Quick and Easy Diwali Snack Recipes | Simple and Easy to Make Snack Recipes for Deepavali

Chattambade (Spicy Chana Dal Vada)

It is almost that time of the year in India when winter begins. It is almost that time of the year when the dawn is lightly caressed by the frost. It is almost that time of the year when the golden rays of morning sun passes through the dew drops on the grass making them look like a precious diamonds sewn on the lush green carpets. It is almost that time of the year when the trees sway to the gentle morning breeze in the cool mist. It is almost that time of the year when the soft sun light appears from the distant hills and the birds tweet as they flutter through the dew laden sky! It is almost that time of the year when the summer’s blistering heat and the monsoon’s thundering rains give way to a season of crisp winter months. It is the golden season of Kartik, a season of cool air, chirping birds, dew drops laden fresh grass, the blossoming trees and the time when the entire Indian subcontinent adorns itself in the silky golden hued sunlight to greet the heavenly bodies into welcoming arms!

When the paths are dotted with the carpet of heavenly perfumed dainty paarijata flowers and the air is heavy with the aroma of sugary treats, it is that time of the year... It is the time of Deepavali or Diwali, a Hindu festival of lights!

With the festival of lights just a week away, our house gets busy with preparing for the Diwali. It’s that time of the year when clattering of pots and pans are heard for most part of the day and the evenings as we plan the menu for the festive food. So while planning for the Diwali party menu, I thought it may be useful for my dear blog readers to have a compilation of some simple, quick and easy snacks recipes for Deepavali. I hope you will find this post useful in deciding what to cook for your friends and family and make this Diwali a special one for your loved ones.While you are at it, don't forget to check the list of Simple and Easy Sweet Recipes for Diwali to sweeten your taste buds!

May the festival of lights be the harbinger of joy and prosperity. As the holy occasion of Diwali is here and the atmosphere is filled with the spirit of mirth and love, here's hoping this festival of beauty brings your way, bright sparkles of contentment, that stay with you through the days ahead. Wishing all my dear readers and friends, a very happy and prosperous Deepavali!

Warm Regards
Sia
http://monsoonspice.com

Paneer Stuffed Mirchi Bajji	Khara Kaddi (Spicy Sev)
Chattambade (Spicy Dal Fritter)	Kodubale
Gujje Podi (Tender Jackfruit Fritter)	Spicy Beetroot Cutlet
Stuffed Bread Pakoda	Aloo-Kala Chana Chaat
Mangalore Buns	Stuffed Capsicum/Pepper Pakoda
Ragda Patties	Microwave Roasted Masala Peanuts
Aloo Bonda	Restaurant Style Gobi 65
Methi Nu Muthia	Khara Buns (Spicy Stuffed Buns)

From Home (Udupi-Mangalorean)

• Aloo/Batate Bonda - Deep fried spicy mashed potato and mixed veg fritters coated with spicy gram flour batter 
• Chattambade or Masala Dal Vada - Spicy split chickpeas/Bengal gram or chana dal fritters
• Goli Baje (Mangalorean Speciality) - Deep fried fritters made using plain flour and buttermilk
• Jeegujje Podi/Pakoda - Deep fried spicy fritter made using thinly sliced breadfruit
• Khara Avalakki - Spicy flat/beaten rice
• Khara Kaddi (Spicy Sev) - Deep fried spicy chickpea or gram flour sticks flavoured with cumin, carom seeds and asafoetida
• Kodubale -  Deep fried rice and roasted gram savoury rings from Karnataka
• Mangalore Aloo Bonda - Fritters made using spicy mashed potato and coated with spicy gram flour batter and then deep fried
• Mangalore Buns - Sweet deep fried banana and whole wheat puffed bread/poori from Udupi-Mangalore
• Microwave Masala Kadle/Peanuts - Simple and quick recipe for crunchy and spicy gram flour coated roasted peanuts cooked in a microwave in less than 15 minutes
• Moong Dal Vada - Spicy fritters made using spicy green gram mixture
• Tukkudi - Deep fried savoury plain flour diamonds

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Who would have ever thought that the day will come where I will sit down to write this post?! A post about blog-anniversary! Believe it or not, Monsoon Spice just turned 9 years old. It’s been NINE YEARS since this blog was born on a lazy afternoon and I really find it difficult to digest the fact that I have stuck to blogging after all these years. With my two men army fighting nasty cold and fever, I almost missed the blog milestone. 9 years of blogging is a huge milestone for someone who strongly believes ‘change is the only constant in life’! It looks like my love and passion for food blogging has not dulled or died down even after all these years of food blogging and if anything else, my love affair with food writing, photography and blogging has grown stronger and deeper.

