Snacks & Finger Foods - Vinaya's Culinary Delights

Spinach, cheese and corn grilled sandwich.

Posted on March 20, 2022March 20, 2022 by vinayaprabhu2

A healthy, delicious and filling preparation, the spinach, cheese and corn grilled sandwich is a hit with young and old alike. I usually prepare the filling beforehand when I am expecting guests as all it requires is for it to be grilled.

Ingredients:

Brown bread or any Sandwich bread

250 gms or one bunch Palak/ spinach washed and finely chopped( please discard the stems)

250 gms corn kernels par boiled

1 tbsp each of Chilly flakes, mixed herbs and pepper powder

Salt as required

2 tbsps APF/ maida

250 ml or one large glass milk

Mozzarella cheese grated / 3 cubes of processed cheese. I used Amul cheese cubes.

2 tbsps of butter

12 garlic cloves finely chopped

Cheese singles/ slices of cheese

Method:

Heat the butter in a pan. Add the minced garlic and roast to a golden yellow. Drop in the chopped spinach, par boiled corn and saute till the spinach wilts. Add the maida and roast for a couple of minutes. Drop in the salt, chilly flakes, mixed herbs and pepper powder. Toss for a few seconds and then pour in the milk. Bring to a boil and add the cheese. Cook till it comes to a semi solid consistency. Keep aside. Butter the slices of bread only on one side. Place them in the grill or on a tava, buttered side down. Place a cheese single/ slice and two or three tbsps filling over the slice and cover it with another slice of bread, buttered side up. Grill till done. The same goes for those using the tava/ skillet as I did. The bread should be toasted to a crisp. Cut and serve with tomato ketchup or a Thousand Island dressing.

This quantity makes 10 – 12 sandwiches.

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Garlic bread toast

Posted on October 5, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

This is one of the most delicious ways of serving a toasted sandwich . Easy to make and one which children and adults will simply love! You can also serve it as a hors d’oeuvres or as a snack with tea.

Ingredients:

10 slices of bread

5 tbsps of butter

5 cloves of garlic grated

1 tsp chilly flakes

1 tsp mixed herbs

1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

For the filling:

100 gms sweet corn pressure cooked

5 slices of cheese

Salt, pepper to taste

Method:

Combine the butter, mixed herbs, chilly flakes and grated garlic. Season with salt and mix thoroughly. Apply it on both sides of the slice and toast one side well. Place the toasted side facing upwards and spread the corn mixture. Place a slice of cheese and cover it with another slice with the untoasted side facing upwards. Roast both sides on a gentle to medium flame till the cheese melts and the slice is brown and crisp. The aroma of the garlic getting roasted is irresistible. Remove, cut into triangles and serve with tomato ketchup.

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Chapati Pizza

Posted on August 25, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

Here is an easy to make pizza recipe which the children are sure to love. You can add toppings of your choice. The sauce and cheese too can be adjusted as per preference.

I was left with four Chapatis which I had prepared for dinner last night.
Rummaged through the fridge and found half each of a red, green and yellow capsicum. Chopped them up along with some onions and fresh home grown basil. Roasted the Chapatis on a tava/ skillet to a crisp, spread some Pizza sauce, topped them with the veggies and grated some Mozzarella cheese over them. Into the oven….and it’s ready in ten minutes….

Chapati/Roti/Flattened Bread Recipe

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Potato Patties

Posted on March 7, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

The family is ever so fond of potato and needless to say, I always try out a recipe where it is the main ingredient. Boiled, mashed, roasted, baked or even fried, anything made with potatoes is an utter delight. When my friend Mamta Kamath shared her version of potato Patties with me, I lost no time in making it.

Ingredients:

8 medium sized potatoes pressure cooked, peeled and mashed

5 slices of bread

7 green chillies

7 cloves of garlic

2 inch piece of ginger

1 large onion finely chopped

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

Juice of half a lemon

3 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves

Salt

Oil to roast the Patties

Method:

Tip the mashed potatoes into a bowl. Grind the garlic, ginger and green chillies to a semi coarse paste. Tip it into the mashed potatoes. Dip the slices of bread into water, squeeze and crumble it. Add it to the mash. Add the turmeric powder, salt, lemon juice, finely chopped onions and coriander leaves. Mix thoroughly . Pinch balls of this mixture and shape into a Patties. Heat a tava/ skillet. Drizzle with oil. Spread it evenly all over the skillet. Place the Patties and drizzle some oil on top. Allow them to roast to a golden brown. . Flip. Roast the other side as well. Serve hot with tomato ketchup and mint chutney.

This proportion makes 12 Patties.

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Spicy Puffed rice

Posted on February 6, 2021February 6, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

This snack is ideal for the weight watchers. Puffed rice roasted to a crisp, spiced with a few green chillies and Kashmiri chilly powder. Groundnuts too for that extra crunch , curry leaves and hing/ asafoetida for flavour. Add finely chopped onions, tomatoes ,coriander leaves and a little lemon juice and your Sookha Bhel is ready. , Thank-you so much dear Girija Vishnu Vardhan for the delicious, easy to make recipe.

Ingredients:

5 cups of Kurmura/ puffed rice

Salt

1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilly powder

For the tempering:

5 tsps oil

1 tsp mustard

5 tbsps Peanuts

A big pinch of Hing/ asafoetida

3 sprigs curry leaves

2 green chillies finely chopped

Method:

Heat oil in a pan. Drop in the mustard seeds and after they splutter, add the peanuts and toss for a minute. Drop in the green chillies, curry leaves and Hing. Toss and add the puffed rice, Kashmiri chilly powder and salt. Mix thoroughly and roast on a very gentle flame till crisp. Store in an airtight container after it’s thoroughly cooled.

