Samosa

Samosa

Our first guest post from a fellow foodie and friend from a lifetime ago, Senjuti. She is a wonderful cook (surprise! surprise!) and a fantastic photographer. This is her take on the delicious potato and pea filled deep fried pastry called Samosa. 

Preparation Time: 30 mins

Cooking Time: 15 mins

Serves: 6-8 (depends on how well your guests eat)

Ingredients:

Garam Masala

2 large or 3 medium sized potatoes (roughly 450 - 500 gm or 1 lb)

2 cups all purpose flour (Maida)

1 cup whole wheat flour (Atta)
1 – 2 cups of water to knead the dough  

1 cup of peas (Frozen works great. This is however an optional ingredient)

1 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)

1 teaspoon asafoetida (I use it a little heavy handedly because I love the smell – feel free to add only half teaspoon)

1 teaspoon ginger powder or ½ teaspoon minced fresh ginger

Garam-masala of your choice – you can purchase it at any store that sells Indian groceries (I use a special blend that I get from my grandmother’s house in semi-rural central India which I think adds to the earthy flavors of the samosa)

Salt to taste

Ajwain seeds

Vegetable or Canola Oil – 3 to 4 tablespoons full (use more if you want a yummier and unhealthier version)

More oil for deep frying (this is not the healthiest snack that was invented :P )

Method:

• Boil the potatoes, peel them and mash them half way through in a big bowl and set aside.
• In a pan heat 2-3 tablespoons of the oil and temper the carom (ajwain) seeds over medium high heat and immediately add the asafoetida and ginger one after the other and lightly temper them together.  Add the peas once the heat rises slightly (keep a careful watch so that you don’t end up with burnt seasoning).
• Add the lightly mashed boiled potatoes and then add the garam masala and cook for a while till the rawness of the spices are cooked out.
• Add salt, mix well and take off the heat. Set this aside.



Potato filling

• Take both kinds of flours in a big bowl and add a few pinches of salt and 1 tablespoon of oil and knead it into a ‘tight’ dough.  Don’t ask me what it means, that’s how my Ma always described the dough for ‘loochi’ or ‘nimki’ and that’s how I figured it means the dough shouldn’t be gooey and should yield nicely to the touch, do the best you can.  It is just like when you used to play with play-dough in kindergarten – the dough should be pliable and should kind of bounce back to a poke/nudge.

• On a rolling board, pinch out small balls of the dough (roughly the breadth of your index and pointer laid side by side when the dough is an inch thick) and make rough circular shapes with a rolling pin (making circular shapes roughly the size of your palm).  Place a tablespoon of the potato mixture which you had kept side in the center and then fold the circular shape in half – kind of like a semi circle.

• Once you fold over, press the bottom with the top of a finger and then take one side and fold it over to the middle. It helps if you have eaten a samosa – kind of make it into a conical pocket – the pictures show how I did them.  Please let me know if you find a more efficient way to fold them.   

Samosas in the making

• Once you have successfully made all the potato - pouches, deep-fry them in medium high heat, taking care to not burn.  Once the whole exterior is golden brown, it is done.  There is very less chance of under cooking these because the insides have already been cooked once.   
• Lay out on a plate and have super fun devouring them with any ketchup or tamarind or coriander chutney that you can lay your hands on.  I skipped the tamarind chutney recipe because I made mine in two steps in the last minute.
• Lastly, have fun making them :)

Crispy samosas ready to eat!

It’s the easiest fancy sounding snack I have ever served my guests. The folding sounds tedious in writing, only if you saw me do it, I promise you it is so much easier than it sounds. My guests always appreciate the thought and taste – I know my samosas look imperfect and that’s what I like about them – they look homemade and taste sinful – the perfect combination on a rainy/snowy day!  

Bon Appetit!

Senjuti from Ithaca

Doi Begun -Bengali Style Eggplant in Yoghurt Gravy

Eggplant has been one of my favorite veggies though my husband who does not like it much  keeps saying it is 'begun', meaning of no quality in Bengali! So I never miss an opportunity to make baingan when he is not around and I am with friends who relish it as much I do. In one such recent gathering we made this typical Bengali dish which I learnt from my mother in law.

