Winter is the perfect season to treat yourself to some hot and spicy food. This is also the time to eat dishes that keep your body warm. Here are four snack recipes that are ideal for a cold evening. Most of the ingredients used in these recipes are traditionally believed to keep our body warm and healthy.
Oats Pongal Tikkis
Ingredients:
1 cup Oats Pongal, 1 boiled potato, 1 cup bread crumbs, 1 tsp Chili powder, 1 tsp Cumin powder, 1 tsp Coriander powder, 1 tsp Turmeric powder, 1 tsp Chili flakes, 1 tsp Garam masala, Salt, 1 Chopped onion, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 chopped green chilli, Oil for frying.
Method:
In a bowl add all the ingredients and mix them well. Make small tikkis out of the dough. Heat a pan and add oil. Shallow fry the tikkis on both sides. Serve hot with ketchup.
Recipe by Pavitra, Food Tech Scientist, True Elements.
Asparagus bulbs
Ingredients:
500 gms Apsaragus, 200 gms Potatos, 1 tbspn Garlic, 1 Onion, 100 gms Mushroom, 2 Chillies, 1 tsp Paprika, 1 bunch Spinach, 15 gms Corn, 1 tspn Tobasco, 100 gmd Bread crums, Oil for frying.
For seasoning:
200 gms Cream, 75 gms Parmesan cheese, 1 Beetroot, 100 gms Grated cheddar, 6 Edible flowers.
Method:
Blanch the asparagus and set aside three whole asparagus for garnishing later. Boil potatoes, peel, mash the same till smooth and allow it to cool. Blend together mashed potatoes, roughly chopped blanched asparagus, and mushrooms with bread crumbs, paprika, salt, grated cheddar cheese, black pepper and shape into pears. Coat with flour water and breadcrumbs. Allow to rest in a refrigerator. For the cakes, blanch corn and spinach, roughly chop the same. Saute with chopped garlic, onions, tabasco and seasoning. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. In the meantime, fry the chilled asparagus bulbs in hot oil till golden brown. For the beetroot sauce, heat cream, add parmesan cheese, beetroot pulp and seasoning. Place the sauce as the base over which you place your cakes using a ring mould to get the shape and then over it. Place the golden fried bulbs with blanched whole asparagus inserted into the tips of the bulbs. Garnish with edible flowers and serve hot.
Breadfruit cultlet
Ingredient:
300 gms Jackfruit, 200 gms Breadfruit, 1tbspn Garlic, 1 Onion, 200 gms Potatoes, 100 gms Chopped coriander, 2 Chillies, 1 tspn Red chilli powder, 1 tspn Cumin powder, 1 tbspn Coriander powder, 3 tbspn Coconut milk, 100 gms Bread crumbs, Oil for frying, Salt to taste.
Method:
Chop Jackfruit and breadfruit together. Boil potatoes, peel and mash till smooth. Allow to cool. Heat oil, sauté onion, garlic, chillies, dry spices, breadfruit and jackfruit. Add salt and season. Blend mashed potato mixture with sautéed mixture, add chopped coriander and shape into cutlets. Coat with breadcrumbs. Allow to rest in a refrigerator for 20 minutes. Deep fry in hot oil till golden brown. Garnish with fresh chilled coconut milk dots and serve hot with a salad on the side.
Kotosoupa
Ingredients:
2 breasts of chicken, 2 peeled red onion, 6 cups of water, 200 gms short grain rice, 2 large eggs, 1 no. lemon juice, 2 carrots, Salt and crushed black pepper – to taste, Finely chopped chives - for garnish, Orange wedges and bread rolls - for accompaniment.
Method:
Place the chicken breasts in a pan, add the onion and carrots, pour in the water (water should cover the chicken) and season. Place on high heat. Put the lid on and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and boil the chicken for about 1 hour and 15 minutes (the chicken is ready, when the meat can be removed easily from the bone). While the chicken boils, some white foam will probably surface on the water. Remove that foam with a slotted spoon. Remove the chicken from the broth and strain the broth. Add the hot broth in a pan, add rice and season with salt and pepper and boil until done. In the meantime, if the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Dice the meat into bites. To prepare the egg lemon sauce for this Greek lemon chicken soup, crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk, until foamy; add lemon juice and whisk again. Add into the bowl a ladle of hot soup and whisk quickly. Add one more ladle and whisk again, so that the eggs get warm. Pour the egg mixture back into the pot, whilst constantly stirring, put the lid on and leave for 3-4 minutes. Serve this delicious Greek lemon chicken soup, while still warm; ladle into bowls, top with the diced chicken and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Serve hot with orange wedges and bread rolls.
Recipes by Executive Chef Jerson Fernandes, Novotel Hotels