International Tea Day 2023: Easy and tasty snacks to relish with your evening tea

Tea time is much awaited by people around the world, especially in the evening when people wind up their day with a hot cup of tea and a crunchy snack. One of the most consumed beverages in the world, tea also has many benefits due its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and weight loss effects. International Tea Day is observed every year by UN on May 21 to promote and foster collective actions to implement activities in favour of the sustainable production and consumption of tea and raise awareness of its importance in fighting hunger and poverty. (Also read: Lip-smacking oatmeal desserts to enjoy at tea time)

Here are recipes of 4 delicious snacks that you will surely enjoy with your tea.

1. Veg puff

(Recipe by Dheeraj Mathur, Cluster Executive Chef, Radisson Blu Hotel, Kaushambi)

Ingredients

For Veg Puff

2 cups plain flour (maida)

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp gluten

1 1/2 tsp vinegar

3/4 cup lily puff margarine

Plain flour (maida) for rolling and dusting milk for brushing

For The Veg Filling

2 tbsp green peas

1/4 cup finely chopped carrot

1/4 cup finely chopped french beans

1/2 cup boiled, peeled and mashed potatoes

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeers)

1/4 cup finely chopped onions

1 tsp ginger-garlic (adrak-lehsun) paste

1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

2 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania) salt to taste

1/2 tsp lemon juice

Preparation Time: 30 mins

Cooking Time: 15 mins

Baking time: 25 min

Baking Temperature: 200°C (392°F)

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Makes 6 puffs

2. Vegetable chop

(Recipe by Sanghamitra Sarcar, Founder and Director of The Hawking St.)

Ingredients

‍200 g beetroot‍

100 g carrot‍

200 g potatoes

Vegetable oil

Peanuts

Green chilli

Ginger paste

‍Coriander leaves (optional)‍

Ghee‍

Salt‍

Sugar

Method

– Heat a kadai and roast the dry spices (fennel, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, dry red chili, black peppercorn, kalonji), let them cool down and grind to powder. Keep aside.

– Peel the vegetables, wash them well and cut into big chunks. Cook till the first whistle goes off, remove from heat. Wait till the pressure releases. Take out all the vegetables and keep in a colander to drain out all the excess water.

– Grate the cooked vegetables.

– In a pan add some oil (1 tbsp) and when the oil is hot, reduce the heat and add grated ginger and the vegetables.

– Add the powdered spices and crushed peanuts. Stir well. Add salt and sugar. Keep cooking for 5 to 6 minutes. Switch off the heat. Let the mixture cool down.

– Make small cylindrical shape with the mixture.

– Make a thin batter by mixing water and corn flour. Dip the vegetable balls in the batter and roll them in bread crumbs.

– Repeat the process. So the vegetable balls coated twice with bread crumbs.

– Deep fry the chops and drain on a kitchen towel.

– Serve vegetable chop with kasundi, green chutney and slices of onion and cucumber and hot cup of tea.

2. Crunchy Vegetable Dal Sattu Croquettes

(Recipe by Swapnadeep Mukherjee, Executive Chef, The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa)

Ingredients

Red Lentils or Masoor dal – 1 cup half boiled

Potato boiled and grated – 1 no.

Carrot grated – 1 no.

French Beans finely Chopped – 10 gm

Bread slices – 2 no.

Ground chickpea flour or Sattu – 4 tbsp

Green chilies chopped finely – 4

Ginger chopped finely – 1″

Onions chopped finely – 2

Garlic minced – 1/2

To taste salt

Pinch sugar

Chat Masala – 1 tsp.

Red Chili Powder – 1/4th tsp

Garam Masala – 1/4th tsp

Corn flour – 4 tbsp

Besan – 2 tbsp

Bread crumbs for crunchiness (optional)

Coriander as needed – 2 tbsp. chopped

Refined oil for frying

Method:

– Boil lentils in pressure cooker until 1 pressure. Open lid after sometime and strain extra liquid. Mash dal and set aside.

– Boil 1 potato and grate it. Grate 1 carrot and add finely chopped French green beans.

– Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a wok and add the minced garlic and ginger. Lightly fry and add chopped onion. Then add grated potato and carrot.

– Add slightly wet and mashed bread, chickpea flour, salt and sugar to taste, green chilies, red chili powder, and lastly add the mashed dal. Toss till the mixture is fully dry.

– Sprinkle chat masala, garam masala and chopped coriander.

– Make cylindrical balls out of the dal mixture and dip in corn flour and besan.

– Crispy fry these in batches and serve with any dip. Alternately these croquettes can be made round like balls and shallow fried with 2 tbsp. oil.

4. Porridge Kebab

(Recipe by Swapnadeep Mukherjee, Executive Chef, The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa)

Ingredients

Yoghurt hanged – 500 gm

Porridge – 300 gm

Onions, chopped – 2 no

Green chili – 4 no

Cottage cheese – 75 gm

Coriander seeds – 1 tsp

Saffron – few strands

Black pepper – ½ tsp

Ginger, chopped – ½ tbsp

Red chili flakes – 1½ tsp

Besan – ½ cup

Corn flour – 2 tbsp

Oil for frying

Method

– Lay muslin cloth over a bowl and pour the yoghurt into it, pick up the edges of the cloth and tie a knot and hang till it turns into a cheesy mixture.

– Grate cottage cheese and keep aside. Roast coriander seeds and black pepper and grind to a powder

– Heat saffron strands in water to extract the colour.

– Filling: Mix grated cheese, coriander pepper powder, green chilies, onions, ginger, saffron water and salt.

– Take hung yoghurt and porridge in a bowl, add red chili flakes and the coriander pepper powder, besan, paneer and corn flour and make into equal balls.

– Put the filling in each ball and shape into kebabs. Shallow fry in oil, garnish as per your choice and serve hot.