We all want our food to be delicious and, if possible, we wouldn’t mind gourmet meals every single time. That is probably why restaurants thrive in Nepal. We love eating good food but we don’t want to put in the effort it takes to bring that meal to our tables. We mean, what wouldn’t we give to be able to hire a chef at home, as many celebrities tend to do, and not have to do all the prepping and cooking? But it’s not possible for various reasons and we have to live with that. But does that mean we have to eat boring food whenever we want a quick snack? The answer is a resounding no. We bring to you some tried and tested ideas that are super easy to make, take less than 30 minutes, and are mouth-wateringly delicious.
Cheese potato bites
India’s celebrity chef Ranveer Brar said in an interview that the one thing you should always have in your fridge is boiled potatoes. You can make so many things with it in just a few minutes whenever you want something quick to eat. For these simple cheese potato bites, that is one of our favorites, all you have to do is peel some boiled potatoes and slice them thinly. Grease a pan with olive oil, put a layer of potatoes on top, sprinkle some salt, pepper, and oregano(and/or chili flakes if you prefer), grate some cheese over it and repeat the process a few times and then bake this in the oven for 20 minutes at medium heat. Have this hot out of the oven with some barbecue sauce or as it is. It’s yummy and filling.
Cucumber on crackers
The good news is this involves zero cooking. All you need are three things: crackers, cucumbers, and cheese. Lay the crackers on a plate and top them with sliced cucumbers. Make sure you have thoroughly washed the cucumbers and peeled them beforehand. Cut cheese into small thin slices if you are using a block of cheese or simply strip sliced cheese into small bits and put them over the cucumber slices. Your final product should have three layers: crackers at the bottom, cucumber slices in the middle, and cheese on top. If you use cream cheese instead of cheese, then the cucumber goes on top of the cream cheese which goes on top of the cracker. You can put an olive on top of the cheese if you have some on hand or skip this and it will taste just as good. This simple snack that just needs some minor assembling is quick to make and refreshing. The crunch of the cracker and the softness of the cheese balance out the texture and flavor making it a fun food to munch on.
Carrot sticks and hummus
Hummus is a simple dish made of chickpeas, lemon, garlic, tahini, and some basic spices. You can buy it at different stores but homemade hummus is fresh and tastes a whole lot better than packaged ones. It’s simple to make as well. You can use soaked and boiled chickpeas or use canned chickpeas depending on how much time you have. First mix lemon and tahini (you can get good quality tahini at most department stores) in a food processor and blend it until you get a smooth paste. Then add garlic, olive oil, and chickpeas and blend until smooth again. You can peel the chickpeas for a smoother hummus but not peeling them works as well. Add a little bit of cold water or ice cubes if you have them and blend for a minute and your hummus is ready. Peel and cut carrots into sticks and you can use these as spoons to eat the hummus. This rich in protein and fiber snack is great when you are feeling hungry and need something to tide you over till dinner.
Easy garlic bread
This is a revamped version of the classic cheese on toast idea but it’s a 100 times better than regular toast with cheese. Melt some butter and add crushed garlic, sliced green chili. Add salt if you are using unsalted butter or else skip it. You can also add some chili flakes to give it a bit of color. Slather this on top of bread slices and then top it with grated cheese. If you like onion, then finely chop one and sprinkle it on top of the cheese. Lightly grease a tray and put the bread slices on it and let it bake in the oven for 15 minutes on medium heat. The result is a crunchy garlic bread that you can have with tea or some cold coffee. If you want this snack to be a bit on the heavier side, you can choose to add toppings like sausages or sweet corn and other veggies according to your preference. Use brown bread for a healthier, filling version of this snack or use white bread for a pizza-like appeal.
