Deep fried items are so tasty to much during noon time with a cup of coffee or tea. When you make it at home, it tempts you to grab some while you watch your favorite channel or movie.

This one is quite simple but delicious. The store bought ones are bright in color due to  the coloring agent added. Even without that, it looks bright and tasty. Spice it with lemon pepper, chili powder and hing powder, it is simply crunchy.

Fried Peas

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Recipe: Fried Peas
Recipe Level: Easy/Beginner
Recipe/Post by: Viji

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Ingredients Needed

250 gms of dried green peas

1 tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp of red chili powder
½ tsp hing powder
Salt to taste

Few curry leaves

Oil for frying.

Wash and soak the green peas overnight. During summer 6-8 hours is enough.

Drain them and spread it on a kitchen towel, to absorb the water. Leave it for 30 minutes.

Heat the oil and fry them in batches till the sound subsides. Fry the curry leaves in the same oil. When the peas is still hot, add the spices and mix well.

Enjoy it with a cup of hot coffee.

Chana jor garam ~ Roasted and Spiced Garbanzo beans

Outside my school there used to be a vendor with a cone shaped stand about 2 feet in diameter on the top. The center had four partitions each housing a different roasted legume or nut such as chickpeas (Chana jor garam - 1), Black chickpeas (Chana jor garam - 2), Peanuts (Moongphali) and Ber (Indian berries). Along the rims there would be jars of the same size filled with black salt (kala namak), paprika (red chilli powder), chaat masala and arrays of paper cones. When the bell for recess rang children would make a dash towards various vendors and in minutes they would be swarmed like bees with children extending one rupee coins and demanding their favourite chaat.

These nuts and legumes, roasted and spiced, serve as healthy, low fat but tasty snacks. One can find them in shops but they are very easy to prepare at home as well and so hygienic too. In today's post I am sharing my recipe for crunchy roasted chickpeas/garbanzo beans. Using this recipe you can be assured that the roasted chickpeas will have a crunch that will last for three days at least provided they are stored air tight.

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Recipe: Chana jor garam ~ Roasted garbanzo beans /chickpeas
Preparation Time : 45 minutes excluding time to soak beans

Yield : 1.5 cups
Recipe Level: Easy
Recipe/Post by: Sunshinemom

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup Garbanzo beans / Kabul chane (Soak 4-5 hrs or overnight)
• 1 tbsp. Sunflower oil / Olive oil
• Garlic powder - As per taste
• Paprika / Red chilli powder - As per taste
• Chaat masala (Optional)
• Salt - As per taste

Ingredients / Ready for baking

Method:

• Drain soaked chickpeas.
• Boil enough water with a pinch of paprika and half the salt. Add drained chickpeas and cook for about 12-15 minutes till the beans are just done. They should not burst out of their skins, should be firm but easily cut with a knife.
  
• Drain again. Remove any excess water/moisture by patting between layers of kitchen napkin. I use a clean towel to do this.
• Pre-heat oven to 200 deg. Cel.
• In a baking pan pour 1/2 tbsp. oil and turn over the dry boiled chickpeas. Add salt and garlic powder (optional).
  
• Toss well till all the beans are evenly coated with the oil. Arrange them in a single layer on the pan.
• Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 200 deg. Cel. If your oven has burn spots like mine check after the first 10 minutes and toss before putting it back for another 10 minutes.
• Remove and let cool completely.
  
• Again pre-heat oven to 200 deg. Cel. This time bake for about 10-15 minutes till the chickpeas become crunchy and golden. Keep checking and tossing after every five minutes for burn spots (in which case turn over the tray and bake the opposite side). Mine gets done in 10 minutes but some ovens may take a little longer, but definitely not more than 15 minutes.
• Remove and cool till easy to handle.

• Put the roasted beans in a paper bag. Toss in spices as needed (paprika, black salt and chaat masala). Fold the open end of the bag and shake well so that the beans are well coated.
  
• Arrange in a tray till it comes to room temperature and store in an air tight bottle.
  

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Special Notes/Tips:

• Double baking ensures that the crunch of the beans lasts for a few days. Otherwise the beans become soft the very next day.
• If you add the paprika in the beginning it might burn hence I prefer adding it towards the end.
• Spices are optional. You can experiment with Italian dried herbs which also taste extremely good, such as rosemary and oregano.
• Garlic flakes make a good addition.
• Cool completely before storing to prevent spoilage and tenderness.

Well the dish isn't as complicated as the name might suggest and is one of those easiest snack you can get your hands on. I remember Athamma making this sometime ago for a festival and on a repeated request made it again. When I finally came to know what goes in, I was quite surprised.

I made this again this weekend and I wondering how just few ingredients could end up being so tasty!

Savory Jowar Balls

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Recipe: Savory Jowar Balls
Preparation Time : 15 mins
Makes : 10 balls
Recipe Level: Easy/ Beginner
Recipe/Post by: Srivalli

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Ingredients Needed:

Jowar - 1 cup
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/4 tsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Ajwain - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

Cooking Soda a pinch
White Sesame Seeds - 1 tsp
Hot water as required

Oil for Deep frying

Procedure:

Take the flour in a bowl, add all the ingredients. Add some hot water and mix with a spoon.

After couple of minutes when you are able to handle, mix well together to form balls. The dough will be like a chapati dough.

Divide into small balls and deep fry in hot oil.

Cook in low flame as the entire ball has to be cooked.

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Special Notes/Tips:

Add very little water and make sure to mix with spoon as the water will be hot.
Don't let the dough stand for long as it will tend to absorb more oil.
Cook on low flame to ensure even cooking on all sides.

Get ready for a treat with all Salty Snacks that the team is going to tempt you with. First in the series is this easy Moong Dal Pepper Thattai by Viji.

Though I prefer par boiled or puzungal rice for rice based snacks this one is exceptional by its taste. We don’t find time to grind and prepare snacks all the time. Need to quick fix at times. Try this one and you will be surprised. The texture and taste are awesome.

 Moong Dhal Thattai

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Recipe: Moong Dhal Thattai
Recipe Level: Easy/Beginner
Recipe/Post by: Viji

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Ingredients
1 cup rice flour (good quality store bought one)
½ cup moong dhal (cooked till soft)
1 tbsp fresh/dessicated coconut
1 tsp corasely powdered pepper
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp sesame seeds
½ tsp hing/asafetida powder
Few curry leaves chopped
2 tsp butter
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

• Mix everything by hand well and form a pliable dough with enough water.
• Take a small gooseberry sized balls and pat them in round shapes. You can prepare the size you prefer.
• Prick them with fork on top to avoid puffing while frying. (I don’t do this normally).
• Deep fry them in batches till they are crisp. Tasty and healthy one. Kids will love it.