3 easy fried Indian snack recipes you can make at home for a monsoon treat

The Indian monsoon brings the fresh smell of wet grass, misty skies, and fried snacks to go with the mood. The favourite in every household, nothing beats a plate of steaming pakodas or a crisp samosa with a cup of hot tea, especially on gloomy days. Vogue spoke to chef Vineet Bhatia at Ziya at The Oberoi, Mumbai, to give us easy recipes that you can create in the comfort of your home.

1. Recipe: Spring onion pakodas

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups spring onions, chopped

• 100ml mustard oil, for the batter

• 200gm chana dal

• 4 garlic cloves

• 2-3 green chillies

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp turmeric powder

• 1 tsp carom seeds

Method: 

1. 1

   Soak the chana dal for a minimum of four hours or overnight.

2. 2

   Drain and grind the dal in a food processor along with garlic and chillies to make a thick and coarse batter. Do not add water to this, because the spring onions release water naturally.

3. 3

   Mix the chopped spring onions with the batter just before making the pakodas.

4. 4

   Heat oil to deep fry. Drop small portions of the pakoda mix and fry until they become crisp. Serve hot.

2. Recipe: Cheese Gujiya and Bisibele Bhaat

Ingredients: 

• 500gm refined flour

• 200gm cheddar cheese

• 200gm semolina

• 50gm salt

• 1 tsp carom (ajwain) seeds

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled

• 20gm green chillies

• 20gm coriander leaves

• 400ml oil

• 50gm white butter, unsalted

• 150gm tamarind sauce

• 5gm turmeric powder

• 10gm jeera powder

• 10gm coriander powder

• 2 leaves silver warkh, optional

• 150gm onions

• 5gm mustard seeds

• 15gm ginger,

• 100gm tomatoes, finely chopped

• 300gm yellow split lentils

Method for Cheese Gujiya: 

1. 1

   Make dough with maida, salt, ghee and carom seeds. Keep aside and let it rest for thirty minutes.

2. 2

   For the filling, take the grated cheddar cheese and add chopped onions, freshly chopped coriander leaves, green chillies and salt. Mix well.

3. 3

   To make the gujiyas, flatten the dough and make dumplings with the filling and keep aside for two hours.

4. 4

   Deep fry till crisp and serve with tamarind sauce.

Method for Bisibele Bhaat: 

1. 1

   Take oil add mustard seeds curry leaves and let it crackle.

2. 2

   Add chopped onions and sauté well, add ginger and tomato and keep sautéing. Add sambar masala.

3. 3

   Add boiled yellow split lentils and add seasoning

4. 4

   Cook well and add rice.

5. 5

   Finish with coriander leaves and ghee.

3. Recipe: Edamame samosa ragda chaat

• 10gm fennel seeds

• 15gm coriander, whole

• 20gm green chilly paste

• 200gm edamame

• 10gm coriander powder

• 10gm red chilli powder

• 10gm turmeric

• 10 mint leaves

• 500gm refined flour

• 5gm salt

• 200gm onions, roasted in the oven and then ground

• 100gm ghee

• 500gm green peas, dried

• 600ml oil

• 200gm tamarind sauce

• 200gm mint sauce

• 10gm jeera powder

• 50gm white unsalted butter

• 20gm coriander leaves

• 150gm onions, finely chopped

• 100gm tomatoes, finely chopped

• 50gm garlic cloves, peeled

• 50gm ginger

Method for the samosa:

1. 1

   Heat oil. Add the fennel seeds, coriander seeds, green chilli paste and coarsely ground edamame beans, and sauté well.

2. 2

   Add seasoning, coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric and freshly chopped mint leaves. This is your filling. Keep aside and let cool.

3. 3

   For the samosa dough, take refined flour, ground onions, ghee and salt, mix well and allow to rest for 30 minutes

4. 4

   Flatten the dough and fill in the edamame mixture. Fry till crisp.

Method for the ragda: 

1. 1

   Boil green peas with water, turmeric and salt till well cooked.

2. 2

   Take oil, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, chilli powder, turmeric powder and boiled peas.

3. 3

   Add seasoning and freshly chopped coriander.

4. 4

   Add tamarind chutney and lime juice while finishing. Serve with the hot samosas.

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