Midnight snacks: How to make Fried Calamari

Got the late night munchies? Ajay Chopra, executive chef, The Westin Mumbai Garden City shares two snack recipes for soccer fans.

We recently got celebrity chef Kunal Kapur to share his favourite easy-to-make midnight snacks recipes.

Today, Ajay Chopra of The Westin Mumbai Garden City shares two more recipes.

Calamari Fritti, Salsa Tartare (Crunchy fried squid with tartare sauce)

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Squid 300 gm
• Crushed black pepper 5 gm
• Refined flour 30 gm
• Vinaigrette dressing 10 ml
• Milk 50 ml
• Lollorosso lettuce 30 gm
• Lettuce arugula 30 gm
• Garlic 8 gm 
• Tabasco sauce 5 ml
• Tartare sauce 100 ml
• Herb parsley 20 gm
• Salt 5 gm

For Tartare sauce

• Chopped gherkins 20 gm
• Chopped capers 20 gm
• Chopped onion 20 gm
• Chopped chives 20 gm
• Chopped garlic cloves 10 gm
• Hardboiled egg 50 gm
• Tabasco sauce 5 ml
• Salt 4 gm
• Pepper 4 gm
• Lemon juice 20 ml
• Mayonnaise 200 gm
• Mix all the ingredients in mixing bowl and adjust with seasoning.

Method

• Take a clean and sanitised chopping board.
• Using a sharp knife cut the squid tubes into 1cm thick rings and soaks them in milk to make it tender over time.
• Separately in clean bowl mix flour, salt, pepper, chopped parsley and keep it aside.
• Make the tartar sauce spicy by adding Tabasco sauce to it and refrigerate in advance.
• Heat up the oil at 180 degree Celsius.
• Now take out the squid rings from milk and dust them in the seasoned flour mixture.
• Dust off excess flour and fry them in oil.
• Fry until golden brown and drain on paper towel.
• Dress the cleaned lettuce with vinaigrette dressing as a salad.
• Serve the fried calamari on a hot plate along with salad and spicy tartare sauce.

!

Serves: 2

Pre-preparation time: 20 minutes

Assembly time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• Nacho chips (assorted flavors) 100 gm
• Monterey jack or cheddar cheese, grated 50 grams
• Sour cream 60 gm
• Lettuce, shredded 10 gm
• Guacamole 30 gm
• Refried beans 30 gm
• Jalapeno chilies, cut in rings 2 each
• Pico de gallo 30 gm

For Pico de gallo

• White onions, diced into cubes 1 tsp
• Tomato petals, diced into cubes 2 tbsp
• Green coriander, chopped 1 tsp
• Tomato juice (thick) 50 ml
• Tabasco few dashes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Lime juice 1 tsp
• In a steel/glass bowl, combine fine dice onions, tomatoes, and coriander. Add rest of ingredients. Mix well and refrigerate immediately.

Method

• Divide nachos in two.
• Place one part on a plate and add half cheese and microwave for 1 minute or till cheese melts.
• Sprinkle half pico de gallo, refried beans.
• Top with second half of nachos.
• Add rest of grated cheese, pico de gallo and refried beans.
• Top up shredded lettuce and with spoonfuls of guacamole and sour cream.
• Serve at once.

Do you have a favourite easy-to-make recipe to share? We'd love to know!

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