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Tag: Tea time snack

  • Aloo ke Gutke

    Aloo ke gutke is the signature potato dish of Kumaon, the eastern hill region of Uttarakhand. Potatoes grow well in the mountains, and every home has a version of this quick stir-fry, served as a snack with tea, at festivals and in the street stalls of Almora, Nainital and Haldwani.

    What makes it distinctly Kumaoni is jakhya, the tiny seeds of a wild mustard-like plant that crackle in hot oil and give a nutty crunch. Mustard oil, dried red chillies and generous amounts of red chilli powder make it hot and pungent, while fresh coriander and a pinch of turmeric balance it. The potatoes should be soft inside with crisp, spiced edges.

    Gutke are eaten with puri or bhang ki chutney (made from hemp seeds), alongside raita, or simply as a snack with tea. They are a common offering at Kumaoni gatherings. Because the potatoes are boiled ahead, it is one of the quickest pahadi dishes to make, ready within fifteen minutes on the stove. If jakhya is unavailable, cumin is the usual substitute, though the flavour will be milder and less distinctive.

    At a glance

    RegionUttarakhand
    CuisineKumaoni
    DietVegan
    CourseSide dish
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time15 minutes
    Total time35 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientspotato / jakhya seeds / mustard oil / red chilli

    Ingredients

    • 600 g potatoes, boiled, peeled and cut into 2.5 cm cubes
    • 3 tbsp mustard oil
    • 1 tsp jakhya seeds (or 1 tsp cumin seeds if unavailable)
    • 3 dried red chillies, broken
    • 1/4 tsp hing
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp amchur (optional)
    • 1/2 cup finely chopped coriander

    Method

    1. Boil the potatoes until just tender, about 12 minutes; they should hold their shape. Cool completely, peel and cut into cubes.
    2. Heat mustard oil in a heavy kadai until it smokes, then let it cool for 30 seconds and set the heat to medium.
    3. Add jakhya seeds and dried red chillies. Let them crackle and darken for 15 to 20 seconds without burning.
    4. Add hing, then immediately the turmeric, chilli powder and coriander powder. Stir for 10 seconds.
    5. Add the potato cubes and salt. Toss gently to coat every piece with the spiced oil.
    6. Cook on medium for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally with a flat spatula, until the edges turn golden and slightly crisp.
    7. Add amchur if using and toss in most of the coriander. Garnish with the rest and serve.

    Tips

    • Cooled, day-old boiled potatoes give the best texture and do not break.
    • Jakhya burns quickly; have the spices ready before you add it.
    • Pahadi potatoes, if you can find them, are firm and slightly sweet.

    Serve with

    Puri or roti, with bhang ki chutney and raita.

  • Shami Kebab

    Shami kebabs are found across North India and Pakistan, but Lucknow and Hyderabad claim them most strongly. Unlike galouti, they are made from boneless meat boiled with chana dal and whole spices, then ground together. The dal binds the mixture and gives the kebabs their characteristic soft, slightly grainy texture.

    A well-made shami is crisp on the outside and tender within, with a filling of chopped onion, mint and green chilli that adds freshness and crunch. The spicing is warm rather than hot: cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, black pepper and dried red chillies cooked into the meat itself. An egg helps the kebabs hold together in the pan.

    They are made in large batches before Eid and Ramzan iftars, frozen and fried as needed. Shamis are also served at tea time, tucked into bread rolls, or as part of a dinner spread with paratha and chutney. A tray of frozen shamis means a hot snack is always minutes away when guests drop by.

    At a glance

    RegionUttar Pradesh
    CuisineAwadhi
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseSnack
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time50 minutes
    Total time80 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsboneless mutton / chana dal / egg / onion / mint

    Ingredients

    For cooking

    • 500 g boneless mutton, cut into small pieces
    • 1/3 cup chana dal, soaked 1 hour
    • 1 onion, sliced
    • 1 1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 6 dried red chillies
    • 1 tsp black peppercorns
    • 4 green cardamom, 1 black cardamom
    • 6 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf
    • 1 tsp shahi jeera
    • 1 1/2 tsp salt
    • 2 cups water

    For binding and stuffing

    • 1 egg
    • 1/2 tsp garam masala
    • 1 small onion, finely chopped
    • 2 tbsp chopped mint
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • 2 green chillies, finely chopped
    • 1 tsp lemon juice

    To fry

    • Oil or ghee for shallow frying
    • 1 beaten egg for dipping (optional)

