Monsoon recipes: 5 scrumptious snacks

We'd asked you, dear readers to share your favourite monsoon recipes.

Rediff reader Reshma Aslam shares five finger-licking recipes. You can share yours too!

Chicken samosas

Ingredients

• 1/4 kg chicken pieces (cut into very small pieces)
• 1 medium sized onion (chopped)
• 1 tbsp tandoori masala
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 cubes cheese (grated)
• 1/2 cup capsicum (finely chopped)
• 1 packet samosa patti
• 3 tbsp wheat flour
• A handful of coriander leaves (chopped)
• 1/4 cup water
• Oil for frying
• Salt 

Method

For samosa filling

• Wash and drain the chicken well.
• Put the chicken in a mixing bowl.
• In another plate grate the onion.
• Once done, squeeze it with the palm of your hand. Remove all the water from the onion.
• Add onion to the chicken pieces.
• Add chopped capsicum, salt, ginger garlic paste, tandoori masala and red chilli powder. Mix it well.
• Place this mixture in a pan and cover it.
• Cook on low flame for about 20 minutes. Keep stirring.
• When all the water dries out, the chicken is done. Switch off the gas and let the chicken cool down.
• Once cool, add coriander and cheese.
• Samosa filling is ready.

For paste

• Take wheat flour in a small bowl.
• Add water and make a paste (this paste acts like gum for the samosas and is used for binding).

To assemble

• Open the patti packet. Take the ready-made dough and make it into triangles.
• Add samosa filling and seal the edges with the paste prepared earlier.
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Deep fry the samosas.
• Serve hot.

Note: Make sure the chicken pieces are very tiny because big pieces are not preferred in samosas.

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Crispy Aloo Tikki

Ingredients

• 6 to 7 potatoes (boiled and peeled)
• 1 medium sized onion (chopped)
• 6 to 7 green chillies
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp roasted masala (whole red chilli, fennel, coriander seeds, cumin seeds roasted and ground)
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup cornflour
• 1/2 cup water
• A handful of coriander leaves (chopped)
• Salt
• Oil (for shallow fry)

Method

• Peel the boiled potatoes and mash them in a mixing bowl.
• Add salt and chopped onion and mix.
• Add coriander powder, chilli powder, roasted masala and garam masala powder. Mix it.
• Add chopped coriander leaves and blend it.
• Divide the mixture into small balls using the palm of your hand. Flatten it to make tikkis.
• Make a mixture of corn flour and water.
• Dip each tikki in the corn flour paste. Roll it on the breadcrumbs.
• Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the tikkis until they turn golden.
• Serve with green chutney or red sauce.

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Baby Corn Manchurian

Ingredients

• 1/4 kg baby corn
• 4 tbsp all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp corn flour
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp pepper powder
• 1 cup capsicum and spring onions (chopped)
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp soya sauce
• 2 tbsp chilli sauce
• 2 tbsp garlic (chopped)
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying

Method

• Wash and drain the baby corn.
• In a mixing bowl, add salt, ginger garlic paste, pepper powder and mix.
• Add all purpose flour and corn flour. Mix.
• Add water to the mixture and make a paste (the batter shouldn't be too runny; it should be thick).
• Add baby corn and coat it well.
• Heat oil in a pan for deep frying and fry baby corn till they turn golden. Remove from oil and keep it aside.
• In another pan, add two tablespoons of oil and heat it.
• Add chopped garlic. Once the garlic turns golden in colour, add tomato sauce, soya sauce and chilli sauce. Fry well.
• Add capsicum and spring onions and stir fry.
• Add baby corn and toss well.
• Switch off the gas. Serve.

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Chicken Onion Pakoras

Ingredients

• 1/4 kg chicken (boneless)
• 2 medium sized onions (julienned)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tsp roasted masala (whole red chilli, fennel, coriander seeds, cumin seeds roasted and ground)
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 4 tbsp rice flour
• 4 tbsp gram flour
• A handful of coriander leaves (chopped)
• A handful of mint leaves (chopped)
• Few curry leaves
• Oil for frying
• Salt to taste

Method

• Cut the chicken into fine, thin small pieces.
• Wash and drain the chicken well.
• Take a vessel and add the chicken pieces with salt and ginger garlic paste.
• Boil the mixture till the chicken becomes tender.
• Once done, shred the chicken and keep in a bowl. Make sure that you do not discard the chicken stock.
• Take a big mixing bowl and add shredded chicken, salt, turmeric powder, roasted masala and chilli powder.
• Add onions, coriander leaves, mint leaves, curry leaves, rice flour and gram flour. Mix it well.
• Add the chicken stock bit by bit. Keep on mixing it using the hand. Remember this mixture should be something in between being thick and runny.
• Make small balls from the mixture.
• Heat oil in a pan and place the mixture balls in it for deep frying.
• Once they turn golden brown, remove it from the pan. Serve hot with green chutney.

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Paneer Cutlets

Ingredients

• 1/4 kg paneer (grated)
• 1/2 cup capsicum (finely chopped)
• 6 to 7 green chillies (finely chopped)
• 3 to 4 cheese cubes (grated)
• 1 small onion (chopped)
• 2 tsp pepper powder
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup corn flour
• 2 tsp roasted masala (whole red chilli, fennel, coriander seeds, cumin seeds roasted and ground)
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying

Method

• In a bowl, add grated paneer, salt, pepper powder and the roasted masala. Mix it well.
• Add capsicum, green chillies and onions.
• Add grated cheese and mix it well.
• Make small tikkis from the mixture. Refrigerate.
• Make a batter of corn flour, salt and water in a bowl.
• Spread breadcrumbs in a plate.
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Remove the tikkis from the fridge. Dip each in the corn flour, salt and water batter.
• Roll it on the bread crumbs.
• Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the pieces until golden brown. Serve hot with green chutney or red sauce.

ALSO SEE

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10 yummy monsoon treats

Monsoon recipes: Onion pakoda, apple pasta and more

Do you have interesting monsoon recipes to share?

Mail the details of your recipes to getahead@rediff.co.in (Monsoon recipes) along with your NAME, AGE, and LOCATION, if possible.

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