cauliflower florets for a minimum of one hour . I prefer marinating them for about four hours . Preheat oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a baking tray with a teaspoon of oil. Arrange the cauliflower florets on the greased tray. Bake for twenty five minutes or till they turn brown and crisp. You can even roast them on a tava/ griddle. Drizzle about two tablespoons of oil and grease the tava all over. Place the cauliflower and allow to roast. Keep flipping gently till all the pieces are evenly browned and crisp. Serve Tandoori Gobi with green chutney.

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Aloo Tikki.

Posted on January 18, 2023January 18, 2023 by vinayaprabhu2

Aloo tikki is a golden fried-potato patty that is stuffed either with peas or dal and served with a variety of spicy chutneys and sometimes chickpeas or just a potato patty that has spices added to it before being fried to a crisp.

Ingredients:

9 potatoes pressure cooked

5 green chillies

2 inch piece of ginger grated

5 cloves of garlic

3 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves

Salt

Bread crumbs

Oil to roast the tikkis.

Method:

Peel the boiled potatoes and grate them. Make a paste of the green chillies, ginger and garlic.

To the grated potatoes add the ginger, garlic, green chilly paste, finely chopped coriander leaves and salt. Mix everything really well and knead it. Shape into tikkis, roll them into bread crumbs and keep them aside.

Heat a tava/ griddle. Drizzle some oil on it and spread it evenly. Now place as many tikkis as possible on the pan. Drizzle them with oil. Let the tikkis roast till they get golden brown in color. Then flip and roast the other side as well. Transfer the tikkis to a plate and serve hot with tamarind and mint chutney.

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Pull apart Bun

Posted on December 28, 2022December 28, 2022 by vinayaprabhu2

Try this pull apart Bun when in a hurry to make a quick and delicious snack. This can double up for dinner as well with a bowl of hot soup. The ingredients used are all those which one finds in most households.. I prefer buying fresh ready made burger buns for a quick snack.

Ingredients:

Burger buns

Tomato, onion, green bell pepper finely chopped (all in equal quantities)

Boiled sweet corn as per requirement

Grated mozzarella or processed cheese

Amul or any salted butter

Finely grated garlic

Mixed herbs, oregano, chilly flakes and salt

Finely chopped coriander leaves.

Method:

Make cuts on the burger bun horizontally and vertically keeping a distance of 3/4 of an inch taking care to keep the base intact.

Melt the butter and add the grated garlic, a sprinkling of mixed herbs, oregano and chilly flakes to it. Tip in the chopped coriander leaves, mix and keep aside. Your garlic butter is ready.

Drop the finely chopped vegetables in a bowl. Add the sweet corn, grated cheese, chilly flakes, oregano, mixed herbs and a pinch of salt. Mix and keep aside.

Brush the melted butter generously in between the slits made in the burger bun. Fill it up with the vegetable mixture and again brush the bun with the garlic butter on top.

Bake in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees for five to six minutes or till you see the cheese melt. Alternatively you can even bake it in an aluminium kadhai/pan or pressure cooker. Just line the base with salt. Heat the cooker or kadhai for five minutes. Place a trivet. On it place the bun on a baking dish or any aluminium plate. Cover with lid and bake on medium flame for seven minutes or till you see the cheese melt. Remove and serve hot with tomato ketchup or a cheesy dip.

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Grilled Pineapple.

Posted on December 14, 2022December 14, 2022 by vinayaprabhu2

A delicious, sweet, spicy and tangy starter which the children and adults just love!

You can cut the pineapple into wedges or slice them thin as I have done. They can be grilled or pan fried. Make sure that they sit in the marinade for atleast half an hour.

Ingredients:

One pineapple de skinned and cut into slices or wedges.

Salt

Sugar

Chilly flakes

Butter

Honey

Method:

Tip the sugar, salt, chilly flakes and honey into a bowl. Drop in the sliced pineapple, mix well and refrigerate for atleast half an hour. Pan fry or grill them to a golden brown after basting them with butter. Serve hot

The amount of the ingredients to be used in the marinade is totally one’s choice. Some may like it extremely sweet whereas some may like it on the spicier side. I prefer mine without sugar as honey is included in the marinade.

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Crackling spinach.

Posted on December 3, 2022December 3, 2022 by vinayaprabhu2

A delicious starter served at get togethers and parties, the crackling spinach is still a hot favourite with young and old alike. If you wish to avoid frying you may air fry it but the taste differs. Eating in moderation is the answer to such preparations..

Ingredients:

2 bunches of spinach

Toasted sesame seeds

Chilly flakes

Salt

Sugar

Oil for frying.

