Savor the Flavor: Top 10 Authentic Indian Evening Snack Recipes

Top 10 Indian Evening Snack Recipes

India is a country known for its diverse cuisine and the variety of snacks that are enjoyed throughout the day. Evening snacks, in particular, are a time-honored tradition, often enjoyed with a cup of chai. Here are the top 10 Indian evening snack recipes that you can try at home.

1. Samosa

The samosa is a popular Indian snack that is loved by people of all ages. It is a fried or baked pastry with a savory filling, such as spiced potatoes, onions, peas, lentils, and sometimes meat.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• Water as required
• 2 boiled potatoes
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 chopped green chilies
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mix the flour with water and knead it into a firm dough. Cover it and set it aside.
2. In a pan, heat some oil and add the cumin seeds. Once they start to splutter, add the chopped onions and green chilies.
3. Add the boiled potatoes and green peas to the pan and mix well.
4. Add the turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt. Mix well and cook for a few minutes.
5. Roll out the dough into small circles, fill them with the potato mixture, and fold them into triangles.
6. Heat oil in a deep pan and fry the samosas until they are golden brown.
7. Serve hot with mint chutney or ketchup.

2. Pakora

Pakoras are a classic Indian snack, made by dipping vegetables in a spicy gram flour batter and deep-frying them until crispy.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup gram flour (besan)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 potato, thinly sliced
• 1 cup spinach leaves
• Oil for deep frying

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mix the gram flour, water, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt to make a smooth batter.
2. Add the sliced onions, potatoes, and spinach leaves to the batter and mix well.
3. Heat oil in a deep pan. Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil and fry until golden brown.
4. Drain on paper towels and serve hot with chutney or ketchup.

3. Bhel Puri

Bhel Puri is a popular street food from Mumbai, made with puffed rice, vegetables, and a tangy tamarind sauce.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups puffed rice
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tomato, finely chopped
• 1 boiled potato, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped coriander leaves
• 1/2 cup sev
• 1/2 cup tamarind chutney
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix the puffed rice, chopped onion, tomato, and potato.
2. Add the tamarind chutney and salt, and mix well.
3. Garnish with sev and coriander leaves before serving.

4. Aloo Tikki

Aloo Tikki is a North Indian snack made of boiled potatoes, onions, and various spices.

Ingredients:

• 2 large potatoes, boiled and mashed
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 green chilies, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• Salt to taste
• Oil for shallow frying

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mix the mashed potatoes, chopped onion, green chilies, red chili powder, garam masala, and salt.
2. Divide the mixture into equal portions and shape each portion into a round, flat tikki.
3. Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the tikkis on medium heat until they are golden brown on both sides.
4. Serve hot with mint chutney or ketchup.

5. Dahi Vada

Dahi Vada is a popular North Indian snack made of lentil dumplings topped with yogurt and various chutneys.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup urad dal
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying
• 2 cups yogurt
• 1/2 cup tamarind chutney
• 1/2 cup green chutney
• Red chili powder, roasted cumin powder, and chaat masala for garnishing

Instructions:

1. Soak the urad dal in water for a few hours, then grind it into a smooth batter.
2. Add salt to the batter and whisk it until it becomes fluffy.
3. Heat oil in a pan and drop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown.
4. Soak the fried vadas in water for a few minutes, then squeeze out the excess water.
5. Arrange the vadas in a serving dish, pour the yogurt over them, and drizzle with the tamarind and green chutneys.
6. Sprinkle with red chili powder, roasted cumin powder, and chaat masala before serving.

6. Pani Puri

Pani Puri, also known as Golgappa, is a popular street food snack that consists of a round, hollow puri filled with a mixture of flavored water, tamarind chutney, chili, chaat masala, potato, onion, and chickpeas.

Ingredients:

• 50 puris
• 1 cup boiled, mashed potatoes
• 1 cup boiled chickpeas
• 1 cup tamarind chutney
• 1 cup mint-coriander chutney
• 1 cup sweet yogurt
• Chaat masala, red chili powder, and sev for garnishing

Instructions:

1. Crack a small hole in the top of each puri.
2. Fill the puris with the mashed potatoes and chickpeas.
3. Top with the tamarind chutney, mint-coriander chutney, and sweet yogurt.
4. Sprinkle with chaat masala, red chili powder, and sev before serving.

7. Chole Bhature

Chole Bhature is a popular North Indian dish that consists of spicy chickpeas (chole) and fried bread (bhature).

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying
• Spices for the chole (turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala, amchur powder)

Instructions:

1. Boil the soaked chickpeas until they are soft.
2. In a pan, heat some oil and add the spices. Add the boiled chickpeas and cook for a few minutes.
3. In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add water and knead into a soft dough.
4. Divide the dough into equal portions and roll out each portion into a circle.
5. Heat oil in a deep pan and fry the bhature until they puff up and turn golden brown.
6. Serve the hot bhature with the spicy chole.

8. Dhokla

Dhokla is a vegetarian food item that originates from the Indian state of Gujarat. It is made with a fermented batter derived from rice and split chickpeas.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup gram flour (besan)
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 tsp fruit salt (eno)
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 green chili, chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• Oil for greasing

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mix the gram flour, yogurt, fruit salt, and salt. Add water and mix well to make a smooth batter.
2. Grease a steaming dish with oil and pour the batter into it.
3. Steam the dhokla for about 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into it comes out clean.
4. In a pan, heat some oil and add the mustard seeds and chopped green chili. Pour this tempering over the steamed dhokla.
5. Cut the dhokla into squares and serve with green chutney.

9. Vada Pav

Vada Pav, often described as the Indian burger, is a popular street food in Mumbai. It consists of a spicy potato filling sandwiched between two slices of a pav bun.

Ingredients:

• 2 large potatoes, boiled and mashed
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup gram flour (besan)
• Water as required
• Oil for deep frying
• 4 pav buns
• Green chutney and tamarind chutney for serving

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mix the mashed potatoes, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt.
2. Shape the mixture into small balls and set aside.
3. In another bowl, mix the gram flour and water to make a smooth batter.
4. Dip each potato ball in the batter and deep fry in hot oil until golden brown.
5. Slice each pav bun in half and spread some green chutney and tamarind chutney on the inside.
6. Place a fried potato ball (vada) inside each bun and serve hot.

10. Poha

Poha is a popular Indian breakfast and snack made from flattened rice. It’s light, easy to make, and can be customized with a variety of ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups poha (flattened rice)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup peas
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp oil
• Fresh coriander leaves and sev for garnishing

Instructions:

1. Rinse the poha in water until it becomes soft. Drain and set aside.
2. In a pan, heat the oil and add the mustard seeds. Once they start to splutter, add the chopped onion and peas.
3. Cook until the onion becomes translucent and the peas are cooked.
4. Add the turmeric powder and salt, and mix well.
5. Add the poha and mix gently until it is well coated with the spices.
6. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and sev before serving.

These are just a few of the many delicious and diverse snacks that you can find in Indian cuisine. Each of these recipes is easy to make and can be enjoyed at any time of the day. So, the next time you’re craving a snack, why not try one of these Indian recipes? Enjoy your cooking journey!