 It was the peak of winter in 2005 when the days were really short and the sun disappeared for days. I was a new bride in unknown city, new country and different continent and had nothing worthwhile happening in my life. After spending long hours on phone, reading books and flipping the channels on idiot box, I was still left with many more hours of solitude and boredom! I began to spend more time in kitchen to relive the husband of mine from cooking the same meal every day. Slowly I began to cook one dish after another that I learnt from my mother through our hour long telephone conversations and expanded my recipe repertoire which was limited to half a dozen recipes. After many misadventures, small kitchen accidents and blunders, I decided to document my culinary journey for posterity to have some laugh at my expense! After couple of months I decided to take a plunge and give my personal diary an online presence for amateurs home cooks like me who struggled to differentiate pigeon peas from split chickpeas and cilantro from parsley. Well, who would have imagined that the blog born out of boredom and necessity would complete 9 enjoyable years! Not me!!! Never in zillion years! It has come a long way from being amateur cooking blog to much confident and passionate cooking blog of today!

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Last few weeks have been really busy on home front which required my full attention. This was good enough reason for me to wean myself from spending hours on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google+. It was a good break, away from social networks and spending more time on what I do best, annoying my family! ;)

This year the weather god has been really generous, blessing us with beautiful long sunny days and cool breeze in between to keep our cheer high. So we decided to make the most of it. The days were spent with Lil Dumpling, mostly in garden, caring for the plants and painting under the shade of tree. We took a break by chasing butterflies, watching the ants gather food for the winter, twittering with birds, jumping on trampoline and having impromptu picnics.

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The meaning of ‘home’ is ever evolving. When I was a kid, home was a palatial bungalow where I was born and surrounded by dozens of aunts, uncles, cousins, my grandparents and parents. It was a place where I woke up to jingling of anklets and bangles, clattering pots and pans, aroma of rasams and sambars bubbling in a large copper pots, sound of sizzling tadka and gossiping women in the kitchen. Home was the warmth of being held closely to my uncles chests, tickling fingers of my aunties, skipping and running bare footed with my cousins, splashing waters in a crystal clear streams, sleeping peacefully on a cosy bed of my grandpa’s chest, morsels of food being fed by my grandma under the star lit skies, and being sandwiched between my parents before drifting off to sleep.

When I was 6 years old, my parents moved to their current home to be close to the best schools and dad’s clinic and it became our home where we drove each other absolutely crazy one moment and made one feel like million dollars the next. It was a place which nourished me and always made me feel safe, loved, and cherished. Home was a place that welcomed me with open heart and a plate of amma’s home cooked meals peppered with spice and love!

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Coming here after months is deja vu all over again! The feeling is same as unlocking the house that has been locked for months. My feet makes an imprint on the thin coat of dust on the floor as I gingerly step inside the house which at the m. My eyes well up from sneezing uncontrollably as I

lift the dust covers from the furniture.The house starts to feel like a home as the cobwebs are brushed off and the floor is wiped sparkling clean… And finally the sense of belonging hugs me as I sit back and look around the familiar surrounding. I am home… Finally!

I have been away from blogging and social network for a very long time now. Although it wasn’t intentional, a long break from social media was simply rejuvenating and helped me clear my mind from the narcissist world of social network! This break helped me in rekindling my love affair with books, yoga and meditation. We as a family have been spending more time with one another, rediscovering the forgotten lanes of Bangalore, visiting our old favourite food joints, finding new favourites, introducing Lil Dumpling to the vibrant Indian culture, visiting family and friends, making new friends and of course, cooking family meals together.

