Indian cuisine is famed for its savoury plates, and one mouthful will transport you to India thanks to all of the strong species and tasty herbs. You’ve come to the perfect place if you’re planning a party and want Indian appetisers.
We’ve all heard how delicious Indian food is, from crunchy samosas to garlic naan, and how once you try it, you’ll be hooked. Indian appetisers are ideal for any occasion since they take your guests’ taste buds to places they’ve never been before.
So, let’s find out what the 6 most delicious Indian appetisers are for your next party, and don’t worry, the recipes are extremely easy.
6 Indian Appetisers Recipes
If you are having your family and friends over and you surprise them with Indian-themed appetisers, they will totally love the idea cause, simply, who doesn’t like Indian cuisine?
Keema Puff Pastry (Savory Meat Pastry)
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 40 Minutes
Servings: 12
Keema Puff Pastry, everyone’s favourite Indian appetiser, is created with spiced ground meat. We all know a proper Indian dish must be well-spiced and wrapped in flaky puff pastry.
What exactly does the word “keema” mean? It refers to minced meat, which can be lamb, mutton, or, of course, beef. Because it is an Indian dish, the minced meat is frequently cooked with garlic and onion, as well as a variety of Indian spices such as turmeric, cumin, and coriander. The more spices used, the better the dish.
Ingredients
1 green chilli, like Jalapeno, Thai green chilli, or Serrano
1 medium onion
1 pound minced lamb or beef
2 tbsp oil
4-5 garlic cloves
A handful of cilantro
½ teaspoon freshly grated ginger or ½ inch chunk (ginger powder is not a good option)
Spices
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds, optional
¼ teaspoon garam masala, optional
½ teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder, optional
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
For Puff Pastry
1 package of puff pastry (2 sheets)
1 small egg, beaten
Ingredients to Garnish Keema
¼ cup chopped cilantro, optional
½ lemon juice
Directions
We’ll start with something basic and easy: preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a food processor, mince the cilantro, ginger, garlic cloves, and green chilli. If you don’t have a food processor, finely mince them with a knife for a similar outcome.
In a mixing bowl, combine the spices you just minced with the ground beef and mix well with a spatula. Set aside.
This step takes 5-10 minutes. Heat the oil in a big pan over medium heat. Then, add the minced meat to the pan and cook until the water has entirely evaporated. While cooking, use a wooden spoon to break up the meat.
Now remove the keema from the heat and garnish with ½ cup chopped cilantro. Then, take half a lemon and squeeze it into the mixture. When you’re finished, lay it away and let it cool.
You’ll need a floured surface to roll out the thawed puff pastry sheet. Check that it is ⅛-inch thick. You can choose between rectangle and square shapes, but the most important thing is that it is 4-5 inches in size.
Now, put a generous amount of the keema mixture into the centre of each pastry. After placing the mixture in the centre, fold the pastry each edge together and seal it with a fork to give it a lovely shape.
Brush the top of the pastry with beaten egg to achieve a lovely golden brown colour. After coating all of the crust, set it on a baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown.
Once it’s ready to take out of the oven, it is best to serve it hot next to a delicious dipping sauce, or chutney is also a nice option.
Traditional Indian Samosas
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 50 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 20 Minutes
Servings: 24 Samosas
Once you take a piece of this delicious Indian appetiser, you will find yourself devouring the entire tray. Its golden-coloured crispy pastry pockets are loaded with incredible flavours and ingredients like seasoned peas and potatoes, typically served with spicy tamarind, ketchup, and mint chutney dip.
Ingredients
Filling
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 cup dry USA green or yellow split peas chopped for dipping
1 medium red onion
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 cups water
2 medium potatoes
2 teaspoons ground coriander
Chutney or tomato ketchup
Vegetable oil for deep frying
Dough
1/2 cup plain yoghurt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cups all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour is preferred
Directions
The first step in making this delicious dish is to boil the peas. In a saucepan, add the water and peas; reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the peas are soft; this step usually takes about 35 to 45 minutes. When tender, drain and lay aside.
