Snacks are the small servings of food served between meals. I bet most of us cannot do without a snack here and there through the day. While fresh cut fruit, nuts can be counted as the simplest forms of nutritious snack, we are always on the look out for something more than simple! While snacks can be sweet or savoury, here’s a wide range of savoury snacks ranging from pakodas & bajjis, chaats & street food, cutlets – kebabs & tikkis, toast – toastie & sandwiches to jar snacks and party favourites. I’m sure you’ll find many a favourites amongst these and they’ll go on to becoming your family favourites!
PAKODAS & BAJJIS:
India and its love for pakodas (fritters) and bajjis is unparalleled. If it rains, we crave for them. Friends come over, we fry some for a quick snack. Festival thali, we add a few crunchy munchies to it. Venture out for street food, we want them bajjis! A favourite teatime snack to a quick go-to pick-me-up snack when you have company, pakodas and bajjis have been there every occasion! Sharing here a few personal favourites from the traditional ones that often make their way to festive thalis, to every household favourites, to the much craved street-style ones… I’m sure you’ll love them all.
1. Sabbasige Soppina Ambode
Ambode/ Karnataka style masala vada/ Chana dal vada is a savoury snack from Udupi & Mangalore region of Karnataka. It is prepared with a blend of soaked chana dal and various spices. Ambode is also a very common side in a festive thali. A variation of this snack is made with dill leaves/ sabbasige soppu and is called Sabbasige Soppina Ambode. Dill leaves add an interesting dimension to the texture and flavour of the masala vadas.
2. Urad Dal Pakoda
Hot, spicy & crispy black gram fritters or urad dal pakodas make a delightful teatime snack.
3. Capsicum Bajji
Capsicum Bajjis make for an excellent tea time snack. If you venture into thindi-beedi or food street of Bangalore; you will most certainly come across this popular street food. Capsicum or bell peppers are dipped in a flavourful batter of gram flour & rice flour and deep-fried until golden brown. They are then cut into half and stuffed with a spicy-tangy mixture of onions, carrots and a blend of spices that are sure to tickle your taste buds and I’m sure you won’t stop at eating just one!
4. Stuffed Mirchi Bajji
Stuffed mirchi bajjis are a popular street food in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. They are made with big, fat, light green coloured chillies often sold as “bajji mirchis” in the stores. They are batter fried and stuffed with a spicy-tangy mix of onions. The spicy-tangy, crunchy flavours tickle your taste buds leaving you crave for more. This also happens to be one of my most frequently downloaded images in Shutterstock… self-flattery is a thing you know!
5. Sandwiched Aubergine Fritters
Sandwiched aubergine fritters or Gundu badnekai bajjis are a popular street food from the temple town of Gadag in North Karnataka. A spicy masala mixture made of green chillies, niger seeds (gurellu/ uchellu) and assorted spices is sandwiched between two slices of brinjal. They are then batter-fried to a crispy golden brown coating…yum! Spicy and utterly delicious gundu badnekai bajjis make for a perfect evening snack.
6. Sweet Corn Balls
Sweet Corn Balls make a delightful addition to any oriental dinner platter. Although these can be served as an appetizer on their own; these paired so well with Chinese Vegetable Fried Rice completing the Chinese theme for dinner. These little balls of delight are vegan and gluten-free. Made with a blend of ground sweet corn kernels, rice flour, spring onions, assorted spices and ofcourse soya sauce, this popular Chinese starter is perked up by the use of authentic red curry paste!
7. Vegetable Lollipops
A little indulgence on weekends is necessary. These yummy Vegetable Lollipops are a burst of flavours with a delicious blend of healthy ingredients like carrots, green peas, paneer, potatoes and a blend of spices to take the flavour a notch higher. Served them with an assortment of three dips because who doesn’t love having variety at a party?! It was a super-hit amongst everyone, asking for recipe & with suggestions to make more again.
8. Cajun Spiced Potatoes
Cajun Spiced Potatoes happen to be one of my favourites and I treated myself to all my favourites during my birthday week. If you have tasted this dish in the popular Indian restaurant Barbeque Nation and wondered how it is made or want to replicate it in your home kitchen; this is your calling!
