Tag: indian food

12 Indian Snacks You Must Try

If you’re throwing a party, these party snacks recipes will come in handy while preparing your menu. Snacks and appetizers are a must-have at every party or celebration.

Vegetarian snacks are prepared in India in a number of ways. Some snacks have different recipes and methods depending on the locale. While some delicacies are extremely popular across India. There are various delicacies that are only popular in certain parts of India.

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Here are 12 Indian snacks that are easy to make and you can serve them to your guests at the party or get-together.

1. Paneer Tikka: Paneer (Indian cottage cheese cubes) are marinated in a spiced yogurt-based marinade, skewered, and cooked in the oven in this Restaurant Style Tandoori Paneer Tikka.

2. Aloo Tikki: A crispy, crusty, and delicious Aloo Tikki recipe. In Hindi, aloo refers to potatoes, while tikki refers to patties. So these are spicy, herby, and tasty potato patties in the Indian way.

3. Onion Pakoda: Onion fritters prepared with gramme flour are a popular street snack in India. It’s a snack that’s simple to make and tastes great. Serve them with green chutney or sweet chutney and fried salted green chilies. This entire meal can be accompanied by Indian chai.

4. Dahi Bhalla: Lentil dumplings are dipped in a creamy whipped yoghurt and topped with spicy and sweet chutneys in this popular North Indian street food snack. Dahi bhalla differs slightly from dahi vada. Papdis, boiling potato cubes, and cooked chickpeas are all added to dahi bhalla, giving it a variety of textures, tastes, and flavours.

5. Pani Puri: Crisp fried dough balls (puri) are packed with potatoes, sprouts, spicy acidic water, or sweet chutney in this popular Indian street snack. You just cannot eat just one pani puri with so many bursts of flavours and flavours in your mouth.

6. Kaman Dhokla: Gujarati cuisine has a nutritious, tasty, and wonderful vegan snack. It’s light and fluffy, with a mildly tangy-sweet flavour that’s perfect at any time of day. This is also a recipe for instant khaman dhokla.

7. Veg Cutlet: Crispy and flavorful vegetable patties cooked with a variety of vegetables. These vegan patties are best served hot with tomato ketchup and green chutney as a late-night snack. They’re a tasty teatime snack that can also be cooked during the rainy season.

8. Bhel Puri: It is a well-known Mumbai street food. Puffed rice is blended with onions, tomatoes, and other chutneys to make bhel puri. This bhel puri is simple to prepare and contains quick recipes for the three chutneys commonly used in bhel puris.

9. Dal Vada: chana dal, onions, and spices-herbs are used to make this renowned crispy and crunchy fried snack. These are crispy and crunchy, and they make a wonderful tea time snack.

10. Bread Pakora: Bread is dipped in a spicy gramme flour batter and packed with potato stuffing before being fried shallow or deep. In most Punjabi households, these bread pakoras are made for breakfast on Saturdays or Sundays.

11. Hara Bhara Kabab: These delightful and nutritious kababs are made with spinach, peas, and potatoes. It’s both nutritious and delicious, and it goes well with any chutney or sauce. They’re frequently fried in a pan. However, you may either bake or air fried them if you like.

12. Samosas: These samosas have a wonderful potato and peas mixture and are flaky and crispy on the outside. This recipe is a true winner, with a beautiful crust and a soothing filling. Give it a shot and you’ll be surprised at how easy and enjoyable it is to cook samosa at home.

5 Indian Food Famous in the World

When it comes to food no-one can forget Indian food. Indian foods can be sour, sweet, spicy & tangy altogether. There is no particularity in Indian cuisine as every state of India has its own food cuisine . India is known for its spicy and sweet foods.  If you want to savour that taste of Indian quizzing then these 5 foods mentioned below must be in your bucket list .

