The golden period of the 90's in India was characterized by the onset of new cinema and fashion trends. During those times, people used to sit together in the evening and sip on tea or coffee, along with an array of snacks. While a lot of foreign and homegrown brands had started manufacturing snacks on a large scale, people still relied on home-cooked food. Hence, it led to the preparation of a diverse range of home-made snacks that were the life of evening tea parties and celebrations.
However, with time, the market got flooded with much cheaper and ready-to-eat snacks. These packed snacks soon became a replacement for fresh, home-made snacks, and those recipes got lost somewhere. If you're looking to bring back the '90s charm in your kitchen, then keep reading this article to find some wonderful recipes from that period with a healthier touch to them.
If you're looking to cut down your child's junk food intake and want to prepare some healthier alternatives, then this article can be extremely helpful for you. Given below is a list of some yummy snacks from the 90s that are easy to make and quite healthy as well.
Chivda is a Gujarati namkeen mixture that is prepared from fried poha and mixed with nuts and an array of spices. It is a crunchy, light, and delightful snack option for something in between the three major meals. Although you can get packaged chivda in the market, making it at home is more pocket-friendly and healthier. To make this snack a lot healthier than regular, you can air fry rice puffs instead of deep frying them. Into this, you may incorporate spices, roasted peanuts, and chickpeas for a fibrous and balanced snack.
Gathiya is another popular snack that is crunchy and flavorsome. It is made from chickpea flour and is often considered the perfect accompaniment to evening tea or a glass of hot milk. To prepare this at home, you can make a spicy gathiya dough and then bake it in the oven until it becomes fully crispy. This is an effective method of minimizing the usage of oil while also preserving the true essence of the snack. It can be preserved for a week or 10 days.
Chakli is yet another popular snack that is still a choice of many to satiate that instant hunger for something spicy and satisfying. Traditionally, the snack is prepared from a mixture made from chickpea flour, rice flour, and several spices like turmeric, cumin seeds, and chili. This batter is deep-fried in the shape of round snacks. For a healthy version, instead of deep frying the mixture, one can simply bake it in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes at 180°C. In between, you can flip it to the other side to ensure it is cooked on both sides.
This is such a popular snack from the 90s, that you can find some really good Bollywood songs specially dedicated to it. It is a classic and easy-to-make snack that is prepared by mixing fried chickpeas with several spices to give it that street-style food touch. To make this appetizing snack a lot healthier than regular, you can simply dry roast chickpeas instead of deep-frying them. You may also add some finely chopped tomatoes, onions, and green chilli along with lemon juice to make it more flavourful.
Namak paare is a very popular snack that traces its origins in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. It is made from wheat flour and has subtle flavors of spices like cumin seed powder, red chili powder, and more. Generally, the snack is prepared by deep frying wheat dough in simmering oil. However, for a healthy version, you may bake the snacks in the oven or simply air fry them.
Banana chips are still a very popular snack, especially in the Southern part of India. It is made by peeling bananas into the shape of chips and then frying them in coconut oil. The coconut oil gives a very zesty touch to the banana chips that also have a subtle flavor of turmeric, red chilli, and salt. For a healthier version of banana chips, you may simply air fry them instead of deep frying.
The mere mention of cooker cake is enough to revive those soulful memories among 90s kids when their mother used to prepare a relishing and fluffy cooker cake at home. The cake is sweet, light, and all things yummy. The best part is that it can be prepared by using some common ingredients already available at home. All that one needs to do is mix suji with curd, baking soda, eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar, and some baking powder. You may also add dry fruits and melted chocolate. Now this mixture has to be put inside a container, which is transferred to a cooker. The cooker filled with salt acts like an oven and cooks the cake perfectly.
These are some of the most popular and delicious recipes from the 90s that you can prepare for your child. They are a lot healthier than the instant snacks available in the market and can be your child's go-to snack.