9. Paneer Stuffed Banana Chilli Peppers
Paneer-stuffed chilli peppers is a twist on the traditional mirchi bajji. Traditionally, mirchi bajjis are batter-fried… but these are pan-roasted eliminating the entire process of frying and making them a much healthier option. To make them more delicious, they are stuffed with seasoned paneer. Paneer is loved by all in every form. The lightly seasoned paneer elevates the taste of stuffed peppers to the next level.
CHAATS & STREET FOOD
Chaat is a savoury snack that is popularly served on street side carts across Indian sub-continent. Chaats originated in Uttar Pradesh and in time gained popularity across the country. Chaat varieties vary regionally and their taste is also different because of the variation in the combination of spices used regionally.
10. Bangarpet Pani Puri
Bangarpet is a town in Karnataka that’s a connecting point between Bangalore and Kolar Gold Fields. It has lately become famous for its chaat varieties and amongst them Bangarpet Pani Puri has emerged the winner! This pani puri is known for its colourless pani… Yeah, you read that right! The spicy concoction is colourless and can be passed as regular water just by the way it looks! It is so flavourful, you’ll be left craving for more! That’s not the only differentiating factor.
11. Chole Tikki Chaat
Chole tikki chaat or Aloo tikki chole is a popular North Indian street food. They are similar yet different as compared to Mumbai special Ragda Pattice. The potato & peas tikkis/ patties are flavoured with a blend of spices and served with amritsari chole curry. Garnished with finely chopped onions, green chutney, tamarind chutney and fine sev with a sprinkle of chaat masala and black salt; aloo tikki chole is truly delightful! Garnishes vary regionally, customize to your liking by adding finely chopped tomatoes, pickled beetroot, etc…. Check Recipe
12. Dahi Batata Sev Puri
“Dahi batata sev puri” is a popular chaat from the streets of Mumbai. It gets its name from the four main constituent elements. This chaat is so delicious… It is spicy, tangy, sweet, and crispy all at the same time. The burst of flavours that each element of this chaat brings in, will leave you craving for more!
13. Ragda Pattice
Mumbai’s favourite street food, Ragda Pattice is my family’s favourite too. We can literally make a meal of it and none of us passes up a chance of having it for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Street food made at home in a hygienic manner is the best feeling ever! You can enjoy endless chaat without the apprehensions of where it was made or what went into making it. To recreate this magic in the comforts of your home.
14. Ragda Puri
The use of hot/warm ragda in Ragda Puri and Ragda Pani Puri is most popular in Mumbai (Maharashtra) and the adjoining regions of North Karnataka. The traditional cuisine of both these regions overlap and the same is visible in their offerings for street food. Hot ragda filled in the puris along with the chaat chutneys, onions and brown chana for crunch…the burst of flavours is just amazing!… Check Recipe
CUTLETS, KEBABS & TIKKIS
The terms tikki/ patty, kebab and cutlet are used invariably. If you wonder what the difference between these three is, here’s what my research landed me at: Tikkis/ patties are flat rounds made of boiled/mashed vegetables like potatoes, peas, cauliflower, carrot, minced meat like chicken, mutton and various curry spices and pan-fried. Kebabs are pieces of meat or near alternatives cooked on skewers. Cutlets are similar to tikkis, except they use some sort of batter, like egg mix, corn starch and bread crumbs and are deep-fried.
15. Aloo Methi Tikki
Aloo & methi/ fenugreek leaves are a combination made for each other! Most commonly enjoyed in its stir-fry form, the duo tasted delicious in the form of timmis too. These tikkis make a wonderful snacking option with yet another way to include this healthy herb in your diet. Now your evening teatime snacks need not be deep-fried and high on calories.
16. Dahi Saunfiyani Tikki
Dahi Saunfiyani Tikki are slightly tangy tikkis flavoured in true Mughlai style. The freshness of fennel seeds is felt distinctively in these melt-in-mouth kind of tikkis with a smooth hung-curd base.
17. Jhatpat Paneer Kebabs
These Jhatpat Paneer Kebabs are the perfect party food. Last year, I had made them for a gathering at a friend’s place and these treats were gobbled up in no time. Along came requests to make them again for when we all friends meet! Try them at home and bowl your friends over!
