Delicious appetizers and “picky” foods are the perfect complement to any get-together. Whether you’re hosting a big group of family and friends, or simply want to have a special night with a small group, tasty appetizers are a great way to start off the occasion.
There are many great Indian fusion vegetarian appetizers that you can make that will please all of your guests, whether they are vegetarians or not. These Indian recipes will wow your guests and treat their taste buds with something new, innovative and, most importantly, delicious.
Delicious Recipes for Every Occasion
There are many different directions that you can take for your Indian fusion vegetarian appetizers, and we’ll discuss some of the best here.
Popular Indian Street Food & Chaat Snacks
Street food and chaat snacks are a great centerpiece for your occasion. These foods will make you feel like you’re part of a big festival or at a fancy restaurant, even though you’re in the comfort of your own home.
Some staples in this category include samosas filled with peas and spiced potatoes; vada pav, a fried potato fritter served with chutneys; a Bombay sandwich, which is made with onion, tomato, green chutney, cucumber and cheese; and Ragda chaat, a snack made with dried white peas, tomatoes, onions, chutney; aloo chaat and more.
Palak Paneer Pakora
Another great option is Palak Paneer Pakora, a fried vegetable fritter that is paired with delicious dipping sauce.
It’s packed with spinach, paneer, onion, green chillies, garlic, peppers and plenty of spices. The most popular dipping sauces for this great Indian street food are ketchup and green chutney.
Kalmi Vada
Kalmi Vada is a crispy fried lentil patty. It’s crispy outside and soft inside, which makes for the absolutely best snack and appetizer. It’s packed with spinach, cilantro, ginger, green chillies and split chickpea lentils.
They again can be paired with delicious dipping sauces to switch up the flavor.
Raj Kachori
Raj Kachori is a crispy kachori that’s deep fried and filled with spiced potatoes, chickpeas, plenty of spices, chutneys and yogurt. It’s a mouthwatering Indian snack that everyone will love.
The great part about this snack is that you can customize it to your liking with a number of different toppings such as pomegranate, sev and/or cilantro.
Fruit Chaat
With all this spice, it’s great to have a cooling and refreshing option for people as well. Fruit chaat is the perfect complement to everything you have prepared on this list already.
You can mix in tangy and sweet fruits with chaat masala, which presents a very unique and powerful flavor punch all in one.
Achari Paneer
There are many different versions of Achari Paneer, which includes marinated cubes of paneer cooked in Indian spices. Some options include ginger, garlic, chilli powder, tomatoes, bell peppers and even curd. You can mix and match different options to personalize this recipe, too.
Tasty Snack Ideas
Aside from the appetizers listed above, there are many mouthwatering snacks that you can try in the Indian fusion vegetarian category. These snacks can be served at any time, really, whether it’s before a meal or just in the middle of meals during the day.
Here are some of the best Indian fusion vegetarian snacks to try.
Paneer Pakoras
Who wouldn’t love crispy fried paneer fritters? Paneer Pakoras are a very popular snack in India, and for good reason.
The paneer is mixed with many different Indian spices, dipped in gram flour and friend to perfection. This snack is often paired with coriander chutney, green chutney or schezwan sauce.
Kids love to snack on Paneer Pakoras, and they can also be served with a nice cup of tea in the evening for the adults.
Bread Potato Rolls
Similar to some other appetizers on this list, a Bread Roll is filled with tangy and savory mashed potatoes. This snack can be made very easily with leftover potatoes that you have already boiled.
It’s a great snack for kids — or anyone, for that matter. You can add all different sorts of things to the boiled potato filling. This includes different spice and herb combinations, and even cheese.
They are best paired with a dipping sauce of some kind, such as green chutney.
Spinach (Palak) Chaat
A great healthy option is Palak Chaat. This dish is tangy — thanks to the lemon juice in it — and bursting with a lot of flavor.
Chopped fresh spinach is soaked in a batter that includes spices such as turmeric, red chilli powder and fennel, and then fried until golden brown. Once done, the fritters can then be topped with any number of things, such as chaat masala, black salt, yogurt, pomegranate and more.
Spicy Cashews
Nuts are a favorite snack of all different people, of all different ages. You can boost this snack even more by mixing the cashews with Indian spices for a truly mouthwatering snack.
There are many different ingredients that you can mix with raw cashews to make this very easy and irresistible snack. This includes coconut oil, curry leaves, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, sugar, coriander powder, black pepper and turmeric.
You’ll toast these cashews in the spiced oil first, making them hot and ensuring that the coating is evenly spread out over the cashews. Then, snack and enjoy.
Moong Dal Vada (Bhajia-Pakoras-Fritters)
Moong Dal Vada is a quick and easy fritter recipe that you can make with yellow moong dal lentils that is then mixed with various herbs and spices. These are a great snack any time of day, paired with tea or even served as a meal’s side dish.
These fritters are spiced with ginger, onion, green chillies, coriander and cumin traditionally, but you can fine-tune the spices and herbs to your liking.
Experiment with Flavors in These Indian Fusion Vegetarian Dishes
Vegetables don’t have to be boring. There’s always a great way that you can incorporate them into appetizers and snacks that are not only healthy but packed with amazing flavor.
Indian fusion recipes are always amazing for vegetarian dishes, as they really enhance the flavor of the vegetables. These are so good that even your kids will love them!
So, use the above recipes as a general guide to making delicious vegetarian dishes inspired by Indian flavors, and then experiment with different spices and herbs to put your own twist on them.
