Super Bowl Snacks

We’re on the eve of a great American tradition: Super Bowl Sunday! Super Bowl parties abound. Die-hard fans come for the athleticism and competition, while others come for the revelry and the commercials. The true partygoers? They’re there for the food.

Chips and dip appear on almost every party table. Looking to shake things up? Why not add a little South Asian flavor to some of your favorite snacks? Inspired by a popular dish from Afghanistan, bourani baunjan (yogurt with eggplant), I’ve created a dip that can be served with toasted naan (leavened bread baked in a clay oven) or pita chips. Mixed nuts are an easy option – add a few masalas (spices) and you’ve got robust flavor in an otherwise mundane snack. We all love cheese and often find mozzarella sticks a convenient finger food. Keeping that in mind, I thought it would be a great idea to use paneer (South Asian cheese) to make pakoras (gram flour fritters) instead.

Try these recipes at your Super Bowl party, and they’ll be sure to make a statement on your table. Now that your menu is prepared, I have one question: “Are you ready for some football?”

Eggplant Yogurt Dip
Serves 12-16 people
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 25 min

Ingredients
1 ½ cup yogurt base (see recipe below)
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 medium-large eggplant, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium tomato, diced
1 green chili, finely diced
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground chili powder (lal mirch, available at South Asian grocery stores)
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon coriander powder
¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds

Instructions
1. On medium-high heat, sauté eggplant in two tablespoons of oil until the pulp is soft, about seven minutes, and set aside.

2. In one tablespoon of oil, fry onions until translucent.

3. Add garlic, spices and half of the mustard and cumin seeds and reduce the heat.

4. Once the garlic is lightly toasted along with the spices, about three minutes, add the tomato and cook until the tomato is soft, about five minutes.

5. Add eggplant and half of the green chilies to the onion mixture and simmer until all the ingredients have blended together.

6. Allow the eggplant mixture to cool and combine with the seasoned yogurt.

7. Garnish with remaining green chilies, mustard and cumin seeds and serve with pita chips or toasted naan.

Tips:
- Place the eggplant in the microwave for a couple of minutes to soften the skin and flesh for easy separation.

- For added color, use a red onion.

- To create a really smooth texture, pulse the eggplant mixture in a food processor a few times before combining with yogurt.

Seasoned Yogurt Base
1 ½ cup Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons milk (preferably whole milk)
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon black salt, or to taste (available at South Asian grocery stores)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly crushed

1. Whisk together yogurt and milk until smooth

2. Add garlic and spices to yogurt.

3. Refrigerate.

Tips:
- If you cannot find Greek yogurt, put two cups of plain yogurt in a cheesecloth or wire mesh lined with paper towel and allow to drain for a few hours. It will create a similarly thick yogurt.

- Make sure the garlic is very finely minced since it will be raw when placed into the yogurt.

Roasted Masala Nuts
Serves 12-16 people
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 40 min

Ingredients
¾ cup roasted soybeans
1 cup raw cashews
1 ¼ cup shelled pistachios
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans
2 tablespoons light olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black salt (available at South Asian grocery stores)
¾ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon garam masala (available at South Asian grocery stores)
¼ teaspoon red chili powder

Note: Also, any combination of nuts or seeds can be used to suit your taste

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Drain and rinse garbanzo beans and toss with one tablespoon of olive oil.

3. Line a baking tray with foil and place the garbanzo beans in a single layer.

4. Place the tray in the oven for 40 minutes.

5. Combine all spices together in a bowl and set aside.

6. On a separate tray lined with foil, toss cashews and pistachios with 1 tablespoon oil and set aside.

7. After 30 minutes, place the tray of nuts in the oven along with the garbanzo beans.

8. Check the nuts periodically to make sure they don’t burn.

9. After the beans and nuts have roasted evenly and are still hot, about three minutes after removing them from the oven, toss them together with the spices and soybeans until they are all evenly coated.

10. Allow the mixture to cool, and enjoy!

Tip: The garbanzo beans will still be tender in the center. If you like them crunchier, roast them for another five to ten minutes.

Paneer Pakoras
Serves 24 people
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20 min

1 14-ounce package of paneer (South Asian cheese, available at South Asian grocery stores)
1 ½ cups gram flour (available at South Asian grocery stores)
¾ cup ice water
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, finely crushed
½ teaspoon coriander seeds, finely crushed
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 8-ounce jar of prepared tomato chutney (available at South Asian grocery stores)
Canola or vegetable oil for frying

1. Slice the paneer lengthwise in thirds, then cut each third in half and finally cut each half into four equal sticks. (You should end up with about 24 slices of cheese). Set aside.

Photos by Mehr Fatima

2. Whisk together the flour and spices in a bowl until all ingredients are evenly distributed.

3. Fill a wok or deep medium-sized pan half-full with oil and heat on medium-high.

4. While the oil is heating, stir ice water into the flour mixture until it creates a thick batter, and add the sticks of paneer.

5. Once the oil shows gentle ripples or reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer, carefully drop the coated sticks of paneer one by one into the oil.

6. Fry the paneer until they are golden in color.

7. Immediately transfer to a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

8. Serve alongside the tomato chutney or other chutney of choice.

Tips:
- Adding ice water creates a crispier exterior.

- Avoid frying too many sticks at once as that drops the temperature of the oil and will slow the cooking process.

- If the pakoras begin to brown too quickly, reduce the heat to medium.

Mehr Fatima currently resides in Rochester, NY. She loves to spend time in the kitchen experimenting with eastern and western flavors. She welcomes comments and suggestions at mehr.fatima@hotmail.com.