Thursday, November 17, 2005

A Spicy Holiday Blog Party!

It is time for yet another Blog party, the monthly "do" where food bloggers gather together for a virtual party of tasty bites and drinks. This time around, in keeping with the holiday spirit that is being kindled everywhere, our hostess Stephanie has chosen this as the "Holiday edition". Personally I am still in Diwali mode, and decided to make a couple of Indian-themed snacks to take to the party.
Nuts are integral to any party! This is a favorite Indian snack that makes the round at every party. Traditionally, these masala peanuts are fried, but here is a more convenient microwave version that saves on oil without skimping on taste.
Masala Peanuts

MasalaPeanuts
Ingredients:
1 cup peanuts
1 tbsp. chickpea flour/besan
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. red chilli powder
1/4 tsp. cumin powder
1/4 tsp. coriander powder
2 tsp. oil
Method: Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Sprinkle some water and mix well so that all the peanuts get a light coating of the spices and besan. Spread them on a microwave safe plate in a single layer. Microwave on high for 9 minutes (not all at once, 3 minutes three times, stirring in between). Your microwave may need a different cooking time, so keep a close eye on it. Let the peanuts cool down completely before you eat them!


Another party favorite is papads, served just by themselves or with a chutney dip. I adapted these into little bite-size canapes.
Papad Canapes

PapadCanapes
Ingredients:
2 urad papads (I used "lijjat" brand cumin-spiced ones)
1/4 cup finely minced onion
2 tbsp. finely minced cilantro
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
salt to taste
1/4 tsp. red chilli powder
Method:
1. Using kitchen scissors, cut the raw papads into little triangles. Each circular papad can give about 8 triangles.
2. Place the pieces on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for about a minute till papads are roasted.
3. In a bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients. Place a small amount of the filling on each little papad canape and serve right away.

This was tasty, if a tad too "oniony" and next time I may use more herbs and less onion. But its easy to make and really fun to eat.
This spicy duo needs a drink with it. Mango Lassi is the perfect choice for a sweet refreshing beverage. I always stock the pantry with some cans of mango puree, once you have the puree on hand, mango lassi is a few seconds away. Canned mango puree is sweetened so you don't need to add sugar to the lassi.
Mango Lassi

MangoLassi
Ingredients:
1/2 cup canned mango puree
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk/soymilk
1/2 cup water
Method: Blend all ingredients together. It's that easy! Serve over ice for a refreshing drink.

I can't wait to see the rest of the eats and drinks at the Holiday Party. Thanks for hosting, Stephanie!

9 comments:

  1. The peanuts sound really amazing. I love nuts of any type.

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  2. Hi Nupur!

    Thanks so much...for joining the party, and for getting in so early!!!

    And I'm in love with mango lassi's. Yum.

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  3. Nupur - I assume the peanuts were raw when you added the masala?

    And how convenient you should post a recipe for mango lassi, because I have a somewhat overripe mango handy... yay! :)

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  4. Love the mango lassi!!

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  5. Nupur-Love both the appetizers especially the peanuts (something S loves a lot). I am awaiting your 'J'dish too.

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  6. Nupur, u can also add tomatoes ...they taste yummy on the papads.

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  7. Hi Kalyn, me too :) I LOVE nuts!

    Hi Stephanie, thanks so much for hosting!!

    Hi Shammi, yup, the peanuts were raw. And you know, I have never made mango lassi from scratch in the US...the mangoes you get here are just so fibrous and tart. me miss alphonso :(

    LisaSD, thanks :)

    Hi Mika, next time I may add more "masala" to the peanuts. Its an addictive snack!

    Hi LadyInRed, tomatoes would be a great addition, its true...thanks for the tip!

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  8. Everything looks great and that is such a great idea to jazz up peanuts and pappadums. Your mango lassi looks so refreshing.

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  9. Peanuts and papadums plus a lassi! This is so new age for a New York'er like me :) I am keen on this peanut trick. Great blog, you explained yourself well. I will follow suit. The Indian papads is what stopped me in my tracks on your blog, as I am big on papadums. having bought the papadum express from when I was in Sydney, I believe this is on my menu for this weekend. no oil or any other frying. straight papads and this here peanut trick. yummy!

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