Indian food is so diverse and full of tasty and exceptional cuisine. We all know that appetizers are the best part of a meal, so we’ve compiled a list of the best Indian appetizers for you!
Their appetizers are spicy, bold, and flavorful, and you’ll love them.
There is also plenty of room for experimenting if you want to surprise your friends or family with something new.
Hope this list gives you some fresh ideas and helps spice things up!
1. Khaman Dhokla
These sweet cakes have a soft, fluffy texture and savory flavor. They contain a lot of spices such as besan (chickpea), flour, semolina, and sugar.
In addition, they provide a good amount of protein and fiber and are lovely. You can serve them as an appetizer or as part of your breakfast menu.
2. Papdi Chaat
Papdi chaat is the ideal combination of spice, sweetness, and tanginess. It is a hearty, filling appetizer mainly consisting of chickpeas, yogurt, and potatoes.
3. Bhara Kabab
Bhara, also known as hara kabab, is a classic Indian dish that is a vegetarian alternative to meat kebabs.
The ingredients used to make the dish include roasted besan (chickpea) flour, oil, salt, potatoes, peas, spinach, ginger, chili peppers, coriander, breadcrumbs, garam masala, and lemon juice.
You can prepare the mixture by cooking, mashing, or grinding it before being made into little patties that are grilled or fried in oil.
Bhara kabab is typically served as an appetizer, and the patties are best served with coriander or mint chutney on the side.
These green kababs are particularly popular in northern India, particularly in Lucknow, where they are a specialty.
4. Boti Kebab
This is undoubtedly one of the best Indian appetizers. It is made from chunks of meat (chicken, lamb, mutton, or beef) that have been marinated in a sauce made of yogurt, garlic, ginger, chilies, papaya, and spices, including garam masala, chili powder, and cumin.
The meat chunks are skewered and perfectly grilled after marinating, and they are then coated with ghee.
These kebabs are normally eaten as an appetizer or as a snack, and they are frequently served with raw onions, lemon wedges, different chutneys, and Indian bread.
In the case of lamb or mutton kebabs, you can cook the marinated meat chunks in boiling water before grilling.
5. Papadum
Papadum is a thin, crispy cracker bread that is baked from chickpea, lentil, gram, or rice flour. You can eat it with pickles or as a utensil for scooping up other meals like curries.
In addition, you can add chutneys or raita sauce to papadum and accompany it with hot tea.
Due to its popularity, there are a few versions of the meal, including rice papadum, which is boiled in water and dried in the sun; masala papadum, which has spices such as black pepper, chili, cumin, and garlic; and jackfruit papadum from Karnataka, which blends jackfruit with chickpea flour.
6. Paneer Tikka
This is also among the best Indian appetizers on this list. The ingredients for this North Indian tikka dish include a mixture of marinated paneer cheese and veggies, which are cooked in a tandoor, a traditional Indian oven.
Also, the foundation of this vegetarian tikka recipe is paneer, a soft and crumbly cheese. Paneer, tomatoes, onions, and peppers are all skewered, grilled, and then seasoned with chaat masala, a spicy powder, and lemon juice.
The meal may occasionally be served alongside different salads or mint chutney.
7. Dahi Vada
This is a popular Indian appetizer that you can serve as a main course or as a side dish to meals with meat or vegetables.
The North Indian dish comprises delicious fried lentil balls (vadas) that have been dipped in thick yogurt (dahi).
This well-known street cuisine frequently has spices, including chili, cumin, coriander, and other chutneys, on top.
The dish is especially well-liked at celebratory events like weddings and makes a great summertime refresher.
8. Gobi Manchurian
This is also among the best Indian appetizers. It consists of fried cauliflower (gobi) that has been combined with a hot and sour sauce (manchurian). The meal is available in two different versions: dry and in gravy.
The dry form is frequently served as an appetizer or bar snack with ketchup as a dipping sauce, whereas the gravy version has a thick sauce made with cornstarch and is typically served as a main dish with either fried or steamed rice on the side.
