3 Easy & Yummy Snacks/Starters Perfect for Iftar or Eid

In this post I share three easy and yummy snacks or starters which are perfect for Iftar during Ramadan or Eid.

1.Chicken Tikka Pasta Salad

Serves 6 | Preparation Time: 15 minutes | Cooking Time: 20 minutes (plus 30 minutes marination time)

Ingredients required:

• 500g Chicken (thigh/breast, cut into chunks)
• ½ cup Yoghurt (I used Greek yoghurt)
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 2 teaspoons Paprika
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• ½ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
• 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 500g Pasta
• 250g Soft Cheese
• 4 Spring Onions (chopped)
• ½ cup Sweetcorn
• Handful of Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
• 1 tablespoon Sunflower Oil

Method:

1. Add the yoghurt, salt, paprika, turmeric powder, garlic powder and red chilli powder to a large mixing bowl and combine until well mixed.
2. Stir in the lemon juice
3. Add the chunks of chicken, and fully coat in the marinade. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow chicken to marinate.
4. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add the chicken and cook on a medium heat until the liquid has dried, stirring regularly to stop the chicken from sticking. Remove from heat and set pan aside.
5. Cook pasta according to instructions on packaging. Drain and return pasta to pan. Do not turn the cooker on.
6. Stir in the soft cheese. Add all but a handful of the chicken tikka pieces. Add in the sweetcorn and spring onion, and stir everything until well combined.
7. Add the chicken tikka pasta salad to a serving dish, and top with the handful of chicken tikka pieces. Garnish with the cherry tomatoes and coarse black pepper.
8. Serve warm/cold.

Note: Add any salad of your choice. Olives, cucumber, feta cheese would taste great in this chicken tikka pasta salad.

2. Cheesy Kebabs

Makes 9 | Preparation Time: 15 minutes | Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients required:

• 500g Mince (I used lamb mince)
• 1 Medium Onion
• 1 Tomato
• 5 Garlic Cloves
• 1 tablespoon Ginger
• 1 Green Chilli
• 1 Medium Egg
• ½ cup Plain Flour
• ¼ cup Breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Flakes
• 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
• 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
• 220g Mozzarella Cheese (grated)
• Oil for frying (optional as the kebabs can be grilled/air fried)

Method:

1. Chop the onion, tomato, garlic cloves, ginger and green chilli in a food processor until finely chopped. Add to a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the mince, egg, plain flour, breadcrumbs, salt, red chilli flakes, garam masala & lemon juice to the mixing bowl. Mix everything until well combined.
3. Shape the kebab mixture into golf sized balls and flatten into discs in the palm of your hand.
4. Place a teaspoon of mozzarella in the centre of the kebab, and shape the kebab around the mozzarella to create a ball. Flatten into thick kebabs, making sure that the mozzarella cheese is fully enclosed in the kebab. Repeat until the kebab mixture has been used.
5. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the kebabs, turning once or twice until the kebabs are a lovely deep brown colour. Drain on kitchen roll.
6. Serve with your favourite chutney.

3. Mini Veg Pasties

Makes 14-16 | Preparation Time: 15 minutes | Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients Required:

• 2 x Ready Rolled Puff Pastry sheets (I used 375g Puff Pastry sheets)
• 350g Potatoes (peeled and chopped into chunks)
• 350g Frozen Mixed Veg
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Coarse Black Pepper
• 3 tablespoons Mayonnaise
• 1 Egg (to seal & coat the pasties)

Method:

1. Add the potato chunks to a medium pan, sprinkle over salt and cover with water. Bring to the boil, and boil for ~4 minutes (or until potato chunks are soft)
2. Boil the frozen mixed veg in water until soft and ready to eat.
3. Add the potatoes and mixed veg to a large mixing bowl and mash together using a potato masher.
4. Stir in the salt, coarse black pepper and mayonnaise until well mixed.
5. Using a cookie cutter, cut the puff pastry sheet. Add a tablespoon of the veg filling to the cookie-shaped puff pastry, and top with another cookie-shaped puff pastry, Seal and coat with egg wash. Bake according to the instructions on puff pastry packaging.
6. Serve and enjoy