    Method

    1. Put mutton, drained chana dal, sliced onion, ginger-garlic paste, whole spices, salt and water in a pressure cooker. Cook 5 to 6 whistles until the mutton is very soft and the dal is mushy.
    2. Open and cook uncovered on medium heat, stirring, until all the liquid evaporates and the mixture is completely dry, 8 to 10 minutes. This step is crucial; any moisture makes the kebabs break.
    3. Cool, remove the bay leaf and cinnamon, and grind the mixture to a fine, smooth dough without water.
    4. Add the egg and garam masala and knead well. Mix the chopped onion, mint, coriander, green chillies and lemon juice separately for the stuffing.
    5. Take a lemon-sized ball, flatten it, place a teaspoon of stuffing in the centre, close and flatten into a 6 cm patty. Repeat.
    6. Heat a little oil on a tawa on medium. Dip each kebab in beaten egg if using, and shallow fry 2 to 3 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp.
    7. Drain on paper and serve hot.

    Tips

    • If the mixture feels soft, add a tablespoon of roasted besan or breadcrumbs.
    • Shaped kebabs freeze well for 2 months – freeze on a tray, then bag them, and fry from frozen on low heat.
    • Grind in short bursts so the motor does not heat the mixture and make it pasty.

    Serve with

    Mint-coriander chutney, onion rings and lemon, or tucked into a paratha.

  • Punjabi Samosa

    The samosa reached India from Central Asia, carried by traders as the sambosa, and medieval court writers already describe it filled with meat and nuts. The potato version arrived only after the Portuguese brought potatoes to India, and Punjab's halwais made it the large, pyramid-shaped snack sold at every chai stall and sweet shop today.

    A proper Punjabi samosa has a thick, crisp, flaky crust with tiny blisters, flavoured with ajwain. The filling is coarsely mashed potato with peas, ginger, green chilli, crushed coriander seeds, amchur and garam masala, sometimes with a few cashews or raisins. They are eaten hot with green chutney and imli chutney, or crushed into chole for samosa chaat.

    At a glance

    RegionPunjab
    CuisinePunjabi
    DietVegan
    CourseSnack
    Prep time45 minutes
    Cook time40 minutes
    Total time85 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientsmaida / potato / green peas / ajwain

    Ingredients

    For the pastry

    • 2 cups maida (about 250 g)
    • 1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 5 tbsp oil or ghee (about 60 ml)
    • About 1/2 cup cold water

    For the filling

    • 4 medium potatoes (about 500 g), boiled and peeled
    • 1/2 cup green peas, boiled
    • 2 tbsp oil
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 tbsp coriander seeds, coarsely crushed
    • 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed (optional)
    • 1 tbsp grated ginger
    • 2 green chillies, finely chopped
    • 1 tsp red chilli powder
    • 1 tsp amchur
    • 1 tsp garam masala
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • 10 cashews, broken (optional)

    For frying

    • Oil for deep frying

    Method

    1. Mix the maida, ajwain and salt. Add the oil and rub it in with your fingertips for 3-4 minutes until the flour holds its shape when squeezed in a fist.
    2. Add cold water a little at a time and bring together into a stiff, tight dough without kneading too much. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
    3. For the filling, heat oil and add cumin, crushed coriander and fennel seeds. Fry for 20 seconds, then add ginger and green chillies.
    4. Add the coarsely crumbled potatoes, peas, chilli powder, amchur, garam masala, salt and cashews. Stir for 3-4 minutes on medium heat, lightly mashing. Mix in coriander and let the filling cool completely.
    5. Divide the dough into 6 balls. Roll each into a 15 cm oval about 2 mm thick and cut it in half crosswise.
    6. Wet the straight edge of a half, fold it into a cone, overlapping and pressing the seam firmly. Fill with 2 tbsp filling, leaving space at the top.
    7. Pinch a small pleat at the back, wet the open edges and press them together to seal tightly. Repeat with the rest.
    8. Heat oil to warm, not hot – a piece of dough should rise slowly after a few seconds. Fry the samosas on low heat for 12-15 minutes, then raise the heat to medium for the last 3-4 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain and serve hot.

    Tips

    • Starting in warm oil and frying slowly creates the tiny blisters; hot oil gives large bubbles and a soft crust.
    • Enough fat in the dough (the moyan) is what makes the pastry flaky and short.
    • Let the filling cool fully before shaping, or the steam softens the pastry.

    Serve with

    Green mint-coriander chutney, imli chutney and masala chai.

  • Fara

    Fara is a traditional Chhattisgarhi snack and breakfast that began as a smart way to use leftover rice. The cooked rice is kneaded with rice flour into a soft dough, rolled into long, thin dumplings and steamed, much like a cousin of the south Indian kozhukattai or the Gujarati muthia.