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Roasted FoxNuts/ Phool Makhana

Posted on February 1, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

These are nothing but puffed lotus seeds or fox nuts. They are the simplest snack to prepare when one is hungry. Highly nutritive and extremely delicious.

Why is it so easy to make?
Most of the hard work for this dish is done by the people collecting the lotus seeds in Bihar and some parts of Northern India. First is the laborious process of collection of seeds. Next they are cleaned and stored. Post this is gradation and getting the white puff at a certain temperature. That’s the reason for it being a little pricey.

Ingredients:

50 gms Phool Makhana

2 tbsps Ghee/ clarified butter

Pepper and salt as required

Method:

Heat the ghee in a pan Drop in the Phool Makhana and sprinkle the pepper and salt. Keep roasting on a very gentle flame till they are crisp. Takes just five minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container.

This portion serves three.

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Diwali Special

Posted on November 14, 2020December 6, 2020 by vinayaprabhu2

Diwali the festival of lights sees a burst of activity in Indian households. The household is thoroughly cleaned and a variety of sweets and savouries are made to welcome Goddess Lakshmi. On the platter are Urad dal Ladoos, coconut burfi, Potato Rava Ladoo, Chirote, Potato and Besan Sev, Maida Chakli, Crispy Kodbale, Chevda and Tikha Gathiya. Recipe links to all the items are given below.

This post is very special to me as it is the 1000th post in my website in a span of 38 months. Thanking everyone for the encouragement and support shown.

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Maida Chakli

Posted on November 13, 2020November 15, 2020 by vinayaprabhu2

These melt in the mouth Chaklis can be prepared in no time. No grinding, roasting or any laborious task involved as while making the other Chaklis. You may even add a mashed potato if you wish to, but I skipped it this time as I have already made a potato and Besan sev.

Ingredients :

250 gms Maida /All purpose flour

1 heaped tsp Jeera/Cumin seeds

1 heaped tsp Til/Sesame

1/2 tsp Ajwain/Carom seeds

1 tsp pepper powder

1 heaped tsp butter

Salt

Method:

Tie the Maida in a muslin or any thin cloth and steam it for fifteen minutes. Remove and allow to cool thoroughly. Break the lump formed because of steaming and sieve it. Add the pepper powder, Jeera, Ajwain, Sesame and butter . Crumble it well. Add a little water at a time and make a semi soft dough. The dough should neither be too soft nor too hard. If the dough is too soft the Chakli absorbs a lot of oil. If it’s hard then the Chakli breaks while pressing. Put the dough into the Chakli press and press the Chaklis on a butter paper or plastic sheet. Heat oil in a pan. Gently slide in the Chaklis around two at a time and fry on a medium flame till it turns golden yellow and crisp. At this time the frothing of the oil stops. Remove it from the oil and drain on a kitchen towel. Allow to cool thoroughly before storing it in an airtight container.

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Crispy Kodbale

Posted on November 11, 2020November 12, 2020 by vinayaprabhu2

Kodbale is a rice crispy made by most of the communities in Southern India. The addition of spices varies, depending on the region. Posting a recipe which is traditionally made in Mangalore by the Konkani community. No spices other than cumin seeds are added to this crispy. It is the sweetness of butter and milk that makes it absolutely amazing!

Ingredients :

250 gms of rice flour

A large lemon sized ball of butter

1 tsp Jeera/Cumin seeds

Milk as required to bind a soft dough

Salt

Oil to fry the Kodbale

Method:

Take the rice flour in a bowl. Add the salt and Jeera. Melt the butter and add it to the rice flour. Crumble the mixture. Add milk a little at a time to make a smooth and soft dough. Keep aside for ten minutes. Pinch small pellets of the dough and roll into the shape of a wick on the back side of a plate. Bring the edges together as shown in the picture. Heat oil in a pan. Drop in the Kodbales and fry to a golden orange on a medium flame. Remove from the oil and drain on a kitchen towel. Store in an airtight container when it has cooled down completely.

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Potato and Besan Sev

Posted on November 10, 2020November 10, 2020 by vinayaprabhu2

This is another type of Sev which is very popular with young and old alike. I have posted the recipe of the traditional way of making Sev too in this website which I normally prepare during Diwali. This year decided to make this one.

Ingredients :

3 potatoes pressure cooked

250 gms Besan/Chickpea flour

1/2 tsp Chilly powder

1/4 tsp Haldi/Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp pepper powder

1 tsp green chilly paste

Rajma/Kidney bean sized piece of Hing/Asafoetida powdered

1/4 tsp Soda bi carb

Salt

12 tsps oil

Oil for frying

Method:

Peel the potatoes and grate them. Drop in the Besan, chilly powder, Haldi, Hing, salt, pepper powder, green chilly paste, baking soda and oil. Mix thoroughly and prepare a soft dough. The oil itself is enough to bind the mixture together. Heat the oil in a pan. Once it is sufficiently hot, reduce flame. Grease the Sev press with oil. Take some dough and make it into a cylindrical roll. Put it in the Sev press. Secure the lid and press the dough into the hot oil. Fry till the Sev turns golden orange and crisp. Remove and drain on a kitchen towel. After it has cooled store in an air tight container.

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