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Cheerfulness is the best promoter of health and is as friendly to the mind as to the body.
~ Joseph Addison

And there is someone who spreads her cheerful personality through her innovative recipes, interesting anecdotes, and beautiful photographs and she is our one woman wonder Sanjeeta of a stunning blog called Lite Bite. True to her blog name, Lite Bite is a treasure trove of healthy recipes and beautifully styled photographs that will leave you in awe! From simple home cooking to fusion cooking, Sanjeeta’s tremendous talent shines through her blog where she easily transforms the not so healthy food into light, delicious and flavourful affair. You can’t help but marvel at her unique recipes that will make you wonder why you didn’t think of cooking it before?! Lite Bites is full of innovative and delicious recipes that demonstrates eating healthy and balanced food doesn’t mean one needs to compromise on taste, flavour and comfort. I feel honoured and privileged to share my virtual kitchen with Sanjeeta today who is going to share another ‘lite bites’ from her amazing recipe repertoire with us. You can follow Sanjeeta on her Facebook page, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+.

Food blogging is the ultimate hobby I could indulge in for hours on end. A captivating hobby turned into a full-time passion now, which fills me with excitement and self-worth every single day. Food blogging gives me endless entertainment, raises curiosity, creates memories and helps connect with wonderful online friends to grow together.

For many people, food is just fuel for body and an everyday comfort to celebrate life. To a food blogger ‘food is a subject’ which they seek to understand and explore. They don’t just eat good food but are inspired by it and visualize many forms of art in it. They take food to a different altitude.

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When I was a kid, the everyday meal cooked using the ingredients grown in your own backyard was something that I considered ‘blah’, well, boring! There was nothing interesting in eating the food cooked using the ingredient that grew right in front of my eyes.

Gujje Podi/Tender Jackfruit Fritters ~ Deep fried goodness!

Bendi, simple coconut based curry made using large pumpkins growing in a vine? Boring!

Huli Menasina Kodhel, lightly spiced coconut curry made using ivy gourds covering the portion of wall and roof in the back of the house? Well, boring!

Tomato Majjige Huli, sour buttermilk and coconut based curry with tomatoes plucked right from the plant in a big planter? Let’s not even talk about it!

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It’s been close to two months since we returned from our trip to India. While enjoying very much needed break with our family and friends, I managed to take few photographs of the amazing food we tasted coked by our loved ones. Ever since we returned from our trip I wanted to share the recipe with you, but little laziness and truck load of never ending tasks kept me away from writing the blog post.

Perfectly puffed Poori!

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“Motherhood is the hardest and toughest job” said one of my friends who had just become a mother for the first time few months back. We talked for over an hour about our respective kids and what they enjoy the most. I just smiled at that time and then we said our goodbyes on the phones promising to take some time to call one another in few weeks’ time. But what she said just stuck in my mind for a next few days.

Chattambade Recipe | Spicy Chana Dal Vada Recipe

Learn how to make Chattambade or Masala Dal Vada ~ Spicy split chickpeas/Bengal gram or chana dal fritters

When you do something for a very long time, it becomes part of your life. It no longer remains a separate entity, but it becomes a way of life. It integrates into your life, your thoughts and the very core of your being! It becomes a habit, a routine and ultimately, part of you! Well, it’s no wonder that something that I have been doing for the last seven years has becomes inseparable part of my very soul! And today Monsoon Spice is not just a food blog, but my little place that treasures little snippets of my life, my memories, my dreams, aspirations and above all a place where I have freedom to express myself!

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It was a cold winter Sunday morning when a teenager was woken from her sleep with a gentle touch of her mother’s hand caressing her hair.

“Open your eyes love. It’s time you learn to make a decent cup of tea!’” said her mother.

“5 more minutes Amma”, the sleepy voice begged.

But her mother knew that these 5 minutes will drag on and it will be 15 minutes or 30 minutes or 1 hour before her daughter finally opened her eyes!

“Oh no! You don’t get 5 minutes!” mother said while literally dragging her first born into the kitchen to prepare 2 cups of Indian Masala tea.

