A Tale of Strange Snacks 

Ruchira shares some strange snacks, a joy for the foodies – exclusively for Different Truths.

The dictionary meaning of snack is asmall amount of food eaten between important meals of the day. Given the modern-day scenario and lifestyle, most of us, I am sure, are familiar with, and addicted to snacking.

Keeping aside the ubiquitous commonplace snacks, let us look at some strange (read not so ordinary) snack options. Travelling down memory lane, I recall how my late father loved to eat those crispy, crunchy ‘Thin Arrowroot’ biscuits with blobs of jam or jelly sandwiched between them. At times he would use butter instead. If anyone wishes to try it out, and the product mentioned above is hard to procure, then ‘Marie’ biscuits will also fit the bill. 

Yet another of his favourite snacks was sooji ka halwa, generously sprinkled with moori (puffed rice). The salty-sweet combo was delightful, trust me. There are more such options.

A cousin of mine, a general physician, who resides in Dubai, is a foodie connoisseur. He suggested sampling piping hot Gulab Jamuns with dollops of plain vanilla ice cream. My daughter, notorious for her sweet tooth, polished off the bulk portion. Even to this day, she can’t thank her uncle enough. 

Furthermore, imagine my bewilderment and horror when on one occasion, she brought home a pair of the highly popular Raj Kachoris and, instead of the spicy stuffing, filled them with fragments of barfi, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate sauce topped with Cadbury’s gems! And she ate them gleefully. How she escaped a digestive problem of any sort still befuddles me!

I have a personal liking for a few more strange snacks. For instance, Bikaneri bhujia or aloo bhujia doused in tomato ketchup tastes divine.

Salted ‘Monaco’ or similar-tasting biscuits also do well with the condiment. From time to friends and acquaintances have inspired me to try out stuff like French fries with honey, (boiled) egg white with tomato sauce sprinkled with salt, and, yes, peanuts dunked in Coke! I would most certainly recommend all of them. 

The health-conscious and vegetarians may opt for apple slices dusted liberally with salt and pepper. This may be considered a variation of fruit chaat so popular among northerners.

Another offbeat snack I picked up from somewhere is roasted ‘papad’ (lentils. Not rice or tapioca ones) topped with chopped onions, tomatoes, and green chillies and garnished with sev. This spicy crackling snack is an excellent accompaniment to tea. So, poppadum /papadis not confined to traditional northern and southern thalis. Even simple papad with a dash of tomato sauce and a pinch of chaat masala is an exciting option.

Popcorn lovers may try the following recipe: mix tomato ketchup with butter and granulated sugar in a pan and heat over medium flame. Stir until sugar dissolves. Drizzle over plain, freshly popped corn placed on a baking sheet. Shake vigorously to mix well. Sprinkle with salt. Bake at 300F, occasionally stirring, until popcorn is dry and crisp.

If you enjoy munching the iconic jhalmoori, why not try its latest avatar? All the essential ingredients remaining constantly empty a packet of Kurkure into a bowl containing the mixture. Shake and toss well. You’ll love it, I assure you.

I am rounding off with a bizarre snack, which has been doing the rounds on the internet for quite some time now. It goes by the name of ‘Fanta Maggie’. Sautéed onion-tomato-garlic is added to the customarily cooked two-minute Maggie noodles, with the masala enclosed in each pack. The mass is then doused in the frothy sparkling beverage. I have had divergent feedback about the product.

Some say it’s exciting and innovative, while others label it disgusting! Why not check it out for yourself?

Picture design by Anumita Roy