    On their own the steamed faras are soft, chewy and plain. They become a snack once they are tossed in a tempering of mustard seeds, sesame, curry leaves and green chillies, which crisps them slightly at the edges. Some households serve them in a thin, sour curd-based gravy instead. They are eaten warm with chutney and tea.

    At a glance

    RegionChhattisgarh
    CuisineChhattisgarhi
    DietVegan
    CourseSnack
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time45 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice flour / cooked rice / sesame seeds / curry leaves

    Ingredients

    For the dough

    • 1 cup cooked rice
    • 1 1/4 cups rice flour
    • 1 cup water
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp oil

    For the tempering

    • 2 tbsp oil
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
    • A pinch of asafoetida
    • 10-12 curry leaves
    • 2 green chillies, slit
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
    • Salt to taste
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • 1 tsp lemon juice

    Method

    1. Bring the water to a boil with salt and oil. Add the cooked rice, mash it with a spoon, then add the rice flour and stir quickly to combine. Turn off the heat, cover and rest for 5 minutes.
    2. When cool enough to handle, knead the mixture with greased hands into a smooth, soft dough.
    3. Pinch off small portions and roll between your palms into finger-thick rolls about 8 cm long, or into small balls.
    4. Arrange them on a greased steamer plate and steam over boiling water for 12-15 minutes until they look slightly glossy and are no longer sticky. Let them cool for 5 minutes.
    5. Heat oil in a wide pan on medium heat. Add mustard seeds and let them pop, then cumin, sesame, asafoetida, curry leaves and green chillies. Fry for 20 seconds until the sesame turns light golden.
    6. Add turmeric and chilli powder, then the steamed faras with a pinch of salt. Toss gently on medium heat for 3-4 minutes until lightly crisp in places.
    7. Finish with coriander and lemon juice and serve warm.

    Tips

    • Knead while the dough is warm; cold rice-flour dough cracks when rolled.
    • Steamed faras keep in the fridge for a day – temper them fresh just before serving.
    • For the curd version, simmer the steamed faras in a thin, tempered buttermilk kadhi for 5 minutes.

    Serve with

    Green chutney or tomato chutney and a cup of tea.

  • Jhal Muri

    Jhal muri is the snack of Kolkata's streets, sold from tin canisters by vendors at stations, college gates and the Maidan. 'Jhal' means spicy, and the vendor's rhythm of scooping, shaking and folding it into a paper cone is part of the experience. It is eaten at any hour, most often with evening tea or during a long train ride.

    Unlike the tamarind-sweet bhel of Mumbai, jhal muri is dry and pungent. Raw mustard oil, sometimes with a spoon of oil from a mango pickle jar, coats crisp puffed rice, and chopped onion, green chilli, cucumber, coriander, boiled potato and peanuts add texture. A spiced masala and lime finish it. It must be eaten immediately before the muri softens.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietVegan
    CourseStreet food
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time0 minutes
    Total time10 minutes
    Serves2
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientspuffed rice / mustard oil / onion / peanuts

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups muri (puffed rice), crisp
    • 1 small onion, finely chopped
    • 1 small cucumber, finely chopped
    • 1 small tomato, deseeded and chopped
    • 1 boiled potato, diced small
    • 2 green chillies, finely chopped
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • 3 tbsp roasted peanuts
    • 2 tbsp chanachur or sev
    • 1 tbsp raw mustard oil (or mango pickle oil)
    • 1/2 tsp bhaja masala (dry-roasted cumin, coriander and red chilli, ground)
    • 1/4 tsp black salt
    • 1 tsp lemon juice
    • 1 tbsp fresh coconut slivers (optional)

    Method

    1. If the muri is even slightly limp, dry-roast it in a kadhai on low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until it crackles. Let it cool.
    2. In a large bowl or steel container with a lid, combine onion, cucumber, tomato, potato, green chillies and coriander.
    3. Add the mustard oil, bhaja masala, black salt and lemon juice and mix well.
    4. Tip in the muri and peanuts. Cover and shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds, as the vendors do, so every grain is coated.
    5. Add the chanachur and coconut slivers and toss once more.
    6. Taste and adjust salt or lemon, and serve immediately in paper cones or bowls.

    Tips

    • Mix only what will be eaten at once – the wet vegetables soften the puffed rice within minutes.
    • Pungent kachi ghani mustard oil is essential; any neutral oil makes it taste like a different snack.
    • Make a batch of bhaja masala by dry-roasting 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander and 2 dry red chillies, then grinding fine.

    Serve with

    A cup of hot milky tea in the evening.