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I am 80’s Indian child and feel extremely blessed and fortunate to have one of the best and memorable childhoods! My younger sister was my best friend and my partner in crime and we grew up with bunch of same aged children in the neighbourhood whose only mantra was fultu masti! While leafing through old photographs on weekend, I saw myself going back in time and walking down the memory lane… All that fun, adventure, mischief, break ups, make ups, bonding, arguing, laughter, tears, in brief my childhood flashed before my eyes in a techni colour film…

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After what feels like a long time, a very long time, I am back at work desk today. I have not recovered completely but the sorry chapter of coughing my lungs out seems to be over which only means I will not be spreading the nasty infection around. Having left on my own for the last two days bored to me to death and just when I was about to explode into tiny pieces, DH decided it will be best thing to step outside and meet some ‘real’ people in person than the imaginary ones I was talking to for the last couple of days.

Semiya Upma: Most loved Tiffin item

Semiya/Vermicelli Upma

What would you like to have for breakfast?
~Without blinking~ Maggi…

Anything particular you want for dinner?
~Eagerly~ Yes, Maggi please!

What does my special girl wants for her birthday meal?
~Clapping hands happily~ I want Maggi Amma.

There are not many vegetables for curry today. I am wondering what to cook for Sunday lunch!
~Screaming~ How about Maggi?

What should I cook for…?
~Jumping up and down and screaming at top of my voice~ Maggi, Maggi, Maggi….

Well, that’s how much I loved (still love) Maggi Noodle. Be it morning or evening or night, be it Sunday or Monday or Friday, and be it some special days or bad days or festival days. All I wanted to have was bowlful of Maggi noodles with good helping of Tomato ketchup. Then one day unimaginable thing happened at home.

It all happened many years ago and I still remember that particular day in July. I was at school and the last period we had on that particular day was boring class on Geography. I was happily dozing in the corner bench and was suddenly awakened by the heavy thunders and screeching school bell. And then it started raining heavily; you know the typical Monsoon rains. Rubbing my eyes and yawning I came out of school building and got into the waiting school bus to take me back home with my sister and friends. While the heavy drops of rains lashed the bus windows I imagined reaching home in few minutes and my Amma waiting for us with large umbrella near door. I was all eager to get home and sit in my high wooden stool in warm kitchen and eat big bowl of Maggi noodles with Tomato Ketchup as I had told my Amma that morning I wanted Maggi Noodles when I got back from school. Just few more minutes of wait…

Everything was same as I imagined it to be. Amma was waiting for us near large cast iron gates. And she was indeed holding big umbrella for us. The kitchen smelt heavenly from the aroma of something delicious wafting from big Kadai on gas burner. And yes, Amma had indeed prepared Noodles for us. Eagerly I reached out for my bowl of delicious Maggi Noodles… But… But… But…

There was something really wrong with the Maggi Noodles that Amma had made for us. These noodles were pearly white with specks of gold and were studded with jewel like vegetables. There were carrots that looked like corals and peas and beans which just resembled beautiful glittering emeralds. While tomatoes looked like red rubies, mustard seeds glowed like black pearls. That was not definitely my favourite yellow Maggi Noodles. My yellow Maggi Noodles were definitely missing…

After little bit of dissecting, poking, twisting and turning around I tasted a spoonful of this special noodles. Mmm… They tasted fine… Took another spoonful… Mmm… It tasted little better… Yet another spoonful of noodles… And I was hooked… That’s how I fell hard for Semiya Upma or Vermicelli Upma.

Semiya Upma is usually served as breakfast or Tiffin in South India. For all those who are wondering what Tiffin is, it is in-between-meals snacks served at most homes in India. I usually make this during weekends for lazy brunches or serve as dinner. Addition of mixed vegetables makes it a wholesome and delicious meal. If you are too lazy or not very fond of vegetables, all you have to do is just skip them. Add little bit of Garam Masala if you want it to be little spicier. I usually like mine simple, without many over-powering spices. While chopped onions add nice crunch and sweetness, tomatoes and lime juice gives is a tangy note. Green chillies and ginger are the basic ingredients that give mild spicy note to this dish. Mixed vegetables not only add more flavour and nutrition, it also adds lot of colour to otherwise plain vermicelli. I usually roast vermicelli in little ghee till golden as ghee gives wonderful aroma and flavour to this dish. If you are too health conscious then skip ghee and add any vegetable or sunflower oil. But please restrain from using strong flavoured oil, especially Olive oil as it will simply spoil the taste. So shall we proceed to today’s recipe of Semiya Upma?

