Indian spices lend themselves to nibbles, as a small bite can really pack a punch. I urge you to try the Pani Puri, a popular street food snack that will really give your friends an unexpected taste experience.
500 g/18 oz. salmon fillet
1 red onion, cut into 2-cm/1-in. squares (optional)
freshly squeezed lemon juice, to serve
fresh coriander/cilantro, to garnish (optional)
For the marinade
100 ml/⅓ cup vegetable oil, plus extra for frying
2 heaped teaspoons grated fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, grated
2–3 medium fresh red chillies/chiles, finely chopped
½ teaspoon each chilli/chili powder and garam masala
2 pinches of salt
25 small wooden skewers
Makes about 25
Discard the skin from the salmon fillet, then cut it into about 50 2-cm/1-in. cubes.
Mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl, then add the salmon cubes and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight, covered, in the refrigerator.
Skewer the salmon cubes onto small wooden skewers, separated by onion slices, if you wish. Two cubes is ideal, but you can put one or three cubes on each stick, if you prefer.
Heat a little vegetable oil in a ridged griddle pan or frying pan/skillet. Fry the salmon, in batches, turning regularly, until cooked through. Squeeze the lemon over and garnish with fresh coriander/cilantro, if you like. Serve.
chicken tikka skewers
300 g/10½ oz. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
vegetable oil, for frying
freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice, to serve
fresh coriander/cilantro, to garnish (optional)
For the marinade
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
freshly squeezed juice of ½ a lemon
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons natural/plain yogurt
⅛ teaspoon chilli/chili powder
1 cardamom pod
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
30 small wooden skewers
Makes 30
Cut the chicken into 30 pieces.
Mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl, then add the chicken and leave to marinate, covered, overnight in the refrigerator.
Bring the chicken to room temperature. Skewer the chicken onto small wooden skewers. Heat a little vegetable oil in a ridged griddle pan or frying pan/skillet. Cook the chicken for 5–7 minutes, turning regularly, until cooked through.
Squeeze over some lemon or lime juice to taste and garnish with fresh coriander/cilantro, if you wish. Serve.
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 large pinches of salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, grated
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 fresh green chillies/chiles, finely chopped
½ teaspoon chilli/chili powder
4 fresh curry leaves (optional, but don’t used dried ones)
2 tablespoons natural/plain yogurt
½ small bunch of fresh coriander/cilantro, chopped
100 g/3½ oz. gram/chickpea flour
Makes 35–40
Put the onions into a large bowl. Sprinkle on the salt and squeeze the onion slices with your hands to extract the juices.
Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Taste and season accordingly. If the batter is too doughy, add a little cold water to the mix.
In a large frying pan/skillet, heat the sunflower oil to 180°C (350°F). Test-fry a bhaji by dropping a teaspoonful of the mixture into the oil. It should take only a couple of minutes to cook.
Continue to fry all the bhajis in the same way, drain on paper towels and serve.
pani puri
1 large potato, peeled, cut into 1-cm/1/2-in. cubes and boiled for 10 minutes
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Pani (spicy water)
30 g/1 cup fresh mint leaves
10 g/⅓ cup fresh coriander/cilantro leaves
2 large green chillies, chopped
1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate or 3 tablespoons tamarind pulp
freshly squeezed juice of ½ a large lemon
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon fresh ginger, chopped/grated
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon caster/granulated sugar
Puri (semolina shell)
65 g/scant ½ cup semolina
20 g/2⅓ tablespoons plain/all-purpose flour
a pinch of salt
Makes 30–40
To make the pani, put all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender with 700 ml/3 cups water. Blend well, then strain. Set the pani water aside.
To make the puri, mix the semolina, flour and salt in a bowl and add 30 ml/⅛ cup water. Mix with your hands and add more water until it comes together. You should need no more than 60 ml/¼ cup water in total. Knead the dough for 5 minutes until soft. Cover with a damp kitchen towel for 10 minutes.
Heat the oil for deep-frying in a deep pan to 180°C (350°F). Pinch little balls (the size of a plump chickpea) from the dough and roll them into very thin flat disks.
Drop them into the oil in batches. They will sink to the bottom and, in seconds, rise to the top. With a slotted spoon, press them under the oil to puff up. Turn them over so that they brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Once cooled, tap a hole into the top of each puri, drop a couple of potato cubes in and a tablespoon of pani water. Serve immediately.
pani puri (p61), onion bhajis (p61), chicken tikka skewers (p60), spicy salmon skewers (p60).
spinach, fennel & cumin ricotta cakes
This recipe is inspired by Deena, who writes the most mouthwatering vegetarian recipes on her blog.