Peri peri makhana
Makhana or fox nuts make for an excellent snack. It’s quite popular in India and Nepal too as it’s delicious and nutritious. You can enjoy this guilt free and as it can be quite filling, you won’t feel the need to reach for chocolates or biscuits in between meals. Simply dry roast makhana on a pan on medium heat until it looks crisp and crunchy. Transfer to a large tray and allow it to cool. Avoid adding ghee to it while roasting if you are trying to lose weight or else you can add a teaspoon of ghee to the pan. Store it in an airtight container to prevent it from going stale. You can also wrap them in tissue paper or kitchen paper and store them in a ziplock bag. When you want a quick snack, transfer makhana into a container with a lid, only filling half of it. Add salt, pepper, and peri peri spice to it and give it a good shake and indulge in some guilt-free snacking.
Black gram salad
This is a popular Indian street food that you can enjoy hot or cold and it’s nutritious, filling, and delicious. You need some pre-prepping for it though. Soak a cup of black gram in water overnight and cook it for about four to five whistles in the pressure cooker the next morning. You can store this in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days and use it while assembling a low effort salad. The salad is vegan and gluten free and can be served alongside lunch or dinner or eaten as a snack. Take some boiled black gram in a bowl, add chopped tomatoes, onion and coriander to it and give it a good mix. Add salt, pepper, chili, and some lemon juice and mix well. Serve with some crunchy bhujiya on the side and this balances out the texture of the dish. But it also works well on its own.
Strawberry smoothie
Smoothies have become quite popular in recent times. Almost every other restaurant has some version of this healthy drink on their menu. But smoothies can serve as a great snack as, depending on what goes in them, they can be quite filling. The one we are presenting here is a simple recipe for our all-time favorite, especially when strawberries are in season. You can also freeze strawberries to enjoy this all year round. In a blender, add three tablespoons of curd, five to six medium sized strawberries, half a banana, a teaspoon of chia seeds, and half a cup of water and blend till you get a smooth mixture. Transfer this to a bowl, top with nuts and seeds and serve. You can use ice instead of water if you want a slightly slushier version of this smoothie. We guarantee you will be making this smoothie over and over again.
Instant energy bars
You can buy all sorts of energy and protein bars today. The market is saturated with different brands offering all kinds of flavors. But we like to make ours at home. It’s simple, cost-effective, and filled with ingredients that we like. For a simple energy bar or ball, depending on which shape you mold it into, mix oats, some nuts like almonds or pistachio, and salt. Transfer this into a food processor and blend it and then add maple syrup and olive oil to it and blend it again. Remove and transfer to a tray lined with parchment paper. Press the dough evenly onto the paper. Top with coconut flakes or powder. Roughly chop some more of the same nuts that have gone into the batter and sprinkle them on top of the dough. Bake this for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Make sure you don’t over bake it and that the batter is still a little soft when done. Cut it into small squares when it cools down. You can store this in a sealed container for up to a week.
The best brownies
Who wouldn’t like dessert for a snack? And these brownies that we are about to teach you to make is the most delicious dessert you will have had. They are gooey and melt in your mouth and you can use store bought premixes for it too, thus shortening your time in the kitchen. Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius and add an egg, oil, and water as directed to a store bought cake mix. Fold this batter with a spatula but don’t over mix it either. Take seven to eight Oreo biscuits and roughly crush them. Add this to the cake batter. Then transfer the batter to a greased cake pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or till a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool and then cut into slices and indulge in this yummy goodness.
Peanut butter goodness
Craving a yummy snack but have only five minutes to prepare something? This is when a jar of peanut butter in your pantry can come in handy. Peanut butter is rich in protein, healthy fats, and fiber. Thinly slice some apples and plate it along with a large dollop of peanut butter. Apple and peanut butter taste great together. Next, remove the pits of some soft dates, fill it with peanut butter and have a few the next time you are hungry. It is simple, filling, and dessert-like. Slather some peanut butter on some saltine crackers and you are good to go. Mix oats and peanut butter and make small balls out of them and bake in the oven for 10 minutes on medium heat. You can add a mashed ripe banana to the mix for some extra sweetness or if the peanut butter you are using doesn’t have added sugar in it already.
