The protein-packed, fairly beloved chickpeas are an integral part of Indian cuisine. As kids, we loved the sight of the pale-skinned and stubby nuggets as they dropped like a bunch of rocks into a stainless steel pot where they would be soaked in water overnight, and would watch in wonderment as the lid was flipped over to reveal pleasantly plumped-up beans in the morning. The pungent aromas of roasted fennel, coriander, red chillies and cumin, along with the sharp bite of cardamom, cloves, cinnamon..the headiness of onion-garlic-ginger fried to a golden brown finish, of ripe and juicy tomato chunks ceding to the oil..would linger on tantalizingly as the chickpeas, once cooked to a soft and tubery consistency, were steeped in a savory and spicy sauce, to scoop up with hot pooris – a weekend treat, typically.

Of course, there are a handful of other ways to use them that have stood the test of time, including chaats and hummusy varieties, but that’s never stopped us from putting a fresh spin on things, like in our Chickpea Pops, for instance. And knowing fully well that that decrees movie time in our households, we had to shake things up a bit to maintain the after-school decorum. As an extension of our favorite childhood memory that pretty much defined Sundays for us, we came up with a tangy, kicked-up warm Chickpea Salad that can be served all on its own as a weekday snack that is both healthy and fun, and not just for the school-goers.

Minty Masala Chickpea Salad

(Serves 6)

• 2 Cans chickpeas or 3 cups cooked chickpeas
• ½ Cup mint leaves, loosely packed
• ½ Cup cilantro/coriander leaves, loosely packed
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 1 Heaped tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
• 2 Thai/Indian green chillies or jalapenos, slit
• 1 Teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ Teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 Teaspoon cayenne or red chilli powder 
• 1/8 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 Teaspoon turmeric
• 1/8 Teaspoon ground fennel
• 1 Bay leaf
• Salt to taste
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1. If you are using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse them, then set aside.
2. Wash and dry the mint and cilantro/coriander. Finely chop them up in a food processor or by hand. Set aside.
3. Warm the oil in a large skillet placed on medium heat and add the ginger and chillies/jalapenos. Cook until the ginger is fragrant, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Toss in the coriander, cumin, cayenne/red chilli powder, cinnamon, turmeric, fennel, bay leaf and salt. Stir for a few seconds to allow the spices to toast up. Add the chickpeas and toss well with the spices. Stir in the tomato paste. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for about 7-8 minutes so that the chickpeas absorb the flavors. Stir occasionally. Finally, mix in the cilantro and mint that were chopped earlier, and the lemon juice and turn off the heat. You can serve them warm, but they’re also good at room temperature.

We like to serve these as an appetizer, especially when dinner is going to be late or serve bowlfuls for a wholesome and filling after-school snack. Add some whole-wheat pita bread and tzatziki if you’d like to make a light lunch of it. Or take along a box to munch at an outdoor picnic.

Find more Indian-inspired recipes using everyday ingredients in our new eBook – MANGO MASALA: 60 Indian Recipes From Your Local Supermarket..now available on Amazon.com.

Shakarpara means sugar treats. These are small diamond shaped sweets usually made during Diwali or other festivals. These sweets can be stored in air tight containers for 3-4 weeks.

Ingredients:
Approx. 12 servings

• Wheat flour – 1 cup
• All purpose flour (Maida) – 1/2 cup
• Ghee or butter  – 1/2 cup
• Sugar – 1 cup
• Milk  – 1/4 cup
• Cooking oil for frying

Method:

1. In a large bowl, combine wheat flour, all purpose flour and ghee. Mix well.
2. Ina sauce pan, combine milk sugar and 1/2 cup water. Bring it to a boil till the sugar dissolves completely. Take it off the heat and let it cool.
3. Now add sugar syrup little by little to the flour mixture and knead it into stiff dough.
4. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
5. Heat the oil in a pan for frying on medium heat.
6. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Take each part and roll the dough into 1/4 inch thick sheet.
7. Cut the sheet into small diamond shapes with the help of knife or the pizza cutter.
8. Carefully fry these diamonds in the medium hot oil till it becomes golden on both sides.
9. Drain them on the kitchen towel and cool them completely.
10. Once these diamond shaped shakarparas are completely cool, you can store them in air tight containers for 3-4 weeks.