Method:

Discard the stems of the spinach. Wash it well and pat dry. Chop finely and spread it out on a kitchen towel to dry completely. Dry roast the sesame seeds till they start popping. Remove from heat and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan. Deep fry the spinach in small batches on a high flame till it is crisp. Drain and put it on a kitchen towel to remove excess oil. Once all the spinach is fried put it in a bowl. Drop in the toasted sesame seeds, chilly flakes a pinch of salt and powdered or castor sugar. Mix thoroughly and serve.

Note:

I have not mentioned the quantities of sugar, salt, chilly flakes and toasted sesame seeds as it is an individual choice to add as per requirement.

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Vegetable and cheese grilled sandwich

Posted on September 19, 2022September 19, 2022 by vinayaprabhu2

This vegetable and cheese grilled sandwich is one of the most popular amongst the variety of sandwiches in Mumbai.

Every nook and corner of Mumbai has a handcart selling these and the regular vegetable sandwiches, with a spicy green chutney slathered on for good measure. Loaded with a variety of vegetables and toasted to perfection, it will remain the Mumbaikars favourite street food.

It is the fragrant coriander and mint chutney which adds flavour to this sandwich. Recipe given in the link below.

https://vinayasculinarydelights.com/all-purpose-chutney-recipe/

Ingredients:

A loaf of sandwich bread

All purpose chutney

Boiled potatoes, peeled and sliced

Cucumber peeled and sliced

Tomatoes sliced

Onions sliced thin

Beetroot boiled, peeled and sliced

Sandwich or chat masala

Cheese singles

Amul butter

Method:

Apply butter on both sides of two slices of bread. Spread chutney on one side of the buttered slices. Top one of them with the slices of vegetables mentioned above. Sprinkle with Chat masala and place a cheese single over them. Cover this with the other slice. Place this sandwich in a grill or in a hand held toaster and grill to a deep golden brown. Serve with tomato ketchup.

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Beetroot pockets.

Posted on September 17, 2022September 17, 2022 by vinayaprabhu2

Pretty looking beetroot pockets to make the children eat their veggies without a murmur. These are nothing but Momos or dim sums with beetroot puree added to the dough. The easiest and regular way of stuffing momos is by rolling out a poori, placing the filling in the centre, folding the dough into pleats and shaping it into a pouch.

Peel and chop a beetroot. Puree it and sieve it. Add it to the dough while kneading it.. the recipe link below gives you the exact measurements to make the dough and the filling.

https://vinayasculinarydelights.com/dim-sums-or-momos/

To shape pockets:

Roll out the poori. Place the filling in the centre. Pleat one half of the poori and press it tightly on the unpleated side. Bring the two ends together and press them on the centre of the dim sum to form a pocket. Similarly finish off with the remaining dough. Steam them in the manner mentioned in the recipe link given above.

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Paneer and Bell pepper stir fry-2

Posted on September 5, 2022September 5, 2022 by vinayaprabhu2

This particular dish of Paneer with Bell pepper is a family favourite… There are two other starters with Paneer in this website, but this continues to be an all time favourite… The tangy, sweet and spicy flavours make it a winner all the way.

Ingredients:

300 gms Paneer cubed into bite sized pieces

1/2 each of a green, red and yellow Bell pepper sliced into thin strips

2 large onions sliced into petals

100 gms sweet corn boiled

15 cloves of garlic finely chopped

2 inch piece of ginger grated

Schezwan sauce and tomato ketchup as required

1tsp pepper

Salt

3 tbsps Corn flour to dust.

Oil for frying

2tbsps Amul butter .

Method:

Sprinkle salt, pepper and corn flour on the paneer cubes and marinate it for fifteen minutes. Deep fry to a golden yellow. Drain and keep aside. Heat the butter in a pan. Add the chopped garlic and ginger and saute till the garlic turns golden brown. Add the onions and bell pepper and keep sauteing on a high flame till the onions turn translucent but the Bell peppers retain their crunch. Add the boiled corn and paneer. Add the Schezwan and tomato sauce as per your taste. Here I used around two tablespoons of both the sauces.. Mix well and serve immediately.

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Mayonnaise and vegetables sandwich.

Posted on May 3, 2022May 3, 2022 by vinayaprabhu2

An absolutely delicious option which is ideal for summers, this mayonnaise and vegetables sandwich is not just filling but enjoyed by young and old alike. Serve it at parties, get togethers or as a quick snack as they are extremely easy to make.

Ingredients:

One loaf of bread

Butter

Equal quantities of the following vegetables finely chopped:

Cucumber

Tomato

Onion

Capsicum/ Bell pepper

Grated carrot

Pepper powder

Eggless mayonnaise

Salt

Method:

Trim the edges of the slices of bread. Use the discarded edges to make bread crumbs. Butter the slices and keep aside. Tip in the chopped vegetables and grated carrot into a bowl. Refrigerate for an hour. Drop in mayonnaise, and pepper as per preference. Mix thoroughly. Add salt, mix and apply the mixture on the buttered side of the slice. Cover it with another slice of buttered bread, cut into triangles and serve immediately.

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