10-Minute Snack Ideas from Leftover Food

No matter how much we measure and prepare our food, a little extra always gets made. The members of the house usually revolt against leftover food. So, what do we do about them? Wasting food isn’t a good idea. Instead of throwing leftover food away, you can actually turn them into a new dish or delicacy. And, trust me, you don’t need to tell anyone. You can instantly give the leftovers a new lease by using them purposefully.

Leftover food recipes come handy for those who are super-hungry but lazy to cook. All you have to do is peer into the refrigerator and discover an odd container that’s been stashed in there for weeks. That’s going to be your saviour.

How to Reuse Leftover Food?

If you’re looking for some fun snacks that you can make with leftover food, you’ve come to the right place. These recipes are perfect for your kid’s lunch box or family tea-time. They’re bite-sized, tasty and take only about 10-minutes to prepare.

Let’s get snacking!

5 Recipes for Leftover Food

• Masala Idli

This recipe is perfect if you have leftover idli in your fridge that’s no longer perfect for direct consumption. After all, let’s admit it, we all love idlis that are super-soft and hot. Instead of tossing it in the bin, you can simply make this snack which takes only about 5-7 minutes to prepare.

• 2-3 idlis
• 1 green chilli, slit
• 1 tbsp oil
• ½ tsp jeera seeds
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 4-5 curry leaves
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• Fresh coriander, finely chopped

Cut the idli into four pieces. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan, add mustard and cumin, and wait till it crackles. Then add the green chilli and curry leaves. Now add turmeric powder and mix well. Add the cut idlis and toss so that they are evenly coated with the masala. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve immediately. If you’re someone who prefers spice, you can even sprinkle some red chilli powder.

• Hummus

Hummus is something we all love. Also, did you know? It’s super-healthy too when served with either carrot or cucumber sticks. The next time you’re hungry, don’t reach out for a packet of chips, instead make your own hummus in under ten minutes. A hack I usually follow is to have boiled chickpeas in the freezer at all times. If you’re someone who makes chole often, you can always boil some extra and store it in the freezer to be used for hummus anytime.

• 1 cup boiled chickpeas
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp curd
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ tsp cumin powder
• Juice of a lime
• 1 tsp salt

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and blend till it comes together into a smooth paste. Remember to mix in between. In case you haven’t reached the desired consistency, you can even add some more olive oil.

This is a classic hummus recipe. However, you can spike it by adding either chopped basil leaves, parsley or any other herb of your choice. Empty it into a deep bowl and drizzle a layer of olive oil so that it doesn’t dry up. You can even garnish with sliced green olives.

• Paratha Pizza

As a parent, you obviously want your kid to eat healthy. However, they still turn towards things like pasta or pizza. What if I told you, you can still give them that by giving it a healthy twist. We all have leftover rotis and parathas at home, right? On a day when your child is craving restaurant-like pizza, you can just disguise the paratha and give it to them. They won’t even realise and at the same time, you can be rest assured your child is eating healthy.

• 1 whole-wheat paratha
• Pizza sauce (preferably homemade)
• Mozzarella cheese
• Veggies of your choice (corn, capsicum, onion)

Apply some pizza sauce on a paratha, sprinkle some cheese and add your veggies. Put this on a pre-heated non-stick tawa and cover with a lid. Wait till the cheese melts. Your pizza is ready in under 10 minutes. You can finish it off with some oregano.

• Aloo Tikki

The monsoons are round the corner, and like always, we all enjoy some tea-time snacks, don’t we? During this season, I recommend having boiled potatoes in your fridge as it can be used to make a variety of different things. One such monsoon-favourite is aloo tikki. It takes around 10 minutes to prepare plus an additional 5 minutes to fry.

• 2 boiled potatoes
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• ¼ cup boiled peas
• 2 slices of white sandwich bread
• 1 tsp salt
• A handful of chopped coriander
• Bread crumbs for coating
• Oil for shallow frying

Mix all the ingredients together in a deep bowl till it forms a homogeneous mixture. Make round patties and coat them evenly in bread crumbs. Shallow fry till it turns golden and looks crisp. Remove over a paper towel to remove excessive oil. Serve with green chutney or enjoy as it is.

• Bread Upma

Be it a breakfast or snack, bread is something we all love. Quite often, most of us don’t know what to do with the last few slices of bread. We even end up discarding it. Well, don’t. Making this bread upma is easy-peasy, it’s so tasty and works well with stale bread.

• 5 slices of white bread
• 1 tbsp oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 5-6 curry leaves
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• ½ tsp ginger, finely chopped
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp sugar
• Salt to taste
• Coriander, finely chopped

In a large pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds and curry leaves and wait till it splutters. Add onions, ginger, and green chilli. Sauté till the onions turn transparent. Add turmeric, salt and sugar. Keep stirring till the spices are cooked well. Add 2 tbsp of water and mix well. Add toasted bread pieces and mix gently so that they don’t break. Cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes so that the bread absorbs all the masala. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.

What did you think of these leftover food recipes? Let us know in the comments section below. If you too have some snack ideas that can be whipped up in under ten minutes, we’d love to know.