Enjoy these sweet treats with a cup of coffee or masala tea.

Namkeen Poha Chivda: Crunchy Snack
A simple and crunchy Diwali snack.

Ingredients :

Thin Poha (flattened rice) – 2 cups
Peanuts – 1/2 cup
Dalia (roasted chana dal) – 1/2 cup
Cashews  - 1/2 cup
Golden raisins  – 1/4 cup [OPTIONAL]
Garlic cloves – 4 minced
Curry Leaves – 15
Asafoetida (hing) – 2 pinch
Green chilies – 2 finely chopped
Dried coconut flakes – 1/4 cup
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Sugar fine – 2 tbsp
Salt as per taste
Oil for tempering – 2 tbsp

Method:

• In a microwavable plate, dry roast half poha in microwave for 2 minutes on high. Repeat the same for other half. Keep aside.
• In a pan, heat oil. Now add mustard seeds, when it starts splattering, add minced garlic. Saute for 2 minutes.
• Add asafoetida powder, green chilies, peanuts, dalia, cashews, raisins, coconut flakes and curry leaves. Saute for few minutes.
• Now add turmeric powder and mix well. Also add roasted poha to the pan, mix well.
• Finally add salt and sugar and keep mixing gently. Take it off the heat or it will burn.
• Cool the mixture completely and store it in airtight container. It can be stored for a couple of weeks if kept airtight.

Enjoy this crunchy snack with Masala tea or Kesariya chai.

Namak Pare (Savory snacks)
These snacks are mostly prepared during festivals. But being such an easy recipe it can be enjoyed any time. Namak pare brings back lots of childhood memories. In our house hold, we enjoyed them year round. Thanks mom for such a wonderful snack!

Ingredients for Namak pare:

• All purpose flour (Maida) – 1.5 cups
• Semolina (Sooji) – 1/2 cup
• Carom seeds (Ajwain) – 1 tsp
• Yogurt  - 1/4 cup
• Butter/ Oil  – 2 tbsp
• Salt as per taste
• Cooking oil for frying
• Water to knead dough – 1/4 cup

Method:

1. In a large bowl, add all purpose flour and semolina.
2. Now add carom seeds, yogurt, 2 tbsp butter or oil and salt.
3. Knead it into a little stiff dough using very little water. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
4. Now divide the dough in 6 parts. Roll each part into a ball and keep aside.
5. With the help of rolling pin roll each ball into 10 inch diameter circles.
6. Cut these circles into thin strips and cut them again into 2-3 inch length.
7. Deep fry these pieces till light golden in medium hot oil.
8. Drain them on kitchen towel and let them cool completely.
9. Store these snacks in air tight containers for longer shelf life.

Enjoy Namak Pare with a cup of tea or your favorite drink anytime of the day.

The avid movie goer is used to wearing jeans that get greasy around the thighs. Grease and movies have complemented each other for as long as one can remember. That artificial buttery stuff that coats every kernel of corn before it pops somehow completes a movie experience on the big or small screen. The T-rex in Jurassic Park would seem less horrifying when the popcorn crunches between the teeth. The humor in 3 Idiots would seem more enjoyable when Lays potato chips are bitten into with a snap, the salty dust coating mouths that laugh and chew, sticking to fingers that slap the thighs in a fit of hysteria. One can go through a couple of bags of greasy snacks when one is at the movies, or on the couch watching an engrossing Red Box rental.

For the conscious movie-grease nut, however, there are options that provide the same crunchy satisfaction, minus the grease. Chickpea Pops are one of them. Rich in protein and fiber, chickpeas can be eaten in many forms, but when roasted, they take on a crisp, crackling form and provide everything that popcorn does, minus the trans fat. They’re easy to make and easy to sneak into the movies in a hidden pouch in your satchel. Or, if you’re home with friends for a movie night, they can go straight from the oven to the coffee table in minutes. What’s more, they taste better too, coated with that familiar Tadka rap-a-tap.