Roasted Vermicelli and Vegetables for Upma

Print This Recipe

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Semiya Upma (Rice Vermicelli/Noodles cooked with Vegetables and flavoured with tempering of Spices)

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Serves: 4-5
Recipe Source: Amma

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Ingredients:
2 cups Vermicelli (I used MTR Vermicelli)
1 medium Onion, finely chopped
2 large Tomatoes, finely chopped
1 medium Carrot, peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
6-8 French Beans, trimmed and cut into 1 cm pieces
¼ cup Green Peas (I used frozen)
2-3 Green Chillies, slit (Adjust acc to taste)
¾ inch Ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated
2-3 tbsp Fresh Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
½ tsp Sugar (Optional but recommended)
1-2 tbsp Fresh Lime Juice
½ tbsp Ghee or Oil
Salt to taste

For Tadka/Tempering:
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tbsp Channa Dal/Split Chickpeas
½ tbsp Urad Dal/Split Black Lentils
1-2 Dry Red Chilli, halved
2 strings Curry Leaves
10-12 Cashew Nuts or 2 tbsp Roasted Unsalted Peanuts (Optional), roasted to golden in little oil or ghee
1 tbsp Oil or Ghee

Semiya/Vermicelli Upma

Method:

Heat ½ tbsp of Oil or Ghee in a pan and add Vermicelli to it. Roast this vermicelli on medium to low heat till it turns light golden brown in colour, about 3-4 minutes. Let it cool.
Bring about 3-4 cups of water to boil and add little salt to it. Now add roasted vermicelli and let it cook uncovered till it is cooked through. Add more water if needed. It takes around 4-6 minutes to cook all the vermicelli. Drain water using a colander and keep it aside until it’s needed.
Heat tbsp of oil or ghee in a pan and add mustard seeds to it. When it starts to pop and splutter, add channa dal, urad dal, halved red chillies and curry leaves. Sauté till lentils turn golden, about 1 minute.
Now add finely chopped onion, slit green chillies and ginger. Sauté till onion turns light golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Now add finely chopped tomatoes and cook till they turn pulpy and release their juice, about 2 minutes.
Add sugar, carrots, beans and green peas and cook covered for 2-3 minutes till vegetables turn tender.
Mix in cooked vermicelli, finely chopped coriander leaves, roasted cashews and lime juice. Adjust the salt and cook for another 2 minutes for all the flavours to blend well. Serve hot with any chutney or pickle and a dollop of chilled yogurt, the way I like it.

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On other note I am taking break from blogging. Yes, you guessed it right. I am in India, enjoying both sun and sea in my native. :) I might post in between but can’t promise anything at this time. So have fun friends….

Chao… Till we meet again
Sia

Pav Bhaji

When I left India with me came one big carton of different masalas. Among them was one pack of Pav Bhaji Masala. I never tried making pav Bhaji back in India because in every nook and corner of any street you will find these Gaadiwala's or Fast food corner who are expert in making Pav Bhajis. But here...No such luck!!! So with the help of my mom on phone and direction from my hubby here some how I managed to pull it out. And this happened some 10 months back and that 1 pack of Pav Bhaji Masala got over loooooooong time ago. Till now I have lost the count of times we have cooked Pav Bhaji as our special treat for weekends. Now I can say that I too can compete with other Gaadiwala's when it comes to Pav Bhaji;)
Here is the recipe for making Pav Bhaji. You may have to go to a nearby Asian Indian store to get the 'Pav Bhaji Masala' that is the special spice to bring the flavor (Masala means spice). Pav is actually the buns. Bhaji is the vegetables cooked with spice.