  • BIRIYANI
    1. BIRIYANI : It is the most famous food in India . Wherever you go you will be able to see its existence from restaurants to small food stalls on the roadside of India. This food first came to India by Mughals. It is a rice dish with meat and egg and potato pieces with flavour for spices and Saffron mix .There are also various type of biriyani like veg biriyani (With no meat and full of vegetables) , mutton biriyani ( as the meat pieces) ,Chicken biriyani (Chicken meat is added) , bamboo biriyani ( cooked in the piece of bamboo)  etc.  You can also see the variation in the Biryani in the different states of India like Hyderabadi Biriyani, Lucknowi Biriyani, Kolkata biriyani etc. Among all of them Hyderabadi Biriyani is the most famous for its flavour fullness and spiciness .Biriyani is also served with curd salad or Raita .
    GOLGAPPA /PANIPURI/FUUKA

    2. GOLGAPPA /PANIPURI/FUUKA :It is a famous street food in India and you will be able to see it in every corner of India .Even nowadays it is served in restaurants .Golgappa is made of three ingredients —–

    1.  Crispy ball made of Suji
    2.  A spicy aloo/potato filling
    3.  a spicy , tangy and sour water 

                 The spicy potato filling is put inside the crispy balls and then it is filled with the sour flavoured water .This water was made of tamarind or pudina with spices. You can also see the dahi-golgappa which is filled with curd or dahi and some chutney .

    RASGULLA

             3.RASGULLA : It is a famous sweet dessert of India . Rasgulla is a sponge like ball with which is immersed in sweet sugar liquid or chashni .Its origin is West Bengal and Orissa .The Rasgulla is made from paneer are Indian cottage cheese (a milk product) which is mixed with some suji and flour and later this mixture is drained of its containing water by special Muslin cloths .Then it is given a shape of ball and dipped in the sugar liquid or chashni . This sweet is white coloured . Some other types of sweets are also made from rasgulla .

    MASALA DOSA

           4)MASALA DOSA : Dosa is a South Indian traditional dish . there are two parts in masala dosa —-

    1. A pancake / roti which is made from a thin batter of rice and black lentils flour . 
    2. A spicy potato and vegetable filling in the middle of the pancake  .  

     It is originally served with a coconut chutney and sambar which is one type of vegetable Dal or soup . There are also various types of dosa like paneer dosa (made of paneer filling), chicken 65 dosa ( ‘chicken 65’ Is a chicken dish which acts as a filling in dosa) and paper dosa etc.

    SAMOSA

    5) SAMOSA :  it is one of the most famous street foods in India. It also have two parts —

    1. Outside a Crispy dough which is made of maida and deep fried in oil .
    2.  soft and spicy potato onion filling inside 

     It also has a unique conic shape . This food was also introduced to India by Mughal.  Paneer Samosa (filled with paneer), chicken Samosa (filled with chicken), noodle Samosa (filled with noodles) are various types of samosa with different stuffing . It is usually only served with sour sweet chutney or tomato sauce .

    Influence of Western Cuisine on Indians

    Burgers, fries, pizza, turkey, hot dogs, wraps, sandwiches, pasta and shakes. Yum, right? While dreaming of delicious food, our mind often wanders to the foods offered by Western cuisine. We cannot deny the irresistible appeal of Western food even though we have pretty good choices of hot and spicy veggies and curry on our Indian menu.

    The fast-food chains such as McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, etc., influenced by western food, are rampant across every part of the world. Western cuisine is gaining rapid popularity everywhere to provide for guests from different nationalities because of tourism.

    Do you even remember the last time you ate with your hands? Spoons, forks and chopsticks have invaded our traditional way of consuming food. When we eat with our hands, we become more conscious of the taste, flavours and aroma, leading us to relish and enjoy our food more. Right from the way of eating to what we eat, everything has changed due to westernization.

    The staple diet of western people revolves around meat. They have bread as a supplement or an appetizer. They tend to eat fried foods over others and include artificially developed products and processed ingredients. They prefer minimal spices in their food too. But we Indians, on the other hand, love the mix of spices such as cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, saffron and many more. Our staple diet is rice and vegetables. We have unlimited and wide varieties of options to choose from for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We are more inclined towards fresh and homemade food.