Serves: 4-5 persons
Preparation Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:
1 medium sized eggplant/ baingan, cut horizontally in round medium sized pieces.
1 cup vegetable oil (Bengalis SHOULD use mustard oil for the authentic taste we like ;))
1 cup yoghurt
4-5 green chillies
1 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt to taste

Cilantro, to garnish

Method:

• Heat oil in pan and deep fry eggplant /baingan. I just learnt that a friend's mom who makes this dish often actually shallow fries the baingan, making it the healthier option.
• Arrange baigan in a glass container and soak/drain oil in paper towel (the healthier option).
• Blend yoghurt, chillies, mustard seeds, sugar and salt. Add water to blender to make the gravy thinner.
• Pour gravy on baigan.
• Garnish with cilantro. This dish tastes the best when complimented with hot rice.

Enjoy :)

Doi begun with bhaat ...aaah!!!!! 

Ajanta from Amherst

Daal Dhokri - Gujarati one pot meal

Daal Dhokri

While pasta, quinoa and couscous dishes have become a part of our weeknight dinner plans, some quintessentially Gujarati dishes have found their way into my 'weeknight go to recipe' list. Daal Dhokri is one such dish. Simply put, it is spiced whole wheat pasta cooked in lentil soup that is a sumptuous combination of proteins (toor daal 'sauce'), carbohydrates (roti 'pasta') and fresh vegetables. To my mind, it is a nutritious one pot Gujarati meal that makes for very few dishes to clean after a weeknight dinner! :) Here it goes -

Serves: 3-4 persons
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40-45 minutes

Ingredients

For Daal

1 cup toor daal

1 tbsp oil

1 tbsp ghee

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 bay leaf

2-4 cloves

2 cinnamon pieces, 1" long

1" ginger, minced or grated
2-3 green chillies

1 sprig curry leaves
1/2 tomato
5-6 tbsp jaggery
2 tbsp lemon juice
2-3 tbsp peanuts, raw (optional)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt, to taste

For Dhokri
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
1 tbsp canola oil
salt to taste

For garnish
1 small onion, finely chopped
1-2 small potatoes, boiled, peeled and chopped (optional)
1 cucumber, diced (optional)
1-2 tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup coriander leaves

Method
For Daal:

Simmering toor daal

1. Rinse the toor daal till water runs clear. Cook the daal in a pressure cooker with 2 cups water, salt, turmeric and ginger. It took about 3 whistles in my cooker, but time taken may vary. Once cooled, blend the daal in a blender.
2. In a large sauce pan, heat the ghee & oil. Once hot, add mustard seeds and let it sputter. Add curry leaves, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, green chillies and asafoetida. Add blended daal and mix well. Add about 3 cups of water, jaggery, chilli powder, peanuts, tomato and salt.
3. Bring the daal to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes while stirring occasionally. Add lemon juice just before adding the dhokri.

For Dhokri:

Diamond shaped dhokri pieces, ready for the daal pot

1. In a large bowl, knead wheat flour into a firm dough using warm water and 1tbsp oil. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder into the dough. Set the dough aside for 10-15 minutes.
2. Divide the dough into 5-6 golf ball sized portions. Roll each dough ball into large thin chapatis. I rolled the rotis to about 8-10" in diameter, since I have a large rolling board.  
3. Once rolled, cut roti into diamond or square shapes using a knife or a pizza cutter. 
4. Meanwhile, bring the daal to a boil, and add the roti pieces one by one (to prevent any lumps). Continue to roll the remaining dough balls, cut into small pieces and add to the boiling daal.
5. Cook the dhokri in daal for 10 minutes or till the dhokri is completely cooked.

To serve:

1. Serve hot daal dhokri in a deep bowl. Garnish with the chopped onions, potatoes, tomatoes, onion and coriander leaves.
2. You could add a drop or two of ghee for added taste. Its purely optional, though.

Sumptuous Daal Dhokri

Bon Apetit!

