Menu for a tapas style game party.

It is the time of the year when everyone is having a penultimate
party before the year ends. I am having one next Friday and have
decided to make it tapas style borrowing from dishes I've tasted in
Indian/Spanish cuisine.

Tapas
- Samosa tarts - Indian origin
- Vegetables with aioli - Spanish origin
- Bite size pizzas on lavash bread - Dunno origin
- Paneer Pudina Tikkis - Indian Origin ( Page 51, Snacks under 10
minutes, Tarla Dalal)

Samosa tarts
- Baked red potatoes with skin on as I like it, green peas
- Ginger
- Turmeric for color
- Paprika for the color as well
- Green chilies
- Lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- Can add spinach for some more green look.

Mix mashed baked potatoes, cooked beans, spinach and rest of
spices. This will be the filling. I am going to make the phyllo dough
baskets 2-3 days in advance. Will serve the shells filled with sweet
tamarind chutney on top.

Vegetables with Aioli-
A dish that was an instant hit last time me and my husband were
treated to a quaint Spanish restaurant in San Diego. The dish's
original vegetable was asparagus.
- Bell peppers - 1 green, 1 yellow, 1 red
- Carrots - 2
- Aioli - store bought.

Cut peppers in vertical strips, carrots as well, about 1.5 inch
long, 0.5 inch thick. Spread out the veggies in a single layer on a
baking tray lined with foil in order to save clean up effort. Spray
oil on veggies, sprinkle only slight amount of salt as more of it
makes the veggies ooze too much water. Bake at 425F for few minutes,
turn once midway. Serve with generous amount of aioli. I don't bake
the vegetables completely so that they retain some crunch..that's the
way I love them.

Bite sized pizzas with lavash bread-
There is no end to what combinations one can do with this. The
toppings are unlimited. However, since I've used up carrots, peppers,
peas and potatoes and don't want to work with meat, here is what I am
left with-
- Lavash bread/chapatis/nan/any other thin flat bread
- Tomatoes, sliced
- Capers
- Olives, sliced as well
- Parsley
- 3in1 shredded cheese mix.(I also like feta cheese but don't know
how it takes baking, besides I want the top cheese layer to melt to
hold the other stacked veggies in place).

Use a pizza cutter to make 3 in x 3 in squares that are 2 layers
thick. Layer tomatoes, onions if you like, capers, parsley. Top with
cheese. Bake at 400F, keeping an eye to not burn. Use a foil as we are
not using any oil, some pizzas will stick.

If all the ingredients are ready, this is a dish that allows the
guests to help and get involved.

Paneer Pudina Tikkis
I've never had this dish before but the description looked 'jara
hatke' from standard Indian taste. The book calls for deep frying. I
am going to pan fry.
For 16 tikkis
- 3/4 cups of paneer, grated
- 4 tablespoons mint, finely chopped
- 3 green chillies, finely chopped
- 2-3 cups of cornflour(I am substituting it with flour).
- salt to taste
- oil for deep frying(I am using oil spray)
- chaat masaala for serving( I am going to use 1:1:1 mixture of
dhana pwdr:jeera pwdr:paprika + salt)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix well. Divide mixture in 16
equal portions, shape into a round flattened nugget. Deep fry over
medium flame until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper, Serve hot
with chaat masala.

I am going to microwave paneer so that it gets cooked before
grating, so that I may use crumbled paneer in the end as well! Am also
going to make the patties a day ahead. Will pan fry when guest arrive.
Serve with the 'dhaNa-jeeru' mixture.

Drinks
- Cosmopolitan/Screwdriver