Here’s what you need to make your next movie experience a healthy one:

Wash 1 cup of chickpeas and soak overnight (or 12 hours at a stretch). Drain, rinse and pat dry with paper towels in the morning. Take 1 tablespoon light olive oil in a bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of red chilli powder. Toss the chickpeas in the spiced oil and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Bake for about 1 hour in a 400 degree oven, stirring every 15 minutes or so until brown and well roasted. After baking for about 45 minutes, sprinkle about 1/2 a teaspoon of chaat masala, 1/4 teaspoon each of black pepper powder, cinnamon powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Let cool and crunch away. But be prepared to dry clean those jeans as they’re bound to get a generous coating of flavorful spice bleeds.

Ingredients: [For Approx.30 laddoos]

Fine Rava/Sooji – 2 cups
Butter/ Ghee – 1/2 cup
Shredded Dry Coconut – 1.5 cups
Sugar – 1.5 cups
Evaporated Milk – 1 can
Cardamom Powder – 1 tsp
Saffron – 1 pinch
Golden raisins – ¼ cup
Cashew/Almond– ½ cup

Method:

• In a pan, heat 2 tbsp butter/ghee. Lightly roast raisins, almonds and cashews. Drain on kitchen towel. Coarsely chop nuts and keep aside.
• In the same pan, add the remaining butter/ghee on medium heat. Add rava/sooji and fry until you get the nice roasted rava aroma.
• Add shredded coconut and sugar and mix well on low heat for a minute.
• Now add raisins, nuts, cardamom powder and Saffron. Mix well.
• Add evaporated milk and turn off the stove. Keep mixing for few minutes until the evaporated milk is well incorporated.
• Pour the mixture in a bowl or thali. Let it cool till its managable. Do not cool completely.
• Take small amount of the mixture in your palm and make lemon size balls.

Kachori is one of the most common western Indian snacks. It is great on its own with tea/coffee and even tastes better as assembled chaat. It lasts for a couple of weeks if stored properly in air tight container, so it is a great anytime snack.

• Soak moong dal for at least 4 hours.
• Steam moong dal till its half done. Keep aside to cool. In the food processer, coarsely ground the moong dal.
• In a pan, heat cooking oil. Add cumin seeds. When it starts splattering, add hing and steamed moong dal. Also add red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, amchur powder and ajwain. Mix well.
• Cook till the filling is all dry. Keep aside to cool.

• Combine all purpose flour, butter or ghee and salt. Mix evenly. Now add little by little water to make flaky dough.
• Knead well to make it firm dough.
• Keep the dough aside for 5-10 minutes.
• Take small ball size dough. Roll it into small circles. Place 1 tbsp of prepared filling in the centre and bring the edges together. Make an even ball; flatten it a bit by pressing your thumb in the center gently.
• Heat cooking oil for frying the Kachoris. Oil should be medium hot.
• Deep fry kachoris very slowly till it is crisp and golden on both the sides.
• Drain it on paper towel and let it cool down. Store it in an air tight container.

Namkeen Karele is an attractive treat that tastes as good as it looks. It is flaky, crunchy and super delicious. I bet not only kids, grown-ups get tempted to grab some of them. I have learned this recipe from my mother-in-law few years back. Since then, I try making them during festivities.

Ingredients:
For 50 pieces approx.

All purpose flour (maida) - 1.5 cups
Whole wheat flour – 1/2 cup
Vegetable oil – 3 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Ajwain – 1 tsp
Salt as per taste
Water (enough to make firm dough)
Cooking oil to fry

Method:

• Combine all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cumin seeds, ajwain seeds, vegetable oil and salt.
• Mix together well and add water very slowly to make dough. Knead well to make it a little firm dough (puri kind).
• Keep the dough aside for 10-15 minutes.
• Take a small ball out of this dough and roll a small puri.
• Cut it vertically, but take care not to cut all the way. Do not separate the cuttings.
• Slowly roll the slit puri and gently twist both the sides to give it a karela shape.
• Repeat the above process to make all the karelas.
• Fry them carefully in medium hot oil.

Serve them any time with tea of coffee.