Finger food is easy to prepare and always a tasty addition to elaborate dinners and quick meals. So, whether it’s for your next party or for days when you’re too lazy to cook something substantial, Dev Goswami & Shirley Mistry tell you about the finger food that you can prepare or order in
Be honest. Can you think of ever being at a party where there was no finger food? These delicious snacks are popular for a reason. They are usually so easy to prepare that even those who do not know their way around a kitchen will be able to whip up a plate or two of some basic finger food. So, we’re paying homage to this party saviour by bringing you some brilliant recipes (and a few ready-to-cook options for cooking sceptics), tell you what restaurants have great options on their menus and tell you all about finger food from around the world.
MAKE IT AT HOME
Bacon & parmesan wrapped dates with mustard crème fraîche
Chef Kamal Thapa, from Terttulia, gives us this easy, but impressive recipe.
Ingredients
- 7 dates
- 7 strips of bacon
- 35g parmesan cheese
- 60ml balsamic vinegar
- 15g crème fraîche
- 2g grainy mustard
Method
- Divide the cheese into seven equal portions and stuff a piece into each date.
- Then, wrap it with a strip of bacon and lay the dates on a baking tray.
- Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the dates and bake them for 20 minutes, at 200°C.
- Meanwhile, mix the mustard with the crème fraîche and serve the dates with it once they are cooked through.
Beer batter fish taquitos
Chef Vikas Seth, from Sancho’s, gives us this seafood recipe, which is a spin on classic fish fingers.
Ingredients
- 12 corn tortillas
- 100g chipotle mayonnaise
- 100g salsa
- 100g guacamole
- 25g sour cream
- 250g fish fillet, cut into 12 strips
- 15ml lemon juice
- 100g flour
- 35ml beer
- 25ml chilled water
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- Oil for frying
Method
- Combine the flour and baking powder in a large bowl, season and then spoon 1 tbsp into a plate and set aside. Gradually pour the beer and water into the bowl, stirring with a whisk until you have a smooth, lump-free batter.
- Marinate the fish with lemon juice and salt, pat it dry with a kitchen towel, then toss it in the reserved flour mix. Shake off any excess, dip it into the batter and carefully lower it into hot oil.
- Fry the strips for 4-5 minutes (depending on how thick the fish is) until they are golden and crisp.
- Then, simply place a piece of fish on each tortilla, top with guacamole, salsa, chipotle mayonnaise and sour cream and serve warm.
Beer batter onion rings
Chef Subhash Shirke, from Woodside Inn, gives us a recipe for a crowd pleaser — onion rings.
Ingredients
- 300g onions, cut into rings
- 40g flour
- 30g cornflour
- 250ml beer
- 5g parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Oil for frying
Method
- Mix all the ingredients (barring the oil and the onions) together to form a batter.
- Then, coat each onion ring in it and fry it for five minutes or until it is golden and crispy.
Fish & Chips
Chef Kshama Prabhu, from White Owl, gives us an easy recipe for fish and chips.
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup beer
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup soda
- 1 tsp chopped parsley
- 200g basa fillet, cut into strips
- Oil for frying
Method
- Mix all the ingredients (except the oil and fish) to form a batter.
- Coat the fish in the batter and deep fry on medium heat for 4-5 minutes, until they are golden brown and cooked through.
- Serve the fish with hand cut French fries and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Caramel Popcorn
Perfect for a movie marathon, Cremica gives us a recipe for caramel popcorn — a simple and indulgent treat.
Ingredients
- 500g raw corn kernels
- 100ml Cremica Caramel Syrup
- 60ml vegetable oil
- 150g butter
- A lined, 12-case muffin tray
Method
- Heat the oil, add the corn kernels to it and cover it immediately.
- Once all the kernels have popped, empty them into a bowl and let them cool.
- In a separate pan, heat the butter and caramel syrup on medium heat. Once combined, remove it from the heat and add the popcorn to it.
- Mix the popcorn to coat it and distribute it equally in each muffin case, while it is still warm.
- Wait for the popcorn to harden (this may take 10-15 minutes) and serve.
OUR PICKS
Want to try some delectable finger food at restaurants across the city? Check out our list of recommendations:
.jpg)
Bang Bang Shrimps at Brickhouse: Lokhandwala’s Brickhouse Café & Bar has an excellent range of European fare and their Bang Bang Shrimps are a must-have. Cooked in a spicy, red chilli sauce and deliciously flavoured with lime, they are the perfect accompaniment to their refreshing cocktails.
