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Snacking – Is It Good For You?
Snacking has a ‘bad image’, as people believe that it contributes to increase in body weight. However, by choosing a healthy snack, one can gain several health benefits and in fact it can even be part of your weight loss plan. Snacks boosts your energy levels and decrease your hunger pangs, which helps you avoid overeating during meal time. Present-day snackers have a wide-range of snack foods options to relish. However, it is important to pay-attention to what you choose. Pick snacks that are high in water and fiber and less in added sugar and fat. Pairing carbohydrate and protein snacks will keep you full for long. Indians love snacking and there is diverse selection of snacks from sweet to savories to enjoy any time of the day.
3 Ways How Snacking Helps You
Provides Diverse Nutrients
Eating 3 meals a day is something that most of us tend to follow. However, snacking in between meals is a healthy lifestyle choice. Healthy Snacking increases our intake of nutrients, as we tend to consume different kinds of food than we do with bigger meals.
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Maintains Good Mood
Food is like fuel for the body. Intake of certain foods will keep you happy and alert. Healthy snacks provide consistent slow-burning fuel that keeps you full of energy all day. It improves your mood and you will look and feel happy.
Keeps a Check on Weight
Healthy snacking avoids extreme hunger pangs. Usually, when we are busy at work, we tend to grab something in the last minute that is unhealthy. This increases calorie intake thereby increasing your weight. So, a healthy mid-meal snack is recommended to avoid binge eating and unhealthy food choices.
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10 Tasty South Indian Snacks Recipes
Kerala Chips
Looking for an interesting snack recipe then you need to definitely try the crispy and flavorful banana chips. Made of raw banana, this savory snack is quite popular in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
- Nendran or Raw Banana – 4
- Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
- Salt – 1 tsp
- Oil for deep frying, preferably coconut oil
- Water – 3 tbsp.
Ingredients
- Peel Banana and slice them into medium thickness. Transfer this into a bowl and add salt, turmeric and water. Give a good stir.
- Heat oil in a pan. Deep fry them stirring occasionally on medium flame. Fry until the chips are crisp, which takes about 10 – 12 minutes.
- Remove from pan and drain off excess oil on a kitchen paper.
- You can store these chips in an airtight container for about a month.
How to make
Paalakaayalu
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana cuisine is known for its spiciness and Nizami marvels. The indigenous spices give a unique flavor to the dishes. Make your snack-time super-exciting with delicious Paalakaayalu – a deep-fried rice-flour dumplings. The snack is made during Sri Krishna Janmashtami and children absolutely love them.
- Rice Flour – 200 grams
- Sesame Oil – 2 Tbsp
- Sesame Seeds – 2 Tbsp
- Water – 2 Cups
- Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
- Asafoetida – ¼ tsp
- Salt to Taste
- Oil for Deep frying.
Ingredients
- Take water in a large container and bring it to a boil.
- Turn the flame to low and add sesame oil, sesame seeds, salt, asafoetida and red chilli powder. Stir the ingredients and turn off the heat.
- Add rice flour to the water mixture immediately and mix well.
- Transfer the dough to a plate and allow it to cool.
- Grease your palm with oil and knead the dough until it is smooth. If you feel the dough is stiff, you can add a few spoons of hot water.
- Make ½” balls with the dough. Cover the balls with a damp cloth so that it does not dry out.
- Heat oil in a pan and add Paalakkayalu in the hot oil. Fry them until they are golden brown, which takes about 10 minutes. Remove from oil and drain excess oil. Store in an airtight container.
How to make
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Kai Murukku
South Indian snacks are popular all across the country. Kai Murukku is one such famous snack made of urad dal and rice. The murukku is shaped with hand, which may be a bit tricky for beginners. This classic recipe is not only a treat to the eyes, but also your taste buds.
- 3 Cups – Raw Rice
- ½ Cup – Whole Urad Dal
- 1 – tsp Jeera
- 3 Tbsp – Hot Oil
- 21/2 tsp Salt
- 5 Tbsp – Butter (room temperature)
- Water for mixing and Oil for frying.
Ingredients
- Wash and soak rice in water for 3 hours. After 3 hours drain the rice and spread on a cloth to remove excess water. Do not dry it completely, it should be moist to touch.
- Blend the rice to a fine powder and then sieve to get a fine powder.
- Roast urad dal until it is golden brown. Cool and grind it to a fine powder.
- Mix both rice and urad dal powder along with the remaining ingredients that is, jeera, butter, asafoetida, salt and hot oil. Knead to a smooth dough.
- Take the required portion of the dough to make the murukku. Use a clean cloth or parchment paper. Grease your palm with oil and roll out the dough using your fingers. Gently twist and turn the rolled dough into a circular shape. This may be the tricky part, but with practise, you will learn.
