Tea time nibbles

ROASTED CORN

Who does not enjoy biting into a crunchy cob of corn, roasted on an open fire and drizzled with butter and spices! A squeeze of lemon is must to boost the flavour of this yummy snack, as it helps to highlight the salty and spicy notes well, along with the subtle sweetness of the corn itself.

Ingredients

2 sweet corn cobs

1 tsp chilli powder

½ tsp salt

1 tbsp melted butter

1 lemon, cut into halves and deseeded

Method

Combine the chilli powder and salt in a small bowl and mix well. Roast the corn cob over an open flame, till black spots appear on all the sides. Once roasted, brush ½ tablespoon of melted butter evenly over it. Take half of the lemon, dip in the chilli-salt mixture and rub it all over the roasted corn cob, while squeezing the lemon lightly. Serve immediately.

EGG PAKORA

Ingredients

4 boiled eggs, cut into half

½ cup chickpea flour

1 tbsp corn flour

1 tsp red chilli powder

Pinch of turmeric powder

½ tsp ginger-garlic paste

¼ tsp cooking soda

Salt to taste

Oil for deep fry

Method

In a bowl, add chickpea flour, corn flour, chilli powder, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste, cooking soda and salt. Mix all of them together. Make a thick batter by adding a little water. Heat oil in a pan. Now dip each egg piece in the batter and deep fry until golden brown on a medium flame. Serve hot with chutney or sauce.

CHICKEN CHEESE BALL

Ingredients

1 cup chicken mince

10 pieces mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes

3 tbsp chopped onion

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp ginger paste

½ tsp garlic paste

½ tsp black pepper powder

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp chilli sauce

2 eggs

Bread crumbs, as required

Salt, to taste

Oil, for deep fry

Method

In a bowl, mix chicken mince with onion, flour, ginger-garlic paste, sauce, black pepper powder, salt and egg yolk. Divide the mixture into equal sized round balls and press them lightly. Cut the mozzarella cheese into cubes. Take one ball and add one cube of cheese in the centre of the chicken and close all the corners and make a ball shape. Coat the balls with egg white and then coat with bread crumbs. Heat oil in a pan. Fry the ball until golden brown. Serve hot with tea or coffee.

PRAWN CUTLET

Ingredients

1 cup prawn

2 slices bread

1 large onion, chopped

2 green chillies, chopped

½ tsp garlic paste

½ tsp ginger paste

½ tsp coriander powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

Salt, to taste

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp flour

1 beaten egg

½ cup bread crumbs

Few sprigs of fresh coriander leaves

Oil, for frying

Method

Shell, de-vein and wash the prawns thoroughly. Soak the bread in cold water for five minutes, squeeze out the water, and blend in food processor with the prawns until smooth. Take out from blender, and add onion, ginger-garlic paste, coriander powder, turmeric powder, lemon juice, coriander leaves and salt. Mix well and divide the mixture into 10 equal portions and shape into cutlets.

Dust them on flour, then dip in beaten egg and roll in bread crumbs.

Ensure that the cutlets are coated properly. Heat oil and deep fry till golden brown. Serve hot.

FISH ROE PAKORA

The very mention of pakora evokes the image of a hot cup of tea and a platter of tempura in a rainy afternoon. We are all familiar with pakoras made from different vegetables or lentil (daals). Pakoras can be made with fish-roes as well and yes, they are very tasty and can be served during tea-time.

Ingredients:

1 cup fish-roe (of any white fish)

¼ cup bread crump

½ tsp ginger paste

¼ tsp garlic paste

¼ tsp cumin paste

¼ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp chopped green chillies

1 tsp chopped coriander leaves

1 tsp chopped mint

½ cup chopped onions

Salt, to taste

Cooking oil (for deep frying)

Method:

Rinse the fish-roe carefully and let the water drain away. Marinate the fish-roe by mixing all ingredients with it, except the oil. Wait until the breadcrumb absorbs the excess water from the fish-roe. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Take 1 spoonful amount of the mixture at a time and fry them until golden brown.

Tip: If you want crispiness to last for a long time, then add 2 teaspoonful of corn flour with the mixture.

PEYAJ PAKORA

Ingredients

8 pieces onion, sliced

1 cup chickpea flour

¼ cup rice flour

½ tsp ginger paste

½ tsp garlic paste

1tsp red chilli powder

12 tsp turmeric powder

4 green chilli paste

½ cup chopped coriander leaves

¼ tsp baking soda

Salt, to taste

Oil, for deep frying

Method

Take chickpea flour in a bowl, add rice flour, salt, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, baking soda and green chilli to it. Mix the ingredients together and add coriander leaves. Make a thick batter by adding water. Heat oil in a pan. Now dip onion slices into the batter and fry them in the pan. Deep fry until crisp and golden brown. Serve hot with sauce.

Masala Tea (Spiced Tea)

Masala tea as a hot beverage originated from India. The quantity of all the ingredients varies from person to person. Every household has their own style of making tea. Masala tea can soothe you when you are unwell, rejuvenate you when you are tired, and revive your spirits.

Ingredients

2 cups milk

2 cups water

2 tbsp tea powder

2 lemongrass stalks, each cut into pieces

½ tsp crushed ginger

2 cardamom pods, crushed

1 stick cinnamon

Sugar, to taste

Method

Combine 2 cups of water, tea powder, sugar, lemongrass, ginger, cardamom and cinnamon in a pan. Boil on medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the milk, mix well and bring to a boil on medium heat. When the mixture boils till the brim, reduce the heat to prevent it from spilling out, and continue to boil for 4-5 minutes. Strain immediately using a strainer and discard the tea powder mixture. Serve the tea immediately.

 

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Food and Styling: RBR