The batter-coated cauliflower florets are deep-fried till crisp. The sauce consists of a mixture of garlic, ginger, onions, scallions, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, sugar, and seasonings, while the batter usually contains water, flour, corn flour, red chili powder, and seasonings.
9. Khandvi
Gujaratis love khandvi, a popular snack prepared with gram flour, yogurt, turmeric, and ginger paste. The batter is rolled into little, bite-sized pieces before being baked.
It is typically eaten as a snack or an appetizer and can be served hot or cold. These tasty nibbles are frequently spiced with additional ingredients like chutneys or cheese gratings. It is advisable to use coconut or coriander as a garnish for khandvi.
10. Potato and Sooji Snack
Another delicious snack that will make your gatherings memorable is this potato and sooji dish. It can also be the ideal teatime snack for you!
This simple snack is made with sooji-an Indian semolina, loads of vegetables, potatoes, and cheese. Removing the raw flavor of the foodstuff is easy by sautéing the semolina with fresh veggies.
11. Dhokla Sandwich
This is also among the best Indian appetizers that are sure to make you feel satisfied. You would love the flavorful combination in this delicious dhokla sandwich, as well as the color of the mint chutney.
This delicious snack gets much better by adding minced cilantro as a garnish! The recipe should be tripled if you’re serving this sandwich to hungry guests because this Indian finger food will disappear in a flash.
12. Cheesy Garlic Masala Pav Sliders
This cheesy version of the traditional and well-liked Indian street dish is made from pav (dinner rolls) coated in garlic butter and then filled with spiciness bhaki (dry curry) and cheese.
Bake the stuffed sliders until the cheese is melted, and then garnish with chopped onions, cilantro, or sev, an Indian dish made from chickpea flour paste.
13. Baked Potli Samosas
If you’re still looking for the best Indian appetizers, try this baked bite-sized potli samosa. Making the potato-pea filling or stuffing is the first step in the recipe.
The wonton wrapper is then centered with a teaspoon of the filling, wrapped, and baked. Serve them alongside hot green chutney or sweet-and-sour tamarind chutney.
14. Methi Na Gota
You can’t go wrong with this methi na gota when it comes to simple Indian appetizers. They have a sharp outside and a soft interior.
The spicy and tangy flavors leave your mouth feeling good. Combine the dry and wet ingredients, then shape the dough into balls. Fry these balls in heated vegetable oil until golden brown on all sides. See? Easy!
15. Mixed Vegetable Pakora
Here is another delectable Indian appetizer: mixed vegetable pakora. Although the name is simple, every taste is absolutely worth trying!
Mix potatoes, cabbage, carrots, green beans, spinach, and other vegetables with spice and gram flour mixture, then cook in oil to create crispy and delicious pakoras.
16. Kurkuri Bhindi
Make use of your air fryer by preparing this kurkuri bhindi. It’s a straightforward but incredibly crispy and delicious appetizer made with juicy okra and seasonings.
You can either eat the food now with various dips or save it for later. Place the crispy okra in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator to store.
17. Stuffed Mini Dosas
You can substitute or add these packed mini dosas for the aloo chaat and vegetable samosas at your chaat party. It’s also among the best Indian appetizers.
You can prepare with a green garam-based batter that is baked until crispy, loaded with a potato-capsicum mixture, and rolled into a cylindrical shape.
18. Tandoori Prawns
Indian tandoori prawns are a lovely appetizer you shouldn’t miss! The thick yogurt and Indian seasonings, such as ginger paste, red chili powder, garam masala, cumin powder, and tandoori masala, combine to give the prawns a mix of potent and delicious tastes.
The best thing is that the production procedure takes less than an hour from beginning to end.
Conclusion
There you have it – 18 best Indian appetizers. This list should get you started in case you’re new to Indian cooking.
However, there’s no going back once you’ve tasted these yummy dishes. They’re tasty, and even your guests would ask for more plates!