- Heat oil in a pan. Use a dosa flipper to take the kai murukku from the parchment paper/cloth. Fry on medium flame until golden colour.
How to make
Thattai
This traditional snack is made with rice flour and realised during festivals like Diwali and Krishna Jayanti. The crispy thattai is easier to make as compared to other traditional snacks.
- 1 cup – Rice flour
- 11/2 Tbsp – Urad Dal
- ¼ cup – Roasted Gram (Pottu Kadalai)
- 2 Tbsp – Bengal Gram Dal
- 2 Tbsp – Grated Coconut
- A sprig of Chopped Curry Leaves
- ½ tsp – Asafoetida
- 11/2 tsp Chilli Powder
- 11/2 tbsp – Butter
- 1 Tbsp – White Sesame Seeds
- Salt to Taste and Oily for Frying.
Ingredients
- Fry Urad dal on medium heat until it is golden brown. Grind this to a smooth powder.
- Slightly warm the Roasted Gram and blend into a fine powder.
- Soak Bengal Gram for an hour. Dry roast rice flour until aromatic.
- Now mix rice flour, urad dal flour and roasted gram flour along with drained Bengal gram dal, chilli powder, salt, sesame seeds, coconut, chopped curry leaves and asafoetida.
- Add butter and mix well until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Sprinkle water and knead to a smooth dough.
- Take a small portion of the dough and flatten it to make a thin disc on a cloth or parchment paper. Prick these thattai with a fork to avoid puffing.
- Heat oil in a pan and slide in 3 to 4 thattais at a time. Fry them until golden brown and crisp. Store in airtight containers.
How to make
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Unnakaya
Kerala has varied snacks both sweet and savory that has remained a hot favorite of people spanning several generations. One such delightful goody from the Malabar region is Unnakaya. This mouth-watering indulgence is the best dish to satiate your sweet tooth.
- 5 no’s – Nenthrapazham/Ripe Plantains
- 1 – Egg (optional)
- 1 Tsp cardamom
- 3 tbsp – Sugar
- 1 Cup – Grated Coconut
- 2 Tbsp – Raisins/Cashews/Almonds chopped
- Ghee – 1 Tbsp
- A pinch of salt and oil for frying
Ingredients
- Steam the bananas in a steamer until soft. Remove skin and mash it into a paste without lumps.
- Beat egg and add sugar, salt and cardamom powder.
- Heat a pan and add the egg mixture in it and make scrambled eggs. (This is optional; you can even omit egg)
- Heat ghee in a pan and fry the dry fruits and set aside. Add grated coconut to the same pan and sauté until all moisture is absorbed. Mix together dry fruits, cardamom powder, sugar and the egg mixture. The filling is ready.
- Grease your palm with oil. Take lemon size banana mixture and flatten it. Fill it with the coconut mixture. Seal the edges and give cylindrical shape.
- Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the Unnakaya until golden brown.
How to make
Paniyaram
Paniyarams or kuzhi paniyaram are fluffy and delicious snack, which is relished with sambar and chutney.
- 1 cup – Raw Rice
- ¼ cup – Urad Dal
- ¼ tsp – Fenugreek Seeds
- ¼ cup – Poha
- 1 tsp – Mustard, 1 tsp – Urad Dal, 1 Pinch – Hing, a Handful of Curry Leaves, 1 – Onion (finely chopped), 1 tbsp – Ginger (finely chopped), 2 finely Chopped – Green Chillies
- Oil for frying.
Ingredients
- Wash rice and dal. Soak these ingredients with poha and fenugreek seeds for at least 4 hours. Drain and grind everything to a smooth paste. Add salt and ferment it overnight or at least 8 hours.
- Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, curry leaves and urad dal. Sauté for a few seconds and add green chillies, onion, and ginger. Add this to the fermented batter.
- Heat the paniyaram pan. Add some oil and pour the batter in each hole. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Flip and cook until they are golden brown.
- Serve hot with sambar and chutney.
How to make
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Mandakki
Mandakki is a tasty snack prepared with puffed rice. It is known as uggani in Telugu, and pori upma in Tamil.
- Puffed Rice – 8 Cups
- Finely Chopped Onions – 2
- Peanuts – ¼ cup
- Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp, a few curry leaves, Green Chillies – 2, Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
- Fried Gram Powder – 2 Tbsp
- Coriander leaves – 1 Tbsp
- Grated Coconut – 2 Tsp
- Lemon juice of ½ lemon
- Salt to taste and oil – 2 to 3 tbsp.
Ingredients
- Soak puffed rice for about 2 minutes in water. Drain and squeeze out all the water from puffed rice. (Do not soak for long in water).