18. Mint-Masoor Tikki
Whole masoor/ red lentils combined with paneer & flavoured with loads of mint leaves forms the base of these healthy protein-packed, pan-toasted tikkis. They are so filling & satisfying… Check Recipe
19. Rice Vermicelli Cutlet
Does this happen to you too? Estimating the amount of rice vermicelli needed for one meal never goes my way. I had made rice vermicelli upma for breakfast and realised I had more cooked vermicelli than what was required. I set aside the excess vermicelli without mixing the seasoning to make cutlets with them for snack. To find out the makeover journey from vermicelli to cutlet…
20. Spinach Kebab
Koftas vs Kebabs… Do you know the difference? Turns out koftas are served with gravy and the dry variation of kofta is called kebab. While making Palak kofta curry, found that my son was gobbling up the kebabs as is, so I decided to saved some to fry over the weekend for our family board game night. They made the yummiest munchies.
TOAST/ TOASTIE/ SANDWICH
Breads in any form are so versatile and depending upon the way it is used, can be categorised in many ways. For a simpler approach, I have separated them into Toast – single slice of toasted bread with toppings, Toastie – two slices of bread with stuffing in between and pressed and grilled to seal the stuffing inside and good old Sandwich – veggies/stuffing held between two slices of plain bread.
Baked Beans on Toast
Baked beans is a dish that originated in the Native American cuisine and later adapted by the English colonists. In UK, the dish is usually stewed in a tomato based sauce and sweetened with brown sugar. Since I’m not using canned beans and making it from scratch, this is the method I have used in this recipe.
21. Beetroot Malai Toast
Beets are a good sources of vitamins and minerals, such as folate, manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin C. These toasts are a quick and delicious way to include beets in your diet as well as the fussy eaters at home!
22. Beetroot Toastie
These toasties have a flavourful filling made of a combination of beetroots and cottage cheese (paneer) seasoned with a blend of spices.
23. Caramelized Pineapple on Toast
What do pineapples remind you of? Careless beach vacations, basking in the sun, poolside fun, sipping on a pinacolada, summer fun are just a few memories attached to this tropical fruit. These toasts are an effort to reminisce all those happy memories.
24. Carrot Malai Toast
Carrot Malai Toast makes for a delicious breakfast or snack dish. It is soft and creamy on top with goodness of carrots and crispy on the bottom just like a toast should be. This is the only approved way my son would have carrots in his food! He says if carrots are served this way, he’ll eat them anyday!
Cheesy Spinach & Corn Pav Toast
These pav toasts are a result of series of planned and unplanned decisions and coincidental circumstances during the initial days of lockdown.
Eggless French Toast
French Toast is originally made by dipping slices of bread in egg, and milk before pan-frying. Here is an egg-less version of this classic breakfast dish that the vegetarian folks and people with egg allergy/intolerance can enjoy too!
25. McAloo Tikki Burger
The perfect mini sized evening snacking for kids and grown-ups, these aloo tikkis are the closest resemblance to the ones available at the popular fast food chain McDonald’s in India. I figured early on that the only way my son would eat vegetables was either in pizza, pasta, maggie or burgers so this was my opportunity to add-on as many vegetables as I could!
Mushrooms on Toast
These parsley spiced Mushrooms on toast make for a quick & healthy breakfast or teatime snack.
26. Spinach Pesto on Toast
Quickly blanched spinach blended with soaked almonds, garlic, freshly cracked peppercorns, salt and extra-virgin olive oil makes a delicious spinach pesti. Eliminating the cheese keeps it light. The combination of fresh homegrown tender spinach and the perfect blanching gave spinach pesto this fresh bright green colour! I was totally floored by its vibrancy! The soaked almonds added to the smooth texture of pesto. It is a deliciously healthy way of including spinach in your family’s diet.
25. Spinach & Mushroom Toastie
Spinach & Mushroom Toastie is an under 30 minute breakfast/ snack dish. Easy to make and healthy too… bringing together nutrition quotient of both spinach and button mushrooms in one dish.
26. Spinach & Corn Toastie
Spinach & Corn Toastie is a healthy way of incorporating fresh greens into your breakfast for a healthy start to a brand new day. Spinach and corn are a classic combination that works like a charm everytime.
27. Parsley-Moong Cutlet Sandwich
Cutlet sandwiches have caught fancy of my family. They have loved all the variations I have created so far. These sandwiches make for a very filling meal by themself.
28. Potato-stuffed Banana Chilli Peppers Sandwich
Vegetables, fruits, beans… you name it and it can be added to a sandwich in one or the other form. The one here is my fusion dish that brings together these pan-roasted healthier version of the otherwise batter-fried mirchi bajjis in everyone’s favourite, sandwich form – Stuffed Mirchi Sandwich!