    We have established that Indian cuisine has aromas, spices and all the tasty whatnots. But still, we prefer Western cuisine. There are many reasons behind it. One chief deduction is that we have always had an inferiority complex that made us hold the Western culture in high regard. In doing so, we began to imitate their lifestyle to become equals to them. The other equally significant reason is that globalization has caused Western foods to crawl into Indian kitchens.

    There are two sides to a coin. Sure they look appetizing, taste phenomenal and takes little to cook, making it a convenient choice. What more can we ask for, right? Anyhow, did we ever stop to wonder whether these types of food are suitable for us? They may tickle our taste buds at the moment, but they leave a profound mark on our long-term health.

    Western food increases the risks of high blood pressure, diabetes and heart attack. Due to the lack of variety, it focuses higher on sugar and fats. It causes a threat to our biological system, leading to a rise in diabetes patients in our country.

    The abundance of fat in fried foods is the main culprit provoking unhealthy weight gain and digestive troubles. Forget about maintaining your thin waistline and toned abs if you are not ready to give up chicken nuggets and salty dips. But, sacrificing them and switching to roasted and baked foods would prevent the adverse effects later in your life.

    Despite the ease of preparation, Western dietary habits are disastrous to our health. If we do not establish a stop system to shut down the onset of the growing fast food industry, obesity and lifestyle risk factors will become more prevalent in India.

    5 Best Food Places to visit in Hyderabad, in the Rainy Season

    Hyderabad is not only famous for Charminar and Ramoji Film City, but it is also widely known for its food specialties like Biryani, Irani Chai, and Kheer. Hyderabadi Biryani is not only a popular delicacy in India but across the world. Tourists visit Hyderabad to taste the unique flavor of its Biryani. Apart from Hyderabadi Biryani, this city also has excellent South Indian Cuisine. Here is a list of five places best for serving delicious food, and you should try them out this Monsoon.

    Top Restaurants in Hyderabad

    If you are looking for some fantastic restaurants in Hyderabad, which serves you the Hyderabadi Special as well as the delicious South Indian Cuisine, this is the correct place for you. We all known Biryani is the most sought-after food in Hyderabad, and hence, it is also known as the Hyderabadi Special. Do you know, there are a few fantastic places which also offer excellent South Indian Cuisine? Let’s find out about the restaurants:

    • Paradise Circle, Hyderabad: One of the most renowned restaurants to serve the Hyderabadi Special Biryani is none other than Paradise Circle. They have their restaurants all around India. Their Biryani is the most authentic Hyderabadi Biryani present in India. They won multiple awards, such as the Times Food & Nightlife Award 2018, “Restaurant Serving the Best Biryani” award at the Asian Food Congress, 2019. Their name also got enlisted into the Limca Book of Records for achieving the “Most Biryani Servings Sold in a Year.”
    • Irani Chai, Hyderabad: Monsoon and Chai go hand in hand, and Irani Chai is one of the most popular Hyderabadi Specials. The place is quite famous for serving the best possible Irani chai and is also known to be affordable. Along with the unique tea, they also make samosa and other snacks.
    • Almond House, Hyderabad: The Almond House is a famous sweet shop in Hyderabad, for Kheer and other delicious delicacies. They also have a separate section for South Indian desserts such as Ariselu, Bobbatlu, Jangri, and many other sweets. They also serve individualized biscuits and have named them Bisticks.
    • Udipi’s Upahar, Hyderabad: The most authentic restaurant to serve South Indian Cuisine in Hyderabad, which has been established in 1996. Here, they serve vegetarian dishes like Idli, Dosa, Vada, and different varieties of them. The taste of the food served is unforgettable, and it would remain etched on your memory for a very long time. The restaurant is very hygienic, and they serve high-quality food.
    • Café Bahar, Hyderabad: Another renowned restaurant to serve Hyderabadi Special Biryani is Café Bahar. They serve varieties of Biryani, and the taste is to die for. The café was established in the year 1973 and has been going strong ever since. If you are in Hyderabad, you cannot miss the delicacies served here.

