Appetizers
Great parties
begin with great tasting appetizers.
Basically,
an appetizer is a little something to set the mood for the party, to perk
up the appetite and tingle the palate. Appetizers can be fun or formal
but should always be fabulous. I personally feel that appetizers are just
a way to show your creative side to your guests.
If you want
to give a very stylish touch to your party, never say appetizers, just
say hors d'ouevers , it just appears to be very elegant!
Generally Appetizers
are served with drinks and at the beginning of a meal. For practical reasons
an appetizer entry should be just one or two bites and should not need
major cutlery or plates.
In India, typically, appetizers do not have a role as a first course of
the meal. But we do have snacks and savories, called Namkeen,
that are enjoyed with tea. Lately with the westernization of India , appetizers
have gained a more prominent place.
The recipes
that I have created are the Namkeen recipes, using the ingredients available
at regular grocery stores. These stay true to my popular food mantra --
"High in flavor, low in fat".
Massala
Popcorn
Every immigrant
has some culture shock when first arriving in the US. The first time
I had popcorn in US, I honestly thought that the vendor had forgotten
to add chili powder ! How can you have popcorn without chilli powder,
I thought.
1 package
microwave popcorn
1 tablespoon oil
½ cup peanuts
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon lime juice
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt (to taste)
Microwave
popcorn per directions and set aside. Heat a big pot. Add oil and peanuts.
Stir it for a minute and add chili powder. Add lime juice, salt and
sugar. Mix it well and throw in popcorn. Stir the mix for 3-4 minutes
and serve immediately
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Colorful
Chutney rolls
The snacks
I enjoyed as a child were a world in themselves. Cookies were a rare
snack in our house. My mother would instead make a roll of chapati
with a sweet or a spicy chutney - burrito style.
4 tortillas
4 teaspoons cream cheese
½ cup peanuts
1 garlic pod
1 teaspoon red chili powder
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
In a spice
grinder, add peanuts, garlic, red chili powder, salt and sugar.
Make a coarse mix and set aside
Heat tortillas
in a microwave for 30 seconds. Smear 1 teaspoon cream cheese. Sprinkle
peanut chutney and roll the tortillas burrito style. Wrap in plastic
wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. Cut into one inch slices.
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Elegant
filo shells
Filo shells
are available in the freezer section of most grocery stores. These shells
are perfect for adding filling and creating this unique appetizer
15 filo shells
2 potatoes, baked and grated
1 teaspoon oil
3 garlic pods, minced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated cheese
In a small
pan heat oil and add garlic and cumin seeds. Stir for a minute and pour
it over grated potatoes. Add salt, sugar and cheese. Mix well. Make
walnut-size small balls and fill them in filo shells
Bake at 325
degrees for 10 minutes. Serve hot with a dollop of ketchup.
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