80 g/3 oz. fresh spinach
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1½ teaspoons fennel seeds
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
180 g/6½ oz. ricotta, plus extra to serve
70 g/generous ½ cup plain/all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs, separated
100 ml/scant ½ cup whole milk
2 pinches of salt
vegetable oil, for frying
chopped spring onions/scallions, to garnish
Makes 40
Shred the spinach leaves in a food processor.
In a small frying pan/skillet, warm the cumin and fennel seeds in the oil, but don’t let the seeds pop/toast, or they will taste bitter.
Add the seeds, ricotta, flour, baking powder, egg yolks and milk to the food processor and season.
Whizz until combined and transfer to a large bowl.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold them into the spinach mixture.
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large frying pan/skillet over a high heat and drop heaped teaspoons of the mixture into the oil. Fry for about 30 seconds on each side, or until cooked through. Continue to cook the remaining mixture, adding extra oil to the pan, if needed.
These are delicious served just as they are, or you can spoon a little extra ricotta on top and sprinkle with chopped spring onions/scallions.
tandoori prawns with minty yogurt dip
20 king prawns/jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
For the marinade
2 tablespoons sunflower oil freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime
1 fresh green or red chilli/chile
2 garlic cloves thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon white pepper a pinch of salt
3 tablespoons natural/plain yogurt
For the minty yogurt dip
150 ml/⅔ cup natural/plain yogurt
2 tablespoons freshly chopped mint
1 garlic clove, crushed a pinch of salt
Makes 20
For the minty yogurt dip, mix the ingredients together. Chill until ready to serve.
To make the marinade, blitz all the ingredients together in a food processor.
In a large bowl, marinate the prawns/shrimp for 2 hours.
Heat a frying pan/skillet, add the oil, followed by the butter.
Use a slotted spoon to drop the prawns/shrimp into the frying pan/skillet and fry on a high heat for 1 minute on each side in 2 batches.
Serve the prawns/shrimp with the dip.
This is a great ‘make ahead’ canapé as you can have the lamb skewered and marinating in the refrigerator overnight, ready to grill minutes before serving.
500 g/1 lb. 2 oz. boned lamb shoulder or leg meat, cut across the grain into 45 bite-sized strips (approx. 10 g/¼ oz. each)
vegetable oil, for brushing
chilli/chili powder, for sprinkling (optional)
freshly squeezed lemon juice, to serve
sea salt flakes, to serve
For the marinade
2 garlic cloves, crushed thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, grated
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 pinches of salt
1 teaspoon chilli/chili powder
200 ml/scant 1 cup coconut milk
Makes 45
To make the marinade, combine all the ingredients except the coconut milk and rub it into the strips of lamb. Mix in the coconut milk and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
You can skewer the lamb before or after marinating but you save on refrigerator space by doing it after.
Brush a very hot griddle pan with vegetable oil and cook the skewers for 40–60 seconds on each side, or until cooked to your liking.
Sprinkle with sea salt flakes, squeeze over some lemon juice and sprinkle with chilli/chili powder, if you wish.
pea & potato samosas
300 g/10½ oz. potato, diced a pinch of salt
2–3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 shallots, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
100 g/scant 1 cup frozen petits pois
1 small fresh green chilli/chile, finely chopped (optional)
½ teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
1 tablespoon freshly chopped coriander/cilantro
salt and freshly ground black pepper
270 g/9½ oz. filo/phyllo pastry
vegetable oil, for frying
mango chutney, to serve (optional)
Makes 40
Put the potato in a large pan, cover with cold water, add the salt and bring to the boil. Simmer for approximately 8–10 minutes or until soft. Drain and mash lightly.
Heat the oil in a frying pan/skillet, add the shallots and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, ginger and butter to the shallots and fry for another minute. Add to the potato.
Cook the peas, then add them to the potato mixture along with the chilli/chile, if using, cumin seeds and chopped coriander/cilantro. Season to taste.
Cut the filo/phyllo pastry into 23 x 6-cm/9 x 2½-in. strips and put a teaspoonful of the potato mix in the left corner. Fold the pastry over into a triangle until the samosa is sealed. Dab on a little oil to stick the last fold in place.
Shallow-fry the samosas for a minute or so on each side until the pastry is crisp. Drain on paper towels.
Serve with mango chutney, if desired.
Clockwise from bottom left: spinach, fennel & cumin ricotta cakes (p64), spiced coconut lamb skewers (p65), tandoori prawns with minty yogurt dip (p64), pea & potato samosas (p65).
