| Last updated at 8:31 AM on 29/05/07 |
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Tandoori chicken pops. — Photo by Meenakshi Agarwal/The Christian Science Monitor |
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A whole new world of Indian finger food 
MEENAKSHI AGARWAL
The Christian Science Monitor
Growing up, I remember only a few weekends when my family had the house to ourselves. Even if we weren't hosting visiting family and friends from far-off places, most of our Saturday nights were spent sharing plenty of succulent morsels of food with local friends who, like us, needed little excuse to feast. My parents, like most Indians, love to shower people with their hospitality and feed them till they're almost ready to burst.
We Indians are known for treating guests with the utmost care and generosity, and one way we achieve this is through our food. Food holds a very special place in any Indian household. No festivity is complete without a table laid end-to-end with colourful dishes.
So naturally now, with a kitchen of my own, I like to recreate these flavours. As a newlywed, I had decided to host my very own party for the first time. To keep things simple, I thought a get-together of a few close Indian friends over an array of some of our favourite finger foods would be a good place to start. As I sat down to decide on a menu, it occurred to me that I could either go the traditional route and serve the classic tikkas with lots of spicy chutney or I could kick it up a notch and create a menu inspired by classic flavours and dressed up to suit our modern tastes. When it comes to fusion cooking, I am always one to experiment with East and West. Somehow the exotic flavours of the East combined with the elegance of the West brings me the best of both worlds - almost like a perfect marriage.
I finally decided on a menu that included tiny spiced potato parcels (a twist on the classic samosa, made even simpler by using ready-made frozen pastry sheets), curried wings (delectable chicken wings spiced with traditional spices), onion fritters and my very special tandoori chicken pops (breaded chicken fingers marinated in yogurt). I also laid out a varied selection of dips, ranging from chutneys to sauces. As we went through the evening sharing our wedding memories, I realized I had to excuse myself a couple of times to refill the platters. Soon there was nothing left to fill them with. And thankfully, by that time, my guests seemed to be content and ready to move on to something sweet.
As we savoured the last spoonful of rice pudding lightly spiced with cardamom, I knew that the evening was about to come to a successful end. My friends had smiles on their faces and stomachs filled with delicious food. Not too bad for a first-timer. Maybe next time I might take it a step further. I'm thinking a grand Mughlai feast, complete with rich curries and buttery naans.
Any takers?
Variations on familiar Indian favourites
Spiced Potato Parcels
Preparation time: 30 minutes. Total cooking time: 20 minutes. Makes 24 bite-size parcels.
2 large potatoes, peeled, boiled, and mashed
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
11/42 teaspoon red chili powder
11/44 teaspoon garam masala
Salt, to taste
12 large spring-roll wrappers, cut in half to make 24 strips
Light cooking oil for deep frying
Mix mashed potatoes with spices and set aside to cool.
Put about a teaspoon of the potato filling on a cut-in-half spring-roll wrapper. Fold it up to form a tiny parcel. Seal the edges with water. Set aside on a platter covered with a damp cloth to keep them from drying out. Repeat for remaining strips.
Heat oil in a deep-sided pan and deep-fry parcels a few at a time so as not to crowd the pan. Remove parcels when they turn golden. Drain excess oil by placing parcels on paper towels. Serve warm with ketchup or chutney of choice.
Tandoori Chicken Pops
Preparation time: 1 hour. Total cooking time: 20 to 30 minutes. Makes eight to 10 pops.
2 chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
11/42 teaspoon red chili powder
11/42 teaspoon cumin powder
11/42 teaspoon coriander powder
Salt, to taste
Light cooking oil for deep frying
2 cups white flour
Bamboo skewers
Coriander or mint chutney
Mix together yogurt, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, spices, and salt. Marinade chicken strips in mixture and allow it to sit in the fridge for at least an hour or so. For best results, marinate overnight.
Heat oil in a deep-sided pan, large enough to fry three to four strips at a time. Dip each strip into plain flour, coating well on all sides, before adding them to hot oil. Fry till crisp and golden on all sides. Drain on paper towels, poke through with bamboo skewers, and serve with coriander or mint chutney.
You can avoid deep frying by simply grilling the marinated, skewered chicken strips on a hot grill till tender and done.
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