Everything You Wanted To Know About Chilli Dips & Snacks

Stuffed Chilli Bajjis

One of my all-time favourite Indian dishes

• 5 - 8 large green chillies - poblano, Big Jim, etc
• 1/2 cup Gram flour (chickpea flour - you can substitute with plain flour, but it's not the same)
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder

For stuffing

• 1-2 medium sized onions finely chopped
• 1-2 grated carrots
• 1/2 tsp chutney - choose your favourite
• a bunch of finely chopped coriander

Make a batter with gram flour,salt and chilli powder with water.

Heat the oil in wok and then dip the green chilli in the batter, it should be well coated with batter. Then drop in to hot oil carefully, fry till crisp and golden brown.

After removing from oil slit the bajji in the middle then stuff it with chopped onion grated carrot.

Garnish with coriander (cilantro) leaves and drizzle your favourite chutney over it and serve.

Although a little fiddly, these are great entree or snack when you're looking for something a bit different.

Spicy Brazil Nuts

• 30g butter
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 teasp chili powder
• 1 teasp flaked sea salt
• 1 cup Brazil nuts

Melt butter in a heavy based pan.

Add garlic, chilli and salt and stir over medium heat for 1 minute.

Toss the Brazil nuts in and continue to stir for 1-2 minutes.

Drain on paper towel and allow to cool.

Spicy Zucchini and Chorizo Tartlets

makes 4 serves

These little tarts are a great easy snack.

• 1 sheet (25cm) ready-rolled frozen puff pastry
• 2 chorizo sausages, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeno, deseeded and finely sliced
• 2 zucchini, thinly sliced lengthways (julienned)
• 100g semi-dried tomatoes, drained, cut in half and stems removed
• 50g goat’s cheese, crumbled (we're blessed here in Perth having direct access to Kervella goat cheeses)
• 1 tablsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablsp olive oil
• 100g baby spinach & lettuce salad leaves, to serve

Place the lined tins on an oven tray and chill them in the fridge and meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over high heat and cook in a little oil cook the chorizo slices until golden brown on both sides. Transfer to a plate.

Then add the chilli and a quarter of the zucchini to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes until each side of the zucchini is golden and just tender and then transfer it to the same plate.

Repeat in three more batches with the remaining zucchini.

When you have cooked it all, arrange the chilli, zucchini, chorizo and tomatoes evenly among the pastry cases then sprinkle with the goat’s cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until pastry is golden and puffed and then place the tartlets on serving dishes.

Combine the vinegar and oil in a small bowl and drizzle over the tartlets.

Serve with salad leaves.

Hot & Spicy Corn Puffs

Makes about 35 puffs.

• 2 corn cobs
• 3 tablsp coriander leaves, chopped
• 6 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 red cayenne chilli, seeded & finely chopped
• 1 large egg (70g +)
• 2 teasp ground cummin seeds
• 1/2 teasp ground coriander seeds
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 teasp salt
• pepper to taste
• oil for deep frying
• asian style sweet chilli sauce, to serve

The batter texture will depend on the amount of juice in the corn. If it is excessively dry, add 1 tablsp of water. You shouldn't need anymore than that as the batter is meant to be dry. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Heat oil to 180 C . Drop slightly heaped teaspoons of the batter into the oil and cook for approximately 1.5 minutes, until puffed and golden.

Drain on paper towel and then serve immediately with the sweet chilli sauce as a dipping sauce.

Broad Bean and Feta Dip

This a perfect light and tasty starter to your feast.

• 4 wholemeal Lebanese breads
• 2 cups broad beans, fresh is better but frozen is fine
• 100g marinated feta cheese
• 2 serrano chillies, deseeded and finely sliced
• 100g ricotta cheese
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Extra virgin olive oil, to serve
• Smoked paprika, hot variety

Cheatin' But Delicious, Easy Stuffed Jalapenos

• green jalapenos
• 1 tub of Philadelphia cream cheese
• bacon rashers (cut into thirds across the length)
• toothpicks

There's no specific amounts here as you can make as many or as few as you want !