- Powder fried gram/putani and keep side.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and groundnuts. Fry for a minute and add green chillies and curry leaves. Add chopped onion, and turmeric. Fry until onions are cooked.
- Now add puffed rice, salt and lemon juice, coriander leaves, fried gram powder, grated coconut and mix well.
- Serve Mandakki with hot tea.
How to make
Goli Baje
Goli Baji or Mangalore Bajii is a popular Mangalorean snack. This favorite evening snack is served with chutney with a cup of hot coffee or tea.
- Baking Soda – ½ tsp
- Asafoetida – 1 pinch
- Salt – ¾ tsp
- Buttermilk – 1 Cup
- Curry Leaves – 2 Tbsp
- Chilli – 2 (Finely Chopped)
- Ginger – 1 Inch
- Coconut – 2 Tbsp
- Oil for Frying
Ingredients
- In a bowl, mix together Maida, Baking Soda, Hing and Salt.
- Pour in the buttermilk and make a smooth batter.
- Add curry leaves, ginger, coconut and chilli. Cover and set aside for about 3 hours.
- After 3 hours, the batter is ready to use. Heat oil in a pan. Moist your hand and take a small portion of the batter and drop it in hot oil on medium flame. Fry until crisp and golden brown.
- Serve hot with coconut chutney
How to make
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Chattambade
Chattambade is deep fried fritters made of lentils and spices. This popular snack from the Mangalore region is served with spicy coconut chutney and hot filter coffee.
- Chana Dal – 1 cup
- Urad Dal – 2 Tbsp
- Kashmiri Red Chilli – 3
- Green Chilli – 1
- Ginger (grated) – 1 inch
- Onion – ½ (finely chopped)
- Few Curry Leaves
- Coriander Leaves – 3 Tbsp
- Salt to Taste
- A Pinch of Asafoetida and Oil for Frying.
Ingredients
- Wash and Soak Urad Dal, Channa Dal and Red Chilli for at least 2 hours.
- Drain water and blend it into a coarse paste without adding water.
- To this dal paste add ginger, onion, chopped green chilli, chopped curry leaves, chopped coriander leaves, salt and hing. Mix well.
- Grease your palm. Take a small portion of the mixture and flatten it like vada. Deep fry them in hot oil until crisp and golden brown.
How to make
Chakodi
This deep-fried snack is very similar to kodubale, a popular snack item of Karnataka. This spicy, round and crunchy delight is a perfect evening snack.
- Rice Flour – 1 Cup
- Ghee – 1 tsp
- Asafoetida – a pinch
- Sesame Seeds – 2 Tbsp
- Ajwain – ¼ tsp
- Turmeric – ¼ tsp
- Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder – ½ tsp
- Water – 1 cup.
Ingredients
- Keep 1 cup water for boiling in a pan. Add turmeric, ajwain, chilli powder, sesame seeds, ghee, salt and asafoetida.
- When the water is boiling add rice flour and mix until all the water is completely absorbed.
- When the mixture is cool knead to form a soft dough.
- Grease your palm. Take a small portion of the dough and gently roll on a flat surface to make a thick rope. Join the ends of the rope to form a ring. Deep fry until crisp and golden brown.
How to make
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Travel Snack Ideas
A road trip is something that many people eagerly look forward to. For a travel-foodie, it is an excuse to explore new dining experiences and also indulge in yummy travel snacks to binge on.
A few Indian dry snacks that you can carry to satiate your hunger-pangs are –
- Roasted Makhanas – Loaded with nutrients, Makhana is a good source of iron, calcium and protein. This crunchy, and yummy snack is best to satiate your hunger pangs on your trip.
- Methi Khakra – Made of whole wheat, the methi khakra is packed with fibre, protein and complex carbohydrates. You can much on these healthy travel snack whenever you are hungry.
- Granola Bars – This is a perfect option if you are on an adventure trip. They are convenient to carry, easy to eat and healthy as well.
- Poha Chivda – This savory snack appeals both young and old. The eclectic mix of salty, sweet and nutty flavours gives it a unique taste.
- Baked Masala Sev – The crispy, tangy and tongue-tickling spices makes this baked masala sev an interesting snack to add to your travel excitement.
- Baked Shakarpara – This is a much-loved snack in Northern and Western India. The pleasant sweetness and crispy texture make it a big it among kids. Replacing refined flour with wheat flour and baking it instead of frying makes it healthier and perfect as a travel snack.
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Take the Next Step Towards Healthy Snacking with These South Indian Snack Ideas for 2020
When the hunger hits us, we run for anything which comes our way. Not anymore! Choose these healthy snacking options which while satisfying your hunger pangs, will also give you the required nutrition and help in weight loss.
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