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LoginHow To Batch Prep Crunchy Snacks For IPL Screening At Home
6 Min
11/03/20266 Min11/03/2026
The main focus should be on the match when it comes to a screening of IPL 2026 at home. Instead of mass buying packs of chips and bajiyas, you can prepare them in advance for your home screening. Snacks like masala peanuts, cheese chilli toast can be tweaked to yield delicious dishes that will satisfy cravings as well as fill the bellies of your guest and keep their tastebuds satisfied.
Snacking and cricket are inseparable in India (the reason why cricket stadiums are filled to the brim with snacks and sugary goodies). The tradition of eating during a match goes back to Test cricket on the maidan, where groundnut sellers and sugarcane juice vendors were as much a part of the experience as the game itself. At home screenings, this snacking culture has translated into hosts preparing snack platters that ironically have a pick from every region in India, like samosas and peanuts. To play it safe, pick regional favourites that are easy to batch prep and munch on.
One of the easiest snacks to batch prep for an IPL 2026 screening at home is peanuts, which can be prepared in a variety of ways. You can put them into a chat, salad or even simpler, toss them in a masala or a spiced batter to make kurkure peanuts. Save the oil by baking or air frying them at a high temperature for 20 to 25 minutes, tossing once halfway, until crisp and dry. Once completely cooled, store in an airtight tin and serve as and when you host. They will stay crunchy for 3 to 4 days, and make sure to make a large batch, for they disappear faster than almost anything else.
Simple, fast, and the kind of thing that requires almost no active cooking, cheese and chilli toast. Mix grated cheese, finely chopped green chilli, a spoon of mayonnaise or softened butter, and a pinch of chilli flakes. This spread can be made and refrigerated up to 2 days ahead. On game day, spread it on bread slices, cut into smaller shapes to resemble Italian bruschetta, and grill or toast until golden and bubbling. The whole process takes under 10 minutes from fridge to plate.
This is for the protein hunters who scrunch their nose and carbs and fat. But paired with something filling, be it paneer or chicken, you might just pique their interest. Paneer fingers takes its rightful place alongside ‘kurkure’ foods, which will help your guests slow down and actually relish the dish. Cut and marinate the paneer fingers ahead of time, then coat them in the flour and panko crumb mixture and keep them refrigerated on a tray. When it’s time to serve, fry them in small batches and serve to your guests at your IPL 2026 screening.
Nachos are the ultimate IPL 2026 screening food because the main component is good-quality tortilla chips. You can make them at home or pick a few packs of Bingo nachos that come in different flavours. What you can batch make is the salsa and the cheese dip. Make sure to use good-quality ingredients here too, and store in the fridge and reheat with a bit of water (for salsa) or milk (for the cheese dip) to loosen the dips before serving. Lay out the chips in wide bowls just before people sit down.
For an evening IPL screening, bhajis, especially onion bhajis, are a must on the menu. Make the bhaji batter with sliced onions, besan, rice flour, green chilli, cumin, ajwain, and salt – these can be mixed up to 2 hours before frying. Keep it covered in the fridge. Do not mix it too early, or the onions will release too much water. For an IPL 2026 screening at home, fry in batches as people arrive so the bhajis come out hot. First fry at 160°C to cook through, then a quick second fry at 180°C just for crunchier ones.
Churmuri is Karnataka's version of bhel puri, which has puffed rice tossed with diced onion, tomato, raw mango, coriander, green chilli, a drizzle of groundnut oil, salt, lime, and chilli powder. It is best assembled just before serving because the puffed rice goes soft quickly, but every component can be kept handy and prepped in advance. Keep the chopped vegetables in separate small bowls in the fridge and the puffed rice in an airtight container. When it is time, toss everything together in a large bowl and serve.
This is your make-ahead hero, which is a dry snack mix that improves slightly as it sits. Thin poha is dry-roasted in a pan until crisp, then set aside. In the same pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds, curry leaves, dried red chilli, peanuts, and cashews, then toss in the poha with turmeric, salt, sugar, and lemon juice. The entire thing takes about 15 minutes and can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week. It is the IPL 2026 screening at home equivalent of a bar snack. Make a big batch. It will be needed.
Samosas require the most work of anything on this list, but the payoff is worth it. If you wish to cut down time, then grab a pack of instant ITC Punjabi Samosa and have delicious samosas in no time. If making from scratch, try making mini samoas with the filling made 2 days ahead of time, be it spiced potato and pea, or keema. Fill and shape the samosas the morning of the match and freeze them raw on a tray until solid, then transfer to a bag. Fry from frozen at 160°C for 12 to 15 minutes.
Your IPL 2026 screening at home should feel effortless once the match begins, and that’s exactly what batch prepping your snacks achieves. By getting the chopping, mixing, shaping, or freezing done ahead of time, all that remains on game day is quick frying, assembling, or reheating. The result is a steady flow of hot bhajis, crunchy peanuts, crisp paneer fingers, and fresh churmuri without the host missing key overs.