Hetal from Houston

Puchka - Kolkata style

Kolkata is known for its sweets and its hard-to-miss sandesh shops at almost every corner. The rest are practically taken over by street food vendors a.k.a the neighborhood Puchka wallas and 4th generation Jhal-muri wallas. Of all the street food Kolkata is famous for - Jhal-muri, Radha-Vallabhi, Kulfi, Pyaji, Beguni and even Kati Rolls, Puchka wins hands down. A trio of textures unite to result in a mouth watering delight called the Puchka. It comprises of a crunchy semolina puri with soft potato filling dipped in tangy sweet mint water.

Almost every part of India has its variation of this street food, made with its slight twist and known by a different name. Its called 'Gol-gappey' in Delhi, 'Pani puri' or 'Gup-chup' in Gujarat-Maharashtra and ofcourse, 'Puchka' in Kolkata. I've had long, almost heated debates in my hostel room with friends from Delhi and Mumbai who claimed that the Delhi Gol-gappey or the Mumbai Pani puri tasted better than Kolkata Puchkas. Having tried all the variations - I think the Kolkata Puchkas are the best! My mom even made the puchka puris at home. She always made a Jain version for Baa using raw bananas instead of potatoes for the filling - Strangely, the Jain version was always more appealing to me. I tried to make a slightly healthier version of her recipe by replacing part of the potato filling with green bananas/ plantains. Here it goes -

Potatoes and plantain for the filling

Serves: 4 persons
Preparation time: 30 minutes


Ingredients
30-40 puchka puris (mine were store bought)
Filling
2 large potatoes, boiled
1 plantain, boiled
1/2 cup black chick peas/ lal chana, boiled
Salt
1/4 tsp rock salt
1 tsp roasted cumin powder
1 tsp red chilli powder

Mint leaves

1/4 cup coriander leaves, chopped
Spicy water
4-5 cups water
1-2 tsp tamarind pulp
1 cup mint leaves, chopped
1/2 cup coriander leaves, chopped
2 green chillies
2 tsp cumin powder
1-2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp rock salt
2 tbsp date-tamarind chutney (optional)

Method
1. Filling

• Mash the potatoes and plantains together in a medium sized bowl. Ensure that there are no lumps of potato or plantain. Sometimes, I grate the potatoes for a more even texture. 
• Add the remaining spices and salt to taste and mix well. 
• Add the black chick peas and coriander leaves and mix again. Set aside.

2. Spicy water

Soaking tamarind pulp in water

• Soak tamarind in a large bowl with 4-5 cups of water for 15-20 minutes. 
• In a blender, add mint, coriander and green chillies with salt and blend into a paste. 
• Add some of the tamarind water, cumin powder, red chilli powder, rock salt and blend. Taste before you add salt, because the rock salt and tamarind add saltiness to the mixture. 
• Now, add this mint-coriander paste to the remaining tamarind water and mix well. Refrigerate till ready to serve. If you want a sweet-tangy taste, add the date-tamarind chutney. I usually leave it out, and add it while eating.

Spicy mint water

3.  Serving (or eating!)

• Make a 1/2 inch hole on one of the sides of the puchka puri. Fill a teaspoon of the potato filling.
• Add a drop or two of the date-tamarind chutney. 
• Dip the potato filled puri in a bowl of spiced water and serve or eat immediately!! 

Puchka- Kolkata style

Bon Apetit!
Hetal from Houston

Israeli Couscous with vegetables

Israeli Couscous with vegetables

Some families have a routine set for dinner each week night. Monday- Dosa; Tuesday- leftover Dosa/ Uttapam; Wednesday- Tadka roti....Such a routine definitely makes for a simpler life- there are no 'whats for dinner tonight?' calls going back and forth. I guess it would also make for one easy trip to the grocery store. 
Being the foodies that we are, the husband & I just cannot predict on Sunday what we would want to eat for dinner on Thursday!! Often, we just know that we dont want to eat. On one such evening, we knew we didn't want to eat the leftover 'dal-roti-veggie/chicken', so I made this Israeli Couscous. Inspired by a Bobby Flay salad recipe -  It is delicious, healthy and wholesome. Here it goes.

• Preparation time: 30 minutes
• Cook time: 20 minutes
• Serves: 4 persons
• 
  
• Ingