Indian Appetizers
Samosa (filled pastry)
A samosa is a fried or baked pastry with savory filling, such as spiced potatoes, onions, peas, lentils and sometimes with ground meat (lamb, beef or chicken), and sometimes pine nuts. Its size and consistency may vary, but typically it is distinctly triangular or tetrahedral in shape. Samosas are perhaps the most popular vegetarian Indian appetizer. They are often accompanied by a chutney such as mint, coriander or tamarind. Vegetarian samosas originated in Uttar Pradesh.
Aloo Samosa - crisp turnover filled with spiced potatoes (aloo) and peas.
Pakora/Bhaji (vegetables or paneer deep-fried in chick pea batter)
Pakoras are created by taking one or two vegetables such as onion, eggplant, potato, spinach, plantain, paneer, cauliflower, tomato, chili pepper, or occasionally bread or chicken and dipping them in a batter of gram (chickpea) flour and then deep-frying them.
The most popular varieties are pyaaz pakora, made from onion, and aloo pakora, made from potato. Other variations are paalak pakora, made from spinach, and paneer pakora, made from paneer (soft cottage cheese). When onions, on their own, are prepared in the same way, they are known as onion bhajji. A version of pakora made with wheat flour, salt, and tiny bits of potato or onion (optional) is called noon bariya (nūn=salt), typically found in eastern Uttar Pradesh in India.
In southern states of India, such preparations are known as bajji rather than pakora. Usually the name of the vegetable that is deep fried is suffixed with bajji. For instance, potato bajji is sliced potato wrapped in batter and deep fried. In such states, pakoda is taken to mean a mix of finely cut onions, green chillies and spices mixed in gram flour. This is rolled into small balls or sprinkled straight in hot oil and fried. These pakodas are very crisp on the outside and medium soft to crisp inside. There is also a variety that is softer overall, usually termed medhu pakoda in restaurants, that is made of any other ingredients, such as potatoes.
Pakoras are often served in road side eateries or restaurants. quite popular during monsoon time as pakoras goes very well with a cup of tea. the recipes for making pakoras have more or less the same indian spices and herbs and often vary in their proportions. each state of india have their own variation in making pakoras, so the recipes do differ and so does the flavor and taste.
Pakoras are usually served as snacks or appetizers and are usually complemented with tamarind chutney, cilantro chutney, or ketchup.
Corn Pakoda
Gobi Pakora (Cauliflower Fritters)
Spinach Pakora
Aloo Pakora (Potato Fritters)
Onion Pakora
Mixed
Vegetable Pakora
Paneer Pakoras
Soft, melt in the mouth paneer cheese is dipped in spiced chick pea batter and deep fried to a golden brown shade.
Paneer is an Indian fresh, dry curd cheese similar to an unsalted pressed ricotta cheese. It is made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice, vinegar, or any other food acids. The cheese is a primary source of protein for vegetarian Buddists. The fresh cheese is avaiable in blocks or cubes in Indian and Asian markets. Substitute for Paneer: Ricotta or small curd cottage cheese, drained OR Halloumi cheese.
Chicken Tikka
Chicken Tikka is an easy-to-cook dish in which chicken pieces are marinated in yogurt and special spices overnight and then grilled on skewers. Tikkas are usually eaten with green coriander chutney or green mint chutney, tamarind chutney and onion salad with lemon. The dish is garnished with fresh coriander leaves and pinch of chat masala.
Seekh Kabab - finely minced lamb seasoned with fresh onions, bell peppers and spices hand-rolled into kebabs and fire roasted in a traditional clay oven.
One commenter on a recipe for Seekh Kebab says, "Great to see some Pakistani recipes! I like to brush them every few minutes with ghee (clarified butter) while on the grill. I would also highly recommend serving this with some coriander and mint raita sauce for dipping. Pulse one bunch of coriander leaves, mint leaves, some garlic cloves, one green chilli, yogurt, and some milk in a food processor until you get a thick but pourable sauce. It provides a nice cool and refreshing contrast to the hot and spicy kebabs. And don't forget the naan's!"
Aloo Tikkis (potato patties)
Tikki
Tikki are croquettes or patties
Aloo Tikkis are patties made up of mashed potatoes and masala, deep fried in oil garnished with onion, chutney, coriander and hot spices.
Also see Tikki Ki Chaat or Ragda Patties (fried potato & chickpea patties)
Chaat
Chaats are Indian snacks and appetizers, found widely throughout India at street stands, casual restaurants, and parties. In Hindi, the word chaat means "to taste," and most are small dishes. Chaat starts with some base, such as puffed rice, fried dough chips, samosas, fried patties, and are typically topped w/ yogurt, fresh onions & coriander, sev (crisp fried chickpea noodles) & chaat masala. One restaurant menu tops most of theirs with diced onions, tomatoes, boiled chickpeas, chutneys, yogurt and spices.
Bhel Puri - phulian (puffed rice) mixed with chutneys, diced onions and coriander.
Papdi Chaat - crispy fried dough chips made from refined flour, topped with boiled potatoes, chickpeas, yogurt, chutney and spices.
Samosa Chaat - two samosas flattened and topped with diced onions, tomatoes, boiled chickpeas, chutneys, yogurt and spices.
Channe Ke Chaat - boiled chickpeas topped with boiled potatoes, diced onions, tomatoes, yogurt, chutneys and spices.
Aloo Tikki Chaat - golden brown potato patty covered with diced onions, tomatoes, boiled chickpeas,chutneys, yogurt and spices.
Vadas (fritters)
Vada is a common term for many different types of savoury fritter-type snacks from South India with a set of common ingredients. Vada is a traditional South Indian food known from ancient times. As well as being commonly prepared at home, vada are popular items in street stalls and in railway stations (including the Indian Railways). They are eaten throughout the day but most commonly as a part of breakfast alongside idlis with Sambar.
Vada can vary in shape and size, but are usually either doughnut- or disc-shaped and are between 5 and 8 cm across. Vada are generally prepared from a thick batter of Black gram or coarsely ground Bengal gram which has been fermented. This mixture is then seasoned by mixing with cumin seeds, onion, curry leaves (sometimes previously sauteed), salt, chillies and/or black pepper grains. Often ginger and baking soda are added to the seasoning in shops to increase the fluffy texture and improve fermentation for large batches. Homemade Vada generally do not incorporate baking soda and rely on natural fermentation (relatively easy in South India). The individual vada are then shaped and deep-fried. Although battered and deep-fried, the finished product should not absorb the oil since steam build-up within the vada keeps the oil out. The final result is a crispy deep-fried skin around a light and fluffy centre.
The standard accompaniment to vada is a helping of coconut chutney and a watery Sambar.
Medhu Vadas (savory "donuts" made from urad dal/black lentils)
Papadum
Papadum or Papad is a thin, crisp disc-shaped Indian and Pakistani food typically based on a seasoned dough made from black gram (urad flour), fried or cooked with dry heat. Flours made from other sources such as lentils, chickpeas, rice, tapioca or potato, can be used. They are often flavored with spices.
Papadums are typically served as an accompaniment to a meal in India, or as an appetizer or snack, sometimes with toppings such as chopped onions, chopped carrots, chutneys or other dips and condiments.
Pani Puri
Pani Puri is a popular street snack in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. It consists of a round, hollow puri, fried crisp and filled with a mixture of flavored water ("pani"), tamarind chutney, chili, chaat masala, potato, onion and chickpeas. It is generally small enough to fit completely into one's mouth.