Yummyyy...Pav Bhaji

Ingredients:
10 Pav (breads)
2 Large Potatoes
1/2 cup Green Peas
2 Carrots
1/4 Cauliflower
1/2 cup Beans
3 big tomatoes
2 Onions
1 big Capsicum
1/2 tbsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tbsp Red chilli Powder
50 gms Butter
2 tbsp Pav Bhaji Masala
1/2 tbsp Dhania/coriander Pwder
Salt and sugar to taste

Grind together:
2 Green Chillies
1/2 inch Ginger
6 flakes of Garlic

Pav Bhaji

Method:
Cut carrots, cauliflower and beans into small pieces and pressure cook with green peas.
Peel the cooked potatoes and mash.
Melt butter into a shallow pan, season with Jerra/cumin seeds.
Add onions and fry till it turns golden brown.
To this add ground masala and fry.
Mix finely chopped tomatoes and fry till it is mashed properly.
Add mashed potatoes, chopped capsicum, other cooked vegetables, salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder, dhania powder, pav bhaji masala and little sugar.
Pour just enough water to make it into thick garvy.
take two laddles or masher and mash the vegetables with then thouroughly when it is boiling.
when the garvy becomes thick remove from flame and serve hot with garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

To serve:
Cut pav/bun horizontally into half.
Apply butter and heat on tawa.
Put little masala inside and serve with little more masala on its side.
Serve finely chopped onions and lime pieces as accompaniments.

All time fav-Pav Bhaji

Masala Dosa

One thing which I missed the most during my hostel days was Big M...Yup, its my Mom's speciality dish...the crispy, tasty, wonderful Masala Dosa. My mom is the best cook(better than MTR:) when it comes to masala dosa. Everytime I went home on short leave from hostel, I was always embraced with big hug from mom and big plate of Masala dosas. For me its a King of all Dosas. I can never match the special taste of mom's cooking but I'm getting used to cooking well for my standards:) Here is my humble recipe for preparing quick and easy and also tasty masala dosa. Oh...I got the big thumbs-up from my Hubby too;)

Masala Dosa with Red Chutney

Ingredients:
For Dosa:
2 cups Rice
3/4 cup Urad Dal
1/4 cup Moong Dal(Green Gram)
2 tbsp Methi Seeds
1/2 cup Poha
Salt to taste

For Poato Curry/Bhaji:
1 big Onion, sliced thinly
3 medium Potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed
1 inch chopped Ginger
1 tsp Termaric Powder
2 Green Chillies, slit
Fresh chopped Coriander leaves
Salt to taste
For Seasoning:
1 tbsp Mustard
1 tbsp Urad Dal
2-3 Dry Red Chillies
Few Curry leaves
Pinch of Hing

For Red Chutney:
1/2 cup Coconut
1/2 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
2-3 Dry Red Chillies
1/2 inch Ginger
1/2 tsp Tarmarind Paste
Salt to taste

Masala Dosa

Method:
For Red Chutney:
Grind all the ingredients in a mixi/food processor to smooth paste adding enough water and keep it aside.

Dosa with Red Chutney

For Potato Bhaji/Curry:
Take little oil in a pan and add all seasoning ingredients and fry till it starts spluttering.
To this add sliced onions and chopped ginger and cook till onions turn translucent.
Add slit chillies, mashed potatoes, salt and little water and mix them well.
To this add termaric powder and chopped coriander leaves and cook for 2-3 minutes mixing well.
Remove the pan from gas and keep it aside.

Dosa with Potato Bhaji

For Dosa:
Soak rice, urad dal, moong dal and methi in water for 4-5 hours or over night.
Grind all the ingredients with Poha, salt and enough water to smooth paste.
Its recommended to keep this batter to stand overnight.
Next day heat the tava/pan and put little ghee/cooking oil.
Spread the batter on tava and spread the red chutney evenly.
Cook it till the dosa turns brown and crispy.
Add a tsp of Ghee on top of it and a 2 tbsp of Potato bhaji/curry.
Fold the dosa in middle and serve hot.

Crispy Masala Dosa ready to serve