We’ll boil potatoes in a new saucepan with 1 teaspoon salt. Once tender, drain it and thoroughly mash it because we will use it as our filling.
Now, it’s time to make the dough. In a mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Canola oil and yoghurt should be added to the centre of the mixture. Then, mix everything until it resembles dough and forms a ball.
After you’ve made the dough, place it on a floured surface and knead it for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth. Cover the dough and set it aside for 30 minutes to rest.
Now, for the filling, heat one tablespoon of canola oil in a large skillet. Then, add the onions and stir till they are semi-transparent, then add the ginger and stir for one minute, then add the garam masala, coriander, and salt; stir everything well for 30 seconds, then add the potatoes and peas and mix everything well and set the filling aside.
Roll out the dough into a 12 × 18-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Then, cut into 3-inch squares.
Add one tablespoon of the filling to each square of dough. Next, you’ll need a cup of water nearby to soften the edges with your finger. Then, to make a triangle, fold the dough diagonally in half. Once the edges have been folded together, the press will ensure that the filling is well sealed.
Fry the samosas in a frying pan until they are golden brown. Drain the samosa on paper towels once it has reached this colour. It is now ready to serve; you can also serve it with chutney or tomato ketchup for a fantastic taste.
Naan Pizza
httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_oCkiibyF4
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 8 Minutes
Total Time: 13 Minutes
Servings: 2 Servings
It’s an Indian appetiser with an Italian twist. The Naan Pizza is a flavour fusion that you and your guests will enjoy. This inventive dish begins with naan bread and is topped with pizza sauce, cheese, and your favourite toppings.
What exactly is a naan? Naan is made from flour, yoghurt, water, and either baking soda or yeast as a leavening agent. Because naan contains dairy, it is denser than pizza dough.
Naan is relatively simple to make, but in this recipe, we will use pre-baked, packaged naan to speed things up.
Ingredients
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or fresh mozzarella slices)
1/2 cup prepared pizza sauce or pesto
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning, optional
2 naan bread about 8 inches each, or four mini naan bread (purchased or homemade naan)
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
8 fresh basil leaves
A pinch of kosher salt or flaky sea salt
A pinch of red pepper flakes
Additional Topping Options
Arugula and prosciutto are added after the pizza comes out of the oven
Begin by preheating the oven to 450F/232C degrees. It is ideal to set a rack in the upper part of the oven, about 6 inches from the top.
You will take the naan and place it straight on the oven grate. To begin, bake the first side for 2 minutes before flipping the opposite side for 3 minutes.
After the naan has finished baking, place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure that the bubbly side is facing up. Then, apply a thin layer of pizza sauce and Italian seasoning on top.
Then add the Mozzarella and, if desired, the parmesan. After adding your preferred toppings, return the naan pizza to the oven for 3 minutes or until the cheese melts. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top once it’s ready to be removed from the oven. Throw the fresh basil leaves over the top and enjoy the wonderful combination of flavours.
Spicy Lamb Samosa Cups
httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZq97DyLdtI
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 35 Minutes
Servings: 12 Cups
The perfect Indian appetiser for parties and fantastic finger food. Because of the great spices utilised in this recipe, it is a tasty dish, much like any Indian dish. Spicy Lamb Samosa Cups: these bite-sized cups are made with crispy wonton wrappers packed with seasoned lamb, resulting in a savoury and pleasant snack.
Ingredients
1 red chilli – Fresno variety, finely chopped (remove the seeds if you don’t like it too hot)
1 small onion – peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander – to garnish
This will take around 2-3 minutes or until it begins to soften. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium frying pan and then add a small onion.
Then, mix in the garlic, chopped chillies, ginger, garam masala, cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, chilli powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir everything together for 2 minutes or until the aroma of this delicious mixture fills your kitchen.
Add the lamb to the mixture and thoroughly mix everything together. Stir everything together for 5 minutes or until the lamb is a good brown colour. Then add the peas and stir everything together before turning off the heat.
