Savour this Diwali to the max

Don't serve your guests the same old festive snacks this year. Change things up a bit with these utterly mouthwatering delicacies

PANI PURI SHOTS
Ingredients
. 1 cup fine semolina
. 1 tbsp flour
. 2 tbsp oil, plus extra for frying
. Water, for kneading the flour

For the stuffing:
. ½ cup green grapes, chopped
. ½ cup purple grapes, chopped
. 2 tbsp raita boondi
. 1 tsp chaat masala
. Pinch of black salt

For jal jeera shots:
. 1 tbsp tamarind pulp
. 2 cups red grape juice
. 1 tsp red chilli powder
. 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
. Salt to taste
. 1 tbsp chaat masala
. 1 tbsp limejuice
. 1 tbsp ginger juice
Method
Mix semolina with flour in a big mixing bowl. Add water slowly to make firm dough. Add oil and knead again. Cover with a wet muslin cloth and let it rest for 15 mins.
Knead the dough again and roll out thinly with the help of a rolling pin. Use a round cookie cutter and cut out circular puris.
Heat oil on high flame and fry all the puris until crisp and golden brown.
Remove, cool and store in an airtight container.
For the stuffing, mix the grapes with boondi, chaat masala and salt.
For the jal jeera shots, combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and pass through a sieve.
Chill the juice for 30 minutes before serving.
To serve, pour the juice into shot glasses. Gently crush to make a small hole in the centre of the puris and fill with the grape mixture. Arrange a stuffed puri over each shot glass.
Serve immediately.
SPROUT CHEESE ARANCINI

Ingredients
. 1 cup mung bean sprouts, boiled
. 1 cup Arborio rice, cooked
. 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
. 1 tbsp olives, chopped
. Salt and pepper to taste
. 2 tbsp plain flour
. 2 tbsp béchamel sauce powder, readymade
. ¼ cup milk
. Oil, for frying
. Smoky sauce, to serve (optional)
. Potato wedges, to serve (optional)

Method
Mix sprouts, cooked rice and cheese in a mixing bowl. Add the salt, pepper and chopped olives. Mix well and keep in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Mix flour and béchamel sauce powder with milk and adjust the consistency by adding a little water; keep aside.
Heat the oil in a frying pan.
Make lime-size balls of the prepared rice mixture and dip in the batter. Deep-fry till golden brown.
Serve hot with fried potato wedges and smoky sauce.
THYME-INFUSED CRISPY BABY POTATOES

Ingredients
. 400 gm baby potato
. Handful of fresh thyme
. 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
. Salt and pepper to taste
. Oil, for frying
. Chillies, finely chopped, for garnishing (optional)

Method
Wash the baby potatoes twice and boil with salted water till done. Remove from heat and cool.
Peel the skin and toss with oil, vinegar and fresh thyme. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
Heat the pan and drizzle over with oil. Add the thyme leaves and baby potatoes and fry till golden brown. Season to taste.
Discard the thyme leaves and serve hot, garnished with chillies
TANDOORI GOBI PAKODA

Ingredients
. 1 big cauliflower, cut into 20-22 small florets
. 1 tbsp ginger paste
. 1 tbsp oil
. 1 tsp carom seed powder
. 1 tbsp chilli powder
. 1 tbsp coriander powder
. 1 tbsp chaat masala
. 2 tbsp roasted chickpea flour
. ½ cup hung curd
. Salt to taste

For the batter:
. 2 cups chickpea flour
. Salt to taste
. 1 tbsp oil
. 1 tsp chilli powder
. Oil, for frying

Method
Blanch the cauliflower florets in hot water for 3 minutes. Strain and dry on a towel. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and toss with the blanched florets. Cover and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Combine all the ingredients for the batter together and mix with water to make it thick.
Heat oil in a frying pan. Dip each marinated floret in the batter and fry till golden brown. Serve hot.
MUSHROOM KEBABS

Ingredients
. 2 tbsp olive oil
. 3 cups button mushrooms, peeled, chopped
. 2 tbsp parsley, fresh, finely chopped
. 2 tbsp cashew nut powder
. 2 tbsp lotus seeds, roasted, powdered
. 2 tbsp chickpea, roasted, powdered
. Salt and pepper to taste
. Oil, to shallow-fry

Method
Heat the olive oil and sauté chopped mushrooms in it. Add salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes.
Allow to cool, then chop finely with the parsley using an electric chopper.
Combine all the dry ingredients together with the chopped mushrooms in a mixing bowl.
Heat the pan and cook the mixture till it is a bit dry.
Grease both the palms and make desired kebab shapes with the mixture. Chill for 20 minutes.
Heat a flat pan and shallow-fry all the kebabs till done. Serve hot.

• Food and Dining