Street Foods From Around!!

Super fresh,quick and devilishly lip smacking is why street food remains on the top of my choices when I'm starving and want a really quick bite;fact remaining that the hygiene conditions on theses sidewalks are not necessarily something to rave about but yes,there are exceptions. I was just thinking about the scrumptious samosas(now an international fav),pakoras(fritters),jalebis(a spiral shaped sweet with dripping goodness..ha ha)and not to forget the whole range of chaats that makes me drool every time i mention them,when i realised that every country and every street on this world(yes and that includes so called french by lanes famous for dishing out the most sophisticated cuisine of the world)has their own favorite street foods and so i just thought i would do a small series on street foods from around the world and see if we would  love to make them in our humble kitchens(obviously altering a few to suit our taste buds) as much as we love to devour them on streets and also keeping in mind that we have a cholesterol to take care of!!

Here is the first one from the series and from one of my favourite destination for food : Malaysia.

Banana fritters are a common thing on the streets of Malaysia and have become so popular that many Thai restaurants feature them on their desserts menu serving them with a scoop of vanilla icecream. I'm also posting the link where you can get the original recipe and it also has some great pictures.The one that I'm giving you here is its healthier cousin(and definitely not the most authentic) because i'm using whole wheat flour and baking instead of deep frying it.It tastes quite similar in terms of texture and flavours but not as good as the one on the streets coz they are the best anyways.

http://www.shesimmers.com/2010/08/thai-fried-banana-recipe-tutorial.html

This is the link to original thai banana fritters recipe.I took sometime to find this one but i'm happy i did because it is totally authentic and well described.Do take a look.

Crispy Banana Parcels :

Ingredients:

Half a cup of whole wheat flour

a tablespoon of rice flour

a good tablespoon and half of sesame seeds

a generous pinch of cayenne pepper/red chili powder

1/3rd tsp of salt

2 tablespoons of caster sugar

2 tablespoon of vegetable oil (one for adding to the dough and other for baking)

3 bananas

dessicated coconut

Method:

• Mix both kinds of flour,salt,sugar,cayenne pepper and sesame seeds in a large bowl.Add one tablespoon oil and mix it well,crumbing it with your fingers.Now add water slowly to make a dough(the dough should be firm and not too soft).
• Divide the dough into six parts.Dust a flat surface with flour and roll one of the balls into a six inch  by four inch(appx. size,depending on the size of bananas you have)long strip.
• Cut the strip into half. Prepare other strips using this method till u have twelve such strips.
• Slit the banana lenghtwise and then into half so that one banana is now divided into four parts each.
• Coat the banana slices with dessicated coconut first and then place it onto one end of the strip,secure from the sides and fold over.Wet the other end with a finger dipped in water and seal the banana parcel.

• When all the parcels are ready,place them on greased dish,brush them well with oil and bake them for 20 mts at 200ºc.Alternatively the parcels can also be cooked on a griddle or a pan with a little oil on medium high heat from both sides.I did a few on the griddle as well so i'm putting both the pics.

It is usually served warm with a scoop of icecream,but incase you like it savoury,it can be served with yoghurt whipped up with some dried mint leaves and some chaat masala(a condiment made from cumin powder,rock salt and other spices) sprinkled over.For super busy..short on time people;this can also be made using ready made pastry shells;just remember to add some seasonings to the dessicated coconut before coating bananas with it.

Health tip:

Bananas contrary to what people generally believe is one of the healthiest fruit we have.Available all round the year ,it makes a perfect morning or after workout snack.It is a very good source of dietary fibre,Vit c,potassium,manganeses and vit B6.Being high on natural sugars(sucrose,fructose and glucose)it should ideally be consumed after exercise as it also promotes muscle formation.Care should be taken to not eat it with any of the major meals;fruits should be enjoyed on an empty stomach for maximum benefit.