Let’s do something else while the lamb is cooking. Spread the filo sheets out and brush each one with melted butter. Layer the sheets so that you have two heaps of three sheets. Cut out circles with a 98mm(3+⅞”) cookie cutter. You should get at least 12 rounds, but depending on the size of your filo pastry sheet, you may get a few more.
Brush melted butter into a 12-hole shallow bun tray. Fill in each hole with a stack of filo sheets. Squeeze them in until they reach the edges.
Brush the top with melted butter after spooning in the lamb mixture. Bake the filo pastry for 12-15 minutes or until golden in colour.
Finally, remove from the oven and serve hot, topped with fresh coriander and chilli flakes, and enjoy the exquisite crunchiness of this delightful Indian appetiser.
Beetroot Kebabs
httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV0UDKbFJZo
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
If you think Indian appetisers can’t be vegan, think again because these beetroot kebabs are vegan and delicious, plus they’re really quick to make. They’re also colourful and filling.
These kebabs are made with grated beets, mashed potatoes, and, of course, Indian spices. They are then moulded into patties and pan-fried till crispy and golden.
Ingredients
1 tbsp Coriander Powder
2 tbsp Dry Mango Powder
2 tsp Chilli Powder
4 tbsp Olive Oil
500-gram Beetroot
500 gram Potatoes (boiled)
6 slices White Bread
Oil (for pan-frying kebabs)
Pepper
Salt
Directions
We’ll begin by cooking the beetroot, but first, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius/392 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the beets into 2-inch chunks and toss with salt and olive oil. After properly mixing everything, bake for 20 minutes on a baking sheet lined with foil.
When the beetroot is done, move it to a bowl and set it aside to cool. Meanwhile, grate boiled potatoes and add them to a big mixing bowl.
In a food processor, combine roasted cubed beets and bread pieces until crumbs form. After that, add the grated potatoes to the mixture and season with salt, pepper, coriander powder, chilli powder, and dried mango powder.
Once you’ve mixed everything, form them into little kebab shapes. Then, on medium-low heat, pan-fry for 5 minutes per side with some oil. Serve right away with your favourite dip.
Air Fryer cauliflower with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DTkfjvdWgA
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time:15 minutes
Total Time: 25minutes
Servings: 4
An easy-to-make Indian appetiser that is also healthy, because we will be using the air fryer, and anything cooked in the air fryer is healthy in our opinion. It’s an easy dish seasoned with traditional Indian spices and topped with cilantro yoghurt sauce. A low-carb recipe that you and your family will devour due to its deliciousness.
Ingredients
For the Cauliflower
1 Cauliflower (Gobi), medium, rinsed & cut into florets (about 1.25 lbs or 5 cups)
1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin (Jeera powder)
1/2 teaspoon Salt, adjust to taste
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
2 tablespoons Oil (Optional Avocado oil)
For the Sauce
1 clove Garlic, peeled
1 Green chilli pepper or jalapeno (seeds removed)
1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin (Jeera powder)
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 teaspoon Lime juice
1/4 cup Yogurt, plain Greek yoghurt works well too
Directions
We’ll begin by preparing the cauliflower. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cauliflower florets, cumin, garlic powder, and salt and pepper.
After combining all of the spices with the cauliflower, transfer it to the air fryer basket and distribute the seasoned cauliflower in a single layer to cook thoroughly. Allow it to cook for 15 minutes at 380F/193C.
While the cauliflower cooks, we’ll make a cilantro yoghurt sauce. In a small blender or food processor, combine all of the sauce ingredients: cilantro, green chilli pepper, yoghurt, cumin, garlic, salt, and lime juice.
Blend till it has a saucy texture. If it’s still not saucy enough, add 1-2 teaspoons of water and blend until smooth.
After the air fryer cooking time is over, transfer the cauliflower to a serving plate. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower and serve. Any leftover sauce can be used to dip the cauliflower. Enjoy the crisp flavour with the tasty sauce.
A Dish Infused With Indian Spices
The list of fantastic Indian appetiser recipes has come to an end. Still, we are confident that any of the Indian appetisers you’d make would be an excellent addition to any party or family gathering simply because they are tasty and very easy to make. The question is, which dish will you make first?
Asmaa Alhashimy 