Making snacks can be a tricky affair. Usually, we make a plan for breakfast, lunch and dinner but because of lack of knowledge and will, we avoid preparing snacks. Chef Shipra Khanna’s new show — Snack in the Box on Living Foodz — can solve your problem. The TV show, which goes on air today (February 26), is a go-to guide for viewers who need creative ideas for snacks.
Khanna says that the show is a group effort where everyone has chipped in. “The idea is to make snacks and I am not saying that I am only making healthy options but there are snacks with a twist. Some of them are Mediterranean, Indian, Japanese, Brazilian, Mexican, and vegan, authentic, fusion, leftovers and so on. These are the kind of snacks you can carry to work or have on the go. Some of them are healthy and there are desserts too,” she says, adding, “It’s a fun show to watch as the entire look and feel is very interesting.”
She says that snacks are not just what we carry to work but there are snacks for parties, lunches and dinners, and range from finger foods to side dishes. “We have done an in depth analysis on each dish,” she says.
Khanna says that the biggest challenge for the working population is that they don’t find time to prepare snacks every morning. The show will solve that particular problem. She says, “Because of the same problem, you end up making the same thing or can’t think of anything so you eat outside when hungry. Once you step out, you have different options from street food to restaurants. But when you make the same item in your kitchen it has a homemade touch and is made with a lot of care as you put in that extra effort.”
There are a lot of themes that she has taken care of, like snacks for tea time, special occasions or work breaks.
Khanna says that people don’t want to put in that extra effort for snacks because they are easily available in packets. “You can just buy the packets and serve it the evening. But there are many households, who prepare fresh snacks. Also, you may want to try making something new,” she says.
While planning the show, they decided on snacks which are simple and easy to make. “The best part about them is that they will not require too much effort. At the same time, they are interesting,” says the chef, who calls herself a foodie. “You keep food in front of me and I will end up finishing it, so I tell people not to keep food in front of me. Being in this field, you have the excuse, ‘It’s part of my job’,” she says adding, “I specially love desserts, so I have included a lot of desserts.”
Khanna says that the most common misconception that people have about snacks is that most of them are fried. “So they think, ‘It’s unhealthy and unhygienic or I will end up eating something which has lots of calories.’ People never think that snacks can be healthy,” she adds.
The chef says that for a quick snack one needs to keep bread, egg, butter and cheese along with basic masala. “You can toss so many things,” she says.
As for her most favourite snack, she says it’s Sidu. “I come from Himanchal Pradesh and it’s a very loved dish there. It’s quite healthy too,” she says before signing off.
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Catch Snack in the Box on Living Foodz from February 26, Monday to Wednesday, at 5 pm
