5 Healthy Party Snacks

5 Healthy Party Snacks

Start your New Year on a positive note with these healthy party snacks. Gorge on them along with your guests and bid goodbye to those guilt feelings while you party!

1.Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 packet spring roll wrappers
• 200 gms bean sprouts
• A few basil leaves
• 100 gms spring onions chopped with the greens
• 100 gms cucumbers julienned
• 100 gms carrots julienned
• 100 gms coriander leaves chopped
• 100 gms lettuce leaves shredded

For the Dipping Sauce

• 1 Thai red chili finely chopped
• ½ inch piece ginger grated
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tbsp soya sauce
• 1 tsp of caster sugar
• ¼ tsp sesame oil

Method

• Soak spring roll wrappers in some warm water. Remove after 30 to 40 seconds and lay out on a clean napkin.
• Place a few vegetables in the lower half of the wrapper.
• Fold the bottom edge up to cover the filling. Then fold the left and right sides over it. Roll the wrapper up to the top edge.
• Cut in half.
• Similarly prepare the other wrappers and refrigerate. 

To make the sauce

• Mix in a small bowl the red chili, ginger and vinegar and microwave for 20 seconds.
• Remove and mix in the other ingredients.
• Adjust the seasoning according to your taste.

2.Chicken Momos

Ingredients

For the Wrappers

• 200 gms flour
• Hot water for kneading
• A pinch of salt

For the filling

• 250 gms boneless chicken
• 10 flakes of garlic, finely chopped
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• ½ tbsp ajinomoto
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tbsp green chilies, finely chopped

For the Sauce

• 200 gms tomatoes, boiled and pureed
• 2 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tbsp red chili paste
• Salt to taste

Method

• Knead the flour with hot water to make a soft, firm dough. Cover with a cloth and keep aside for 30 minutes.
• Mix the ingredients for the filling.
• Divide the dough into 15 portions.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out even portions into a circle of 10 cm diameter, place a tbsp of filling in the center of each circle and bring the edges together, pasting with a little water. Fold and pleat to make a neat joint.
• Take a vessel, half fill it with water and let it boil. Place a greased colander on top of it.
• Lightly brush each momo with oil and place it on the colander leaving an inch between each momo. Cover with a steel plate and steam for 20 minutes.
• Mix all the ingredients of the sauce together and serve with the steaming hot momos.

3.Parsley Mushrooms on Crackers

Ingredients

• 120 ml extra virgin oil
• 3-4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 500 gms button mushrooms sliced
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
• Salt to taste
• ½ tsp white pepper powder

Method

• Heat the oil in a very large frying pan.
• Add the chopped garlic and sauté for 10 seconds.
• Increase the heat, add the mushrooms and cook them for 5 minutes until tender.
• Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon into a bowl.
• Boil the liquid from the pan until it reduces to about 2 tbsps.
• Add the seasoning. Pour the remaining liquid over the mushrooms and leave to cool.
• Serve the mushrooms on crackers with the parsley sprinkled over.

4. French Onion Dip with Crudités

Ingredients

• 2 x 200 gms low-fat yoghurt cartons
• 4 tbsp French onion soup mix
• 4 large carrots cut into sticks
• 4 celery stalks cut into even-size sticks
• 4 cucumbers cut into even-size sticks

Method

• Whisk the yoghurt and soup mix until well combined.
• Spoon it into a dish and create a crudité platter with the dip in the center and the vegetables arranged attractively around it.

5. Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 kg boneless chicken
• 1 onion
• 5 cm piece ginger
• 10 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ cup yoghurt
• A pinch of red color

Method

• Make a paste of the onion, ginger and garlic.
• Cut the chicken into cubes.
• Marinate the chicken with the paste and other ingredients.
• Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
• Put the chicken in a strainer an hour before cooking to drain out excess fluid.
• Cook in a preheated oven at 200 degrees C for 30 minutes, turning the chicken after 15 minutes to ensure it is cooked evenly. Baste with a bit of oil or butter.
• Once done, serve with onion rings and slices of lime.