Corn Chaat (Spicy Corn Salsa)

We all love a quick, yummy snack that takes minimal time to put together and this little dish fits the bill perfectly for that! Spicy, tick. Healthy, tick. Super quick, tick. Yummy, tick!

Being a popular Indian Chaat/street food snack, it's sure to have your tasters asking for more too! Here's my quick version of CORN CHAAT :)

Ingredients (for a few bowls): 1 cup cooked corn kernels, you can use fresh kernels or frozen, steamed well to be soft. Half a cup boondi, few tablespoons sev, 1 tomato chopped small, 1 onion chopped, optional grated carrot, few teaspoons chaat powder and chilli powder, fresh corrainder.

Make: Mix the cooked corn kernels, chopped tomato, onion and if using, carrot together in a bowl. Add in chaat powder and chilli powder. When ready to serve, toss in crisp boondi (to keep it crisp). After putting in serving bowls, top with a sprinkle of sev and corrainder. Enjoy!

Perfect for an afternoon snack or as an entree dish. Easy to create and even easier to enjoy the spicy tangy taste :)
 

Badam Puri (Almond pastry soaked in sugar syrup)

Sometimes nostalgic tastes from your childhood are so strong that you feel the need to re-live those tasteful memories! With the benefits of blogs and super talented master chefs that share their recipes, it's now so great to learn and try creating these yummies yourself! 

So here it is, my attempt at creating my own version of BADAM PURI, thanks to a wonderful recipe posted on Udupi Recipes. How to describe this delicious, crispy yet soft, sweet and salty, juicy sweet treat?? I just cannot...try this quick version for yourself to find out :)

Ingredients for about 12 Badam Puris: 1 cup fine semolina (chiroti rava), 1/2 cup plain flour (maida), pinch of salt, milk to mix the dough, 1/2 cup almond powder  few, tablespoons melted butter/ghee. Oil for deep frying puris. 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water for sugar syrup.

Make: In a bowl combine semolina, plain flour, almond powder, salt and mix into a soft dough with milk and butter as needed. Keep aside for about an hour. In a separate dish bring the sugar and water to boil to make your sugar syrup. Make small golf ball sized balls with the dough then using a rolling pin, roll out flat, around the size of your palm. Fold into triangles as shown in the photo, put in a clove to keep the shape during deep frying. 

Once ready to fry, drop in 3 or 4 triangles at each time and fry on low flame until golden in colour. If you fry too fast the inside will not cook. Remove and drain excess oil. Then drop into the sugar syrup to soak for about 5 minutes. Place on a serving plate and dust powdered sugar for a lovely presentation. 

Enjoy!!

Coconut Vanilla Panna Cotta - egg & gelatin free!

Summer desserts are a favourite in our house, as I'm sure they are in yours! What's even better is creating a dessert that takes little effort and can be enjoyed at any time of the day. We recently enjoyed our egg & gelatin free (can also be made dairy free) COCONUT VANILLA PANNA COTTA :)

Here is my version of this delicious sweet treat!

Ingredients (for four serves): 1 cup full cream milk, 2 tablespoons coconut powder, quarter cup caster sugar, 2 tablespoons corn flour, drop of vanilla essence, crushed biscuits & butter for a base, fruits for topping.

If making dairy free, replace the full cream milk and coconut powder with just coconut milk.

Make: Make the base by mixing crushed biscuits and melted butter. Prepare serving dishes as shown in photo. In a small bowl, use a few tablespoons of milk/coconut milk and mix in the cornflour - this is to ensure the mixture has no lumps before adding to the heated milk.

Heat the milk on stove top but not boiling, stir in caster sugar then stir in the cornflour and milk mixture. Add vanilla essence and coconut powder (obviously if using coconut milk this is not required). Keep stirring continuously until you feel a thickening consistency. Turn off heat and pour onto the biscuit base. Refrigerate for atleast 1.5 hours to allow the Panna Cotta to set. Top with fruits or nuts and serve chilled :)

Enjoy your egg & gelatin free Coconut Vanilla Panna Cotta!