Chef Sanjeev Kapoor shares ultimate picnic snack guide

Come New Year, and the comfort of enjoying a picnic in lush green parks and gardens is no less than a therapy. Sitting under the sun and enjoying comforting food in the company of loved ones is an experience unmatched. It is a way to pause, breathe, and reconnect with the world beyond artificial lights and ceilings. And the joy of preparing food, packing it, and then plating it in the garden is a unique experience that is cherished by generations. As per celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, the best picnic fare is simple yet thoughtful, easy to carry, delightful to eat, and made with love. Keeping the same in mind, he recently shared some easy and comforting snacks that can be easily planned out, packed, and enjoyed with friends and family. Scroll down to pen down the recipes.

Ingredients: 200 grams paneer, 1 tablespoon mint leaves, 1 tbsp coriander leaves, ½ tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp fried garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt to taste, black pepper to taste, brown bread slices, butter, 4 tsp sauce, some iceberg lettuce leaves, tomato roundels, onion rings, cucumber roundels, and 2 cheese slices
Method: To make herbed paneer sandwich, take cottage cheese in a bowl, add mint leaves, coriander leaves, lemon juice, fried garlic, olive oil, salt and crushed black peppercorns and mix well. Apply butter and sauce on bread slices. Place some lettuce leaves on top of 2 bread slices. Place some tomato roundels and sprinkle salt on top. Place a portion of cottage cheese mixture on each slice. Place some onion rings and cucumber slices on top. Place cheese slices and finally cover with remaining bread slices. Tightly wrap in parchment sheet and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Ingredients: 8 chicken salamis, 8 spicy chicken salamis, 4 white bread slices, butter, 4 tsp mayonnaise, 4 tsp pommery mustard, rocket lettuce leaves, 2 cheese slices, onion rings and some micro greens
Method: For the chicken salami sandwich, place the bread slices on the worktop. Apply butter, mayonnaise and mustard paste evenly one after the other. Place rocket leaves on 2 bread slices and arrange chicken salamis on top. Arrange cheese slices on top. Now arrange spicy chicken salamis on top. Place some onion rings and micro greens on top. Cover with remaining bread slices and tightly wrap in a parchment sheet and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve.

Ingredients: 1 cup boiled corn kernels, 2 medium boiled potatoes, 1 tablespoon coriander leaves, 1-2 green chillies, ¾ teaspoon garam masala powder, salt to taste,1 teaspoon lemon juice, and oil for grilling
Method: Mix together potatoes, corn, coriander leaves, garam masala powder, salt and lemon juice in a bowl. Next, divide the prepared mixture into equal portions and shape into tikkis. Now, heat some oil in a non-stick grill pan and place the tikkis on it and grill till evenly done from both the sides. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with tomato ketchup or chilli sauce.

Ingredients: 2 cups gram flour, oil for greasing, salt to taste, 1 cup yogurt, 2 tsp ginger-green chilli paste, 2 tsp fruit salt, 2 tbsps oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, ¼ tsp asafoetida, 1 tbsp white sesame seeds, 10-12 curry leaves, 2-3 green chillies, 2 tsps sugar, and 2 tbsp coriander leaves.
Method: First of all, grease an aluminum baking tin with some oil. In a mixing bowl, take gram flour, add salt, yogurt and ginger-green chilli paste and mix well. Add 1 cup water and whisk till a smooth batter is formed. Add fruit salt and 1 tbsp water and mix till well combined. Pour the batter into the greased aluminum baking tin. Heat 1 cup of water in a steamer. Place the baking tin on the steamer basket and steam for 10-15 minutes. Allow the dhokla to cool slightly and then cut into squares. In the meantime, heat oil in a small non-stick pan, add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add asafoetida, white sesame seeds, curry leaves and green chillies and mix well. Add ¼ cup water and water and mix well. Bring it to a boil and pour the tempering over the dhokla and spread it evenly. Serve fresh with mint and coriander chutney.

Ingredients: 3 cups puffed rice, ¾ cup jaggery, 2 tbsps ghee, ¼ cup peanut butter, 1 tbsp jam, ¼ cup roasted peanuts, melted chocolate for coating, walnuts and sea salt for sprinkling
Method: First of all, grease a burfi tray with ghee. Now, heat a non-stick wok, add jaggery, ghee and peanut butter, mix and let the jaggery melt. Add jam and mix well. Add puffed rice, crushed peanuts and mix well. Transfer the mixture into the greased burfi tray and spread it evenly. Press it using a rolling pin to even out the top and make cuts on the prepared mixture into equal bars and allow to cool to room temperature. Now, take melted dark chocolate in a glass, dip the ¼ of the bars into it and place it on a wire rack, let it settle. Sprinkle chopped walnuts and a little seal salt. Refrigerate and enjoy.

Ingredients: 4 medium boiled potatoes, 250 grams whole wheat flour, 1 inch ginger, 1 green chilli, 1 tbsp coriander leaves, salt to taste, ½ teaspoon garam masala powder, ½ tsp red chilli powder, and ghee for cooking
Method: Mix together potatoes, ginger, green chillies, coriander leaves, salt, garam masala powder and chilli powder in a bowl. In the meantime, knead a soft dough with flour and water. Divide the dough into equal balls. Make a cavity in the center of each portion, put a portion of potato stuffing, seal, and roll out parathas. Heat a non-stick tawa and cook the parathas with ghee on both sides. Serve hot with yogurt and pickle.

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