India is famous for finding an excuse to break for a tasty snack.

This is one way of eating a light chicken dish packed with the indulgence of cheese and cream.

I love anything sweet at this time of year. Come to think of it, I love sweet things anytime of the year!

Awadhi is considered India’s most subtle cuisine and is typical of Uttar Pradesh. There are hundreds of varieties of kebabs also spelt kabab, such as kakori kebabs, galawat kebabs, shami kebabs, and seekh kebabs. ‘Galouti’ means ‘melt in the mouth’.

Sprouted beans are easy to digest and are frequently used in dishes from the western and southern parts of India. They impart a crisp, nutty flavour to dishes like this one.

South Indian food is largely non-greasy, roasted and steamed. Rice is the staple grain and forms the basis of every meal. It is often served with

Paneer is made from whole cow’s or buffalo’s milk curdled with lemon juice. It is pressed until its texture is firm and similar to tofu.
It’s an essential protein source in many vegetarian diets.

The Maharashtrian salad from Western India, can also be made with various other vegetables, such as radish or cabbage. More often than not,

The subtle heat of the green chillies, the nuttiness of the gram flour and the cool, refreshing taste of coriander makes these fritters a delightful opening to a meal.

Aloo Bondas are a streetfood from Mumbai (Bombay), sold around beaches and in fast-food restaurants. However, my mother has always made them at home. Batata vadas or Aloo bondas are the Southern and Western Indian versions of the North's samosas, but they are made with gram flour (besan) rather than wheat flour.

Samosas are either stuffed with minced meat or potatoes which is the more popular of the two. They do take time to prepare with several stages involved so if you are planning to make some for a special event, they can be filled and shaped the night before, covered and placed in a refrigerator, then baked on the day

Indian salads are refreshing complements to elaborate dishes that are loaded with spices and flavours. This sharp tangy recipe is remarkably simple and pairs well with meat or chicken.

Kela Chip. Across the Cochin region in Southern India, roadside vendors deep-fry thousands of banana slices in large black vessels filled with coconut oil. You'll also find jackfruit, tapioca and yam chips. Often the bananas are cut into chunks, fried, dipped in jaggery or sugar syrup, then dried and sold as sweets.

A quick and to easy to prepare dish. Tasty and very nice for lunch or supper. This recipe can be made several hours before you plan to eat it, and is easy to heat up in the microwave.

North Indian appetisers or snacks, pakoras are batter-fried vegetables or fish. The batter is usually made of chickpea flour known as besan that's mixed with water and a few select spices such as coriander and chilli.

My mother used to make this when we couldn't be bothered to go shopping. It's one way of using ingredients in the store cupboard and makes a change from eggs and soldiers in the morning.

At the crack of dawn in India's railway stations men and women armed with eggs and frying pans are to be found preparing these omelettes outside carriage windows.
It's a great spectacle to watch and makes travelling on India's railway network all the more fun.

Tapioca is an important product of the American plant cassava, but the main producers are now in Asia and Africa. Tapioca is usually used for making milk puddings in the West, but in South India it is found in various savoury preparations, such as these spicy patties of tapioca pearls and potato.

This is the definitive Indian biscuit. Countless recipes have all sorts of different ingredients but they all contain semolina and plain flour. Many decades ago, women would prepare their biscuit dough at home and take it to a communal oven or bakery for the baker to bake. The cooked biscuits would then be delivered back to them.

North Indian appetizers or snacks, Pakoras are batter fried vegetables or fish. The batter is usually made of gram flour or besan mixed with water and a few select spices such as coriander and chilli.

Tipsy Chicken with Beer

My mother is quite particular when it comes to food, but she was delighed with this snack. The tortillas are smothered with melting chesse, tangy tomatoes, hot chillies and crunchy onion.

This is a northern Indian street snack but makes a great starter. There are all kinds of chaat recipes but this is served simply with a couple of chutneys.