    It would be best if you visited the places in the Monsoon season. No one ever returns home disappointed after tasting the food from these restaurants. Go, have some incredible experience and trust me, you won’t regret it.

    Indian Cuisine: The culmination of many Cultures

    Indian cuisine is a culmination of different cultures, each region has to offer a diversity of dishes, the variety of dishes available in the Indian cuisine are just too many in number to be matched by any other country and this is the reason behind the extravagant quality which the Indian cuisine holds.

    If we go back around 6,000 years we will see the different influences which have created a plethora of dishes. Each region has its own way of cooking its regional dishes and the ingredients which are majorly available in that region become a base for the dishes. eg- In south India most of the dishes have rice as a base in it as a rice is one of the major crops which is grown in that region. Be it dosas, uttapams, appe, iddiyapam, idlis or even mendu vadas they all have rice in it as a base in some or the other form.

    If you go towards Eastern India one can see the influence of the Chinese in eastern food of Indian cuisine, be it noodles, soups or even lip smacking momos and spring rolls, they definitely top our list of favourite food items and we have tried our hand on them in our own kitchens as well.

    OUR INSPIRATION • Maya Kaimal Foods
    (Maya Kaimal)

    All four regions of India that is North, South, East and West have distinct dishes which represent the rich culture and also they represent the variety of crops which are grown in this colourful continent. Based on the settlers who had come and settled in India 6,000 years ago-they have left their mark behind on the Indian cuisine.

    The roti, bhakri or chapatti we eat has originated from the afghan naan according to many experts when Afghani tribes had settled in the western provinces, and even the Moghuls contributed to the inclusion of naans which has changed overtime into rotis and bhakris. The Mughal empire which had gripped itself over India has given rise to rich gravies made out of nuts and other dry fruits in Northern India and many other provinces. The Persians who had come and settle in India left a huge mark behind not only on the Indian cuisine but also left behind a versatile Parsi Cuisine. Eg- the famous Irani chai with maska bun is an unforgettable combination. In western India specifically in Gujarat one could see the dominance of Parsi and Jain food, both cuisines being extreme opposites ad Parsis are pure non-vegetarians and other hand one could see Jains who were pure vegetarians who consumed certain selective vegetables and their dishes are truly commendable as creating extravagant recipes by excluding certain major ingredients is not easy. Indian food also has the influence of Mughal culture in the western belt of India. The Parsi community who came all the way from Iran has passed on the use of saffron and dry fruits in sweet and savoury delicacies in Mahrashtra and Gujarat.

    Trading via sea ports also gave rise to the addition of many ingredients which are now an important part of Indian cuisine. Goan food is influenced greatly by the Portuguese settlers , there are many meat dishes which have been brought in by the Portuguese eg- “carne de vinha de alhos”, which is a meat dish which is made out of marinated pork that includes garlic and wine. Many of the Goan dishes which have vine as a major ingredient in them be it cakes or curries have also been influenced by Portuguese cuisine. Goa also houses some of the best sweet delicacies especially tea cakes, milk cakes and pastries which have been brought in by the French and the Portuguese.

    This whole concept of hight tea or afternoon tea has come from the british, as britishers follow the tradition of having cakes and many other sweet and savoury snacks in the afternoon or evening along with a cup of tea.

    We also do have influence on Indian food from Middle East, certain recipes of samosas, biryani, chick pea flour and chick pea curries have been passed on from Persian and Mughal tribes.

    In today’s times we can cook many international cuisines and they are served in restaurants as well, but these are indianised versions of these international cuisines and hence one can even call them fusion or Indo western cuisines, be it Indian-American food like burgers, pizzas or fries or even Indo-chinese food which is given an Indian touch to it or even Indo-mexican food ,All of these fusion cuisines which have been in trend lately are creating a big wave in the Indian Food Industry and will soon become a part of it.