Vegetable Pakora with a cup of masala chai is comforting food on a pleasant winter evening. A vegan recipe that makes for a great party finger food. The standard Vegetable Pakora recipe calls for the use of mixed vegetables, chick pea flour and carom seeds.

I haven’t posted any Indian Chinese recipes in a while and was going through the archives when I realized that I had not blogged a popular Indian Chinese appetizer, Vegetable Manchurian. Its prepared almost on the same lines as Gobi Manchurian except that we use finely chopped mixed vegetables instead of Gobi (Cauliflower).

I always have left over Idlis when I prepare Idlis for breakfast or dinner. When I am in need of a quick snack, all I do is saute the crumbled cold refrigerated idlis with a spiced base of onions and lots of fresh coriander leaves. I tend to play with the spices each time I go the crumbled idli upma way.

Amaranth leaves are much loved in our home and take the form of stir fry, dal and stews in our daily meals. In recent past, I have used these nutritious greens along with chick pea flour (besan) to prepare fritters. They are easy to make, work great as appetizers for parties and also make for a wonderful tea time snack.

Its the sliminess and slippery feel of taro root which keeps away many from relishing its flavor. It is full of fiber, lot of starch and has a delicious creamy texture. Today’s recipe for chips is a deep fried version. You can even shallow fry the taro root slices which would yield a less crisp exterior but tasty nevertheless.

Savory snack enthusiasts will love today’s Navrati Special offering to Durga Ma. Addictively satisfying, Chitti Budagalu are adorable, tiny puffed up crisps with a hint of spice. Only 3 ingredients go into its making – urad dal aka black gram dal, rice flour and chili powder.

Yesterday, I prepared Vegetable Fried Rice and had some left over white rice and chopped mixed vegetables. Decided to use the left over rice and veggies to prepare an Indo Chinese appetizer. Very easy and quick to bring together and makes for a great evening snack when your kids come home hungry after play. Interesting combination of flavors and textures.

This had been lying in my drafts and wouldn’t have seen the light of day if a reader had not requested for Chilli Cheese Toast recipe. Not much of a recipe really. A quick breakfast/brunch or lunch box recipe that can be prepared in 10 minutes.

Many a night, our dinner comprises of either soup, salad, wrap or sandwich. Last night I made Kati rolls with vegetable filling. Works great as a lunch box treat, one that you kid will surely relish. Makes for a complete meal and super easy to bring together.

Have you tried cabbage in the form a crispy pakoda? If you haven’t and are fond of cabbage then you should try today’s recipe. To many, cabbage may not be the prettiest or tastiest of vegetables but it more than makes up in flavor in the garb of a besan coated, golden crisp pakodi.