SNACK TIME

Snacks are an all time favourite , with everyone.We all feel these hunger pangs in between meals, of course nowadays the trend is to snack healthy and we are advised to eat nuts, fruits, energy bars in lieu of farsans, fried snacks and sweets. But truthfully, who does not like biting into a hot crisp samosa? which has been dunked into a spicy mint chutney or a tangy tomato chilli sauce? or even a simple fried potato tikki,which is so crispy on the outside and soft on the inside? I must confess, I cannot resist fried snacks, i would rather eat a fried tikki once in a way rather than a pan fried one ever so often. But with all due respect, not all snacks are fried. And many non fried snacks taste equally delicious. Gujarat for  instance has given us many steamed wonders such as the different varieties of dhoklas ( my personal favourite), the melt in your mouth khandivis, the methi muthiyas etc.Heading south You get a mixed variety, the steamed idiyappams,  idlis or the crisp medhu wadas etc.

Maharashtra is the state where I was born , and what should I say about our maharashtrian snacks, I could go on and on . Sabudhana wadas, kothimbir vadis, bhakarwadi,  and  who has not heard of the famous vada pav? crispy besan coated spicy potato balls , deep fried and served between a slit pav with generous lashings of garlic and chilli chutney…this street food is one of the most popular snack item sold on streets, its price suits all pockets from the poor man to collage students and to the rich who arrive in their mercedes to buy it.. it is also called the poor man’s burger.

As young children , snacking was sometimes as simple as a slice of bread with jam on it or even some butter and bread, and then we were off running to meet our friends to play hopscotch or hide and seek. Those were the carefree days of childhood. One memory that stands out is coming home from school to the pungent smell of green chutney being ground on the stone slab by our old helper girgabai, the fragrance of mint, corriander leaves and spicy green chillies literally filled the house once a week, because baba loved his chutney to be made in the old fashioned way, he really enjoyed eating  his chutney dabroti(bread) as its called in sindhi.

Today I would like to share with you a snack which I learnt in my cooking group, THE FUN AND FOOD LADIES GROUP of which I am privileged to be a member of,  since almost 25 years, this wonderful group has been active in Jakarta since almost 40 years and has members of all age groups. We gather monthly at different members homes and we share recipes and host lunches. Today I can truly say that, over the years  I have learnt a lot  of cooking and many other things from the ladies in this group, all of who are now dear friends.

THE SANDWICH BALL

INGREDIENTS..

4 SLICES OF WHITE BREAD..REMOVE THE CRUSTS PLEASE

 2 TBSPS GREEN CHUTNEY

2 TBSPS CHILLI TOMATO SAUCE

3TBSPS OF GRATED CHEESE

1 TBSPS OF YELLOW MUSTARD

750 GMS BOILED , SKINNED AND MASHED POTATO

2 SLICES OF GRATED WHITE BREAD

1 TBSP OF SHAHJEERA, 1 TBSP OF RED CHILLIE POWDER AND SALT TO TASTE

1/2 CUP FLOUR MADE INTO A  MEDIUM THICK SMOOTH BATTER WITH WATER

AND SOME DRY BREADCRUMBS

METHOD

1.. APPLY GREEN CHUTNEY TO A SLICE OF BREAD AND TOP WITH ANOTHER SLICE OF BREAD, NOW APPLY YELLOW MUSTARD AND SPRINKLE CHEESE ON THIS SECOND SLICE, TOP WITH A THIRD SLICEOF BREAD AND APPLY CHILLI TOMATO SAUCE ON IT, FINALLY ADD THE FOURTH SLICE OF BREAD.. YOUR THREE LAYERED SANDWICH IS READY.. CUT IT INTO 4 EQUAL PIECES AND KEEP ASIDE.

2.. NOW TAKE YOUR MASHED POTATOES AND ADD SALT TO TASTE, THE SHAHJEERA, AND RED CHILLI POWDER. MIX WELL AND ADD GRATED BREAD SLICES TO THIS.. MIX WELL WITH YOUR HANDS AND DIVIDE INTO 4.

3.. TAKE ONE PART OF POTATO MIX AND FLATTEN IT ON THE PALM OF YOUR HAND.. IT SHOULD BASICALLY BE AS BIG AS YOUR PALM , PUT ONE PIECE OF THE SANDWICH ONTO THE CENTER, AND BRING THE POTATO MIX TO COVER THE SANDWICH TOTALLY, WORK IT INTO A TIGHT ROUND BALL, PRESSING IT GENTLY AS YOU GO, MAKE THE REMAINING BALLS IN THE SAME WAY…

4.. DIP THE SANDWICH BALLS INTO THE PREPARED BATTER AND ROLL THEM IN BREADCRUMBS, PAT GENTLY. DEEP FRY THESE BALLS ONE BY ONE IN HOT OIL UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN.

5… CUT EACH BALL INTO 2 HALVES AND CUT EACH HALF INTO 3 PIECES, SO YOU GET 6 WEDGES OUT OF EACH SANDWICH BALL. CUT USING THE SAWING METHOD.

6.. SERVE THESE WEDGES PRETTILY PLATED WITH ANY SAUCE OF YOUR PREFERENCE…