Easy-Peasy Starters!!!!

- by Bipasha

So, what happens when you have some unannounced guests at your place? How do you prove your culinary prowess and show them that unannounced arrivals are greeted with more than just readymade snacks/biscuits? Here are two recipes which can be made in less than 10 minutes!!!! And people, do let me know of ingredients that you mostly store in your refrigerator, as I can suggest more such recipes!

Cheese Balls

Processed Cheese (grated) - 1 cup

Onions (cut into very small pieces), alternately you can also use spring onions - 3/4 cup

Green chilies (chopped very finely) - 1 tbsp

Black pepper (coarsely ground) - 3 tbsps

Bread slices - 5-6

NO salt required since cheese already has salt in it

First, take a bowl, add grated cheese, onions, green chilies, black pepper and give a good mix with a spoon. Now, take a slice of bread and cut the edges off it. Now cut the bread into 4 parts - each part will now be a smaller square. Take each small square and dip it in room temperature water. Just remember, do not over dip it otherwise, it will crumble. Gently squeeze the water out of it and put a small portion of the cheese mix inside it. Now gently (with slightly wet hands) shape it into a ball with the cheese mixture inside the bread. Deep fry the cheese ball in absolutely hot oil. It should not take more than 4-5 seconds.

Tip: The oil must be very hot before you put the cheese ball in it. And do not over-fry it like a ‘pakoda’ or else the cheese inside will melt and stick to the pan.

Pea and Corn Mix

Green peas - 1/2 cup

Sweet Corn - 1/2 cup

Onions (finely chopped) - 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

Black pepper (coarsely ground) - 11/2 tbsps

Oregano - 1 tbsp

Butter - 3 tbsps

Take a pan and heat the butter (don’t let it burn though!). Add the onions and fry till they are translucent. Then add the green peas, sweet corn, salt, pepper and stir fry for 2-3 mins. Add oregano before serving. Serve it up innovatively - use as a topping on cream crackers biscuits, Monaco biscuits or as a filling in cocktails sandwiches!

Tip: I use garden fresh corn for this. You can alway extract the corns beforehand and freeze them for use in innumerable recipes.