Price Rs 345
Tandoori Lasuni Prawns at Treesome Café: If you’re looking for something with a strong Indian flavour, we recommend you head to Treesome Café in Andheri. The prawns have a predominant smoky flavour, with a delectable hint of garlic. The dish is served with mint chutney.
Price Rs 325
Cottage Cheese Fritters with Pesto Drizzle at Dinshaw’s Xpress Café: The cottage cheese fritters, available at Dinshaw’s Express Cafe in Oshiwara, are an extremely simple, light dish that is perfect for days when you aren’t very hungry. The combination of pesto and fresh herbs makes this dish a delight.
Price Rs 199
Kung Tempura at o:h cha: If you love prawns, you shouldn’t miss out on trying the Kung Tempura at o:h cha, in Lower Parel. The deep-fried dish truly lets the prawns shine, with no flavours overpowering it and a soy sauce served alongside.
Price Rs 600
Wasabi Waterchestnuts at Nom Nom: Waterchestnut and wasabi are a brilliant combination — as long as you can get the recipe right — and Nom Nom in Bandra does exactly that. The dish perfectly balances the delicate flavours of the chestnuts, with a delightful hit of wasabi.
Price Rs 310
Chicken Nuggets at Roadhouse Bluez: If you’re looking for a meal on a budget, check out Roadhouse Bluez in Andheri, which offers good ambiance and value-for-money food and drink. Their chicken nuggets make for a classic finger food dish that will complement your drinks. The dish is served with a delicious, chilli garlic mayonnaise.
Price Rs 260
Sizzling Garlic Prawns at The Local: With a minimalist bar bites menu, The Local in Fort has a good range of finger food for you to choose from. We recommend you try their sizzling garlic prawns, which is a simple, but delicious garlic flavoured prawns dish.
Price Rs 350
Wine Battered Fish & Chips at Vicnia: Vicinia Café Bar, located on Kemps Corner, has a classic finger food dish that you shouldn’t miss out on. The fish is flavourful and worth the high price tag.
Price Rs 525
Finger food across the world
Expand your horizons with these delicious finger food options from countries the world over.
Beef Empanadas, Argentina
These dough parcels are filled with a spicy, minced beef mixture, chopped boiled eggs and cheese. They are similar to hand pies, making them a worthy contender if you’re looking for substantial finger food option.
Smoked Salmon Smørrebrød, Denmark
Perfect for your next high-tea party, this finger food is a slice of pumpernickel bread, topped with a pat of butter, dill, a slice of cucumber and slivers of smoked salmon. Delicious!
Romeo & Juliet, Brazil
This snack is served both as an appetiser and a dessert and takes just a few minutes to rustle up. Simply pierce squares of white cheese and guava cheese alternately on a toothpick and you’re done.
Spiced Feta, Armenia
Another easy-to-make finger food, all you need to do is whip up an easy dressing using white wine vinegar, olive oil, paprika, tarragon and oregano and drizzle it over cubes of feta.
Meatballs with Pomegranate sauce, Russia
These spicy beef meatballs, coated in a glossy, pomegranate-honey sauce, are sweet and spicy at the same time. You can make these well in advance, as the flavours enhance over time.
Desserts on a stick
A perfect end to your finger food extravaganza, take a look at some finger food appropriate desserts that you can serve skewered on sticks.
- Donuts on a stick: Simply make donut batter and fry it, much like you would fry pakodas. Then, drizzle them with a chocolate or fruit-based icing before poking a skewer through each one.
- Strawberry & almond butter French toast skewers: Make a french toast sandwich, with slices of strawberries and an almond butter stuffing. Then, slice the sandwich into squares and carefully skewer them.
- Pop Tarts: While pop tarts are delicious, they are certainly too large to be finger food. So, modify the recipe to make miniature ones (or buy and cut up regular size ones) and poke a skewer through each. These are perfect for goody bags as well.
- Crispy treats: Take your favourite cereal and add it to melted chocolate (you could also use peanut or almond butter), shape it around a skewer (to resemble a cake pop) and let it harden.
- Candied apples: Poke a skewer through a small apple, dip it into warm, melted chocolate or caramel sauce and coat it with chopped nuts before the coating hardens.
GET READY-TO-EAT
Whether you’re feeling lazy or need to get some food ready for a party you’re throwing in two hours, these frozen food packs will come in handy. Available at most supermarkets and a few online websites, all you need to do is deep or pan fry most of them and you’re done! Check out our recommendations:
Yummiez Chicken Popcorn
Price Rs 175
Cambay Tiger Basa Nuggets
Price Rs 135
Venky’s Chicken Fingers
Price Rs 390
McCain Chili Garlic Potato
Price Rs 95
McCain Cheese Mozzarella Sticks
Price Rs 225