JAR SNACKS
Jar snacks come in handy whenever you do not have time to make something fresh. Any dry snack, sweet or savoury, that can be stored for a week or ten days on the counter without refrigeration can be counted as part of this category of snacks. Having said that, it means these can be made well in advance and carried along wherever you go.
29. Chana Kurkure
Chana Kurkure, these spicy little treats are known by many names such as chana khokhle (hollow), masala chana, crispy chana,etc. They make for perfect snacking option. Make these treats ahead of time and munch on them or serve them to your guests. They have a long shelf life and can last for upto two months… that is if you make in bulk!
30. Cornflakes Chivda
Cornflakes Chivda is quite simple to make, requires minimal ingredients, has long shelf life, goes well as teatime snack too. They turn out so crisp & crunchy, do not soak much oil and the sweet & spicy taste is utterly delicious.
31. Jowar Flakes Chivda
Jowar flakes chivda makes for a delicious snack for tea or coffee time. This diabetic-friendly jowar chivda recipe has been curated after spending quite a while reading about foods that help regulate blood sugar levels and contain complex carbohydrates that release sugar slowly into the blood stream. Replacing white rice flakes – the most commonly used ingredient in chivda by jowar flakes adds to the nutritional value of this jar snack.
32. Kodubale
Kodubale or Kodbale is a specialty savoury snack from Karnataka. Traditionally, made during festivities, this spicy & crispy snack can store upto a week or more. It is customary to make sweets and savouries in bulk to last through the long festival season, be it Dasara, Diwali or any other special occasion. They are a delicious treat to munch on any day and can also make a perfect little treat to go along with your tea or coffee too.
33. Kolhapuri Bhadang
Kolhapuri Bhadang is a popular fiery spicy puffed rice-based snack from the historic city of Kolhapur in Maharashtra. Maharashtrian cuisine is known for being spicy and Kolhapuri Bhadang fits the bill perfectly! A tiny bit of powdered sugar is added to it that heightens it’s spice quotient even further.
34. Poha Chivda
Vana avalakki/ Paper avalakki chooda/ Chivda is a popular snack variety from Karnataka & Maharashtra which is slowly making appearance in many other parts of India too. Chivda is made of either thin rice flakes or the finer paper avalakki variety can also be used for making this crispy snack. Chivda makes for a delicious snack for tea or coffee time. A preferred quick bite during fasting or something to have before a puja too.
35. Vana Mandakki Oggarane
Vana mandalu oggarane, khara mandakki, mandakki chivda, spicy puffed rice, seasoned puffed rice, masala puffed rice, spicy kadlepuri or bellulli (garlic) mandakki is a popular teatime snack from North Karnataka. It is made in several variations across India and known as sukha bhel, murmura chivda and many more names. It is the perfect guilt free snack to munch on any time of the day.
PARTY FAVOURITES:
Are you always looking for new varieties of appetizers to serve at parties? While bite sized snacks are preferred, it become quite challenging to accommodate it single-handedly. Dishes that can be made in larger quantity and can be stored for a few hours, always come in handy.
36. Mexican Seven Layer Bean Dip
Tex-Mex Dip or Mexican Seven Layer Bean Dip is an American appetizer from the Tex-Mex Cuisine (Texan & Mexican) that evolved in Texas and spread across the USA & Canada. The dip is usually served with corn chips or tortilla chips. Refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, salsa roja; a mix of black olive, jalapenos, bell peppers & lettuce and a mix of cheese form the seven layers of this chunky dip. This tex-mex dip can be made in bulk ahead of time and refrigerated to be served at parties.
37. Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed mushrooms are a delicious appetizer to serve at parties. I made these for our family board game night. I’m loving the idea of these board game nights that’s giving us an opportunity to spend quality time together during weekends. After working like robots through the weekdays, this is a good way to relax & bond over food, games and a lot of chatter & banter.
Tried any of the Snack Recipes from this compilation? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out. Click a picture and send a DM or share on Instagram and tag @theredplatechronicles , I would love to see your creation. Follow me on
Have a great day!
Love
M❤️
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The Red Plate Chronicles 
Brilliant collection ….very healthy . Will definitely try
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Nidhee, thank you so much for your kind appreciation. Do try them and I would love to hear from you, how it was.
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