Tea-Time Snack: Namkeen Kaju / Chatpate Kaju / Masala Kaju

To call this cashew nut-shaped snack as namkeen kaju (salty or savory cashew nuts), chatpate kaju or masala kaju (spiced cashew nuts) is a misnomer to the literally salted or spiced cashew nuts.  Alas, there is no other name by which these fried snacks are called.

So, to not confuse you - this post talks about how to make these fried cashew nut-shaped crackers using all-purpose flour; and NOT the real cashew nuts.

Eggless Ferrero Rocher Cupcakes | Eggless Cupcake Recipe | Eggless Baking

Since my high school years, I used to have this strange habit of collecting Wrigley's chewing gum wrappers (white, yellow, and green colors) and sticking the Ferrero Rocher sticker (from the golden chocolate wrapper) onto the refrigerator door.

In every few months my mom would have to clean the door and remove the sticky residues, and she never understood my fixation for the Ferrero Rocher labels.  Honestly, I still do not, either.

Tea-Time Snack: Namkeen Karela aka Champakali

This tea-time snack has a unique shape, can be made in three ways (savory, sweet, and spicy), and has several names.  The savory one is simply deep-fried, the spicy one can have different spice blends, and in the sweet version the deep-fried beauties are coated with sugar syrup.  The sweet one is called ‘champakali’ in Maharashtra, ‘elo jhelo’ in Bengal, ‘kordois’ in Assam, and ‘panasa honalu’ in Andhra.

Tea-Time Snack: Til-Gud-ki-Meethi-Papdi (Sesame & Jaggery Whole Wheat Sweet Crackers)

There are so many tea-time snacks.  Some fried, some baked.  Some sweet, some spicy.  And especially if those are dry snacks, that can be easily carried while traveling, or great to munch on during the hunger pangs - these simple wheat crackers can be added to that list.

Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies with Flaxseed Meal (flax seed powder)

If I have to choose between a chocolate chip cookie and a sugar cookie coated with sugar icing, I will always, always choose the chocolate chip cookie.  A crunchy or chewy, whichever kind of chocolate chip cookie you like more - with bits of chocolates in between, and a few bites of nuts surprising you in bits - you cannot say no to a chocolate chip cookie, can you?