Halve the jalapenos lengthways and remove the pith and the seeds. Remember: wash hands thoroughly after this step or face the predictable consequences

Spoon some cream cheese into each jalapenos, enough to just fill it level.

Wrap a piece of bacon around and secure with a toothpick

Arrange on a roasting pan and bake in your hooded-BBQ or oven at 90°C (200°F) for approx 20 mins

Before serving let them cool a little or you'll burn your mouth.

Grilled Bacon Wrapped Prawns

makes 4 serves

Much as I hate clichés, this is a wonderfully flavoured variation of the Aussie "shrimp on the barbie" !

• 24 large, raw prawns, shelled and deveined
• 12 bacon slices, cut in half, at right angle to their length
• 2 tablsp butter
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup tomato sauce (or ketchup)
• 1 tablsp tomato paste
• 2½ tablsp Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teasp yellow mustard powder
• ¼ teasp cayenne powder
• 3 tablsp brown sugar
• 1 tablsp white vinegar
• ¼ cup water

Add the onion and saute until soft and transparent.

Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, mustard powder and pepper.

Stirring continuously, simmer uncovered for 15 minutes and then remove from heat.

Immediately stir the prawns into the sauce, covering them completely and let them marinate in it for around 15 minutes.

Spray a little oil onto your open grill rack and then preheat the grill on high (don't do this the other way around - the spray may catch alight).

Remove the prawns from the sauce. Wrap each prawn in a piece of bacon and thread 3-4 of the wrapped prawns onto a skewer.

Place the kebabs on the grill and cook for 5to 6 minutes, turning once or twice in that time. Cook until the bacon is crisp.

Serve with grilled fresh vegetables and rice.

Bacon and Corn Fritters

makes 4 serves

• 2 large corn cobs
• 175g rashers rindless bacon, chopped
• 1 1/3 cups self-raising flour
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 jalapeno chilli, de-seeded and v. finely sliced
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 2 large avocados, mashed with a little lime juice
• light sour cream, to serve
• olive oil

Use a sharp knife to remove the kernels from the cobs. The cobs are not much use so put them in the bin or your compost heap.

Place the bacon in a non-stick frying pan, or on the grill plate over medium-high heat

Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes or until lightly coloured golden

Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel

Sift flour into a bowl and season with salt and pepper

Then whisk the milk and eggs in another bowl until well combined and then pour over the flour

Stir gently until smooth and then add the corn, onion, and bacon and continue to stir until it's all combined

Preheat your oven or hooded BBQ to 160°C (320°F) and then spread a little oil over your cooking surface

Use ¼ cup of the mixture per fritter, spoon the mixture onto the hot, oiled, surface

Cook for 4 to 5 minutes each side or until golden and cooked through

Transfer to a wire rack. Keep warm in while cooking the remaining fritters

Serve topped with bacon, avocado, sliced chilli and a dollop of sour cream

Pork Curry in Crispy Cases

makes 6 serves

• 1 egg
• 2 tablsp plain flour
• 3 cups cooked rice
• 1 tablsp vegetable oil
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 750g pork fillet, trimmed, cut into 2cm cubes
• 2 tablsp green curry paste
• 165ml can coconut milk
• 1 tablsp lime juice
• 1/3 cup basil leaves, finely shredded
• lime wedges, to serve

Combine egg and flour in a large bowl, then add the rice and stir until well combined. Place 1/2 cup of rice mixture into each pan and with wet hands, press evenly over base and sides of each pan.

Bake these for about 12 minutes or until light golden and firm to the touch. Remove from pans while still warm.

Put some oil in a frying pan over medium heat and saute the onion until tender. Then add the chicken and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until browned.

Then stir in curry paste and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Add coconut milk to chicken mixture and cook on medium heat, stirring, until mixture comes to the boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until the mixture thickens.

Remove from heat and Stir through the lime juice and basil.

Spoon into rice cases. Serve with a lime wedge each.