5 quick, healthy snack recipes to enjoy while watching the ICC World T20 2016

'I hate cricket' - said no Indian ever! Check out these healthy snack recipes and call your friends over for the ICC World T20 2016.

The best season of the year begins! It's ICC World T20 2016 and is surely one of those moments when you have people over at your place for the cricket matches. You make the best snacks along with beverages to make the most of it. Remind yourself; cricket matches are no excuse to ditch healthy food and binge on junk food. You have been working hard to stay fit and don't let the most exciting tournament ruin that for you. Nutritionist Naini Setalvad shares five recipes that are healthy and go perfectly with the sports season.

1. Instant Patty with gravy

A nice fried cutlet with some chutney or sauce is every Indian's favourite food. How to make it healthy? Make fried food healthy by air-frying it or baking it.

Ingredients

100 gm cucumber, finely chopped

100 gm tomato, finely chopped

100 gm cabbage, finely chopped

50 gm chana flour (Bengal gram flour)

150 gm Rava (semolina)

150 gm low-fat dahi (curd),

1 tsp green chilli paste

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt to taste

Method

• Mix the cucumber, tomatoes and cabbage with chana flour and rava
• Add dahi, chilli paste and salt to this mixture
• Roll the mixture into a ball, and flatten it into pattice
• Grease the tava (pan) with 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• Put the pattice on the tava (pan) and roast on both the sides till golden brown. You could arrange 5-6 patties on the tava (pan) to cook them simultaneously.

2. Salsa

If you want a quick fix, then salsa sauce and tortilla chips are the best. Instead of going for a tomato ketchup, try this nutritious and yummy sauce with nacho chips or tortilla chips and keep your guests wanting for more. Why go for unhygienic dips or sauces when you can try healthy sauces that don't affect your fitness routine!

Ingredients

200 gm tomatoes

100 gm green capsicum

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Salt to taste

Method

• Boil the tomatoes, and peel the skin.
• Place 2 boiled tomatoes in a blender. Add red chilli powder, balsamic vinegar and salt to it and blend.
• Chop the rest of the tomatoes finely.
• Roast the capsicum directly on the flame till little blackened.
• Scrape off the skin and chop the capsicum finely
• Add the chopped tomatoes and capsicum to the tomato pulp
• Add the oregano and the chilli flakes to the salsa

3. Bruschetta

Packed with the many health benefits of basil/tulsi leaves and olives, this recipe of bruschetta is exactly what you need to maintain the enthusiasm level during the match.

Ingredients

1 whole wheat baguette

300 gm tomatoes, finely chopped

10 olives, finely chopped

6-8 fresh Basil leaves finely chopped

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp oregano

tsp pepper, coarsely ground

Salt to taste

Method

• Mix the chopped tomatoes, olives, basil, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano and chilli flakes.
• Keep it aside for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 230 C.
• Ensure that the water from the tomatoes is drained out.
• Slice the baguette bread diagonally into inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with extra virgin olive oil
• Toast the baguette slices in an oven till brown. Place the olive oil-coated side on the tray first. Once that is toasted, flip the slices and toast the other side for 5 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Lay out the toasted slices on a plate, and put the tomato topping on each.
• Serve immediately to avoid making the bread soggy

4. Oats Uttappa

Got some leftover oats? Oh, we're sure they are not 'leftover'. Switched entirely to oats, haven't you? Then you have to try this oats uttappa recipe for your friends. This is the perfect snack if any of your friends or you have diabetes.

Ingredients

100 gm oats, uncooked

100 gm rava (semolina)

150 gm low-fat dahi (curd),

100 gm capsicum, finely chopped

100 gm tomato, finely chopped

2 tsp green chilli paste

8 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt to taste

Method

• Mix the oats, rava, capsicum, tomato, chilli paste and salt into the dahi
• The batter should be of a semi-liquid consistency
• Put tsp of oil on the semi-hot tava (pan).
• Pour enough batter on the oil and spread it around to make a saucer sized uttappa
• Once one side is adequately browned, flip the uttappa and roast it till it is golden brown.
• Serve hot

5. Chhole chat

Every Indian household loves a nice and fresh bowl of chhole chat. Check the recipe out to find out how to give it a healthy twist. This recipe is low in Glycemic Index making it ideal for diabetics and is also high in proteins.

Ingredients

150 gm Kabuli chana (Chick pea)

1 tbsp chhole masala

100 gm capsicum finely chopped

2 tbsp coriander, chopped

Salt and lemon juice to taste

Method

• Soak chana in water for 6-8 hours
• Cook the chana in a pressure cooker for 20 25 minutes
• Take it off the flame, allow it to cool
• Strain water from the boiled chana
• Take extra virgin olive oil in a Kadai (wok); put the chopped capsicum and saut for 2 minutes
• Put boiled chana in the Kadai (wok)
• Add chhole masala, salt, and coriander, mix well
• Squeeze the lemon over the mix
• And serve

Try these recipes and make the most of the cricket tournament. May the best team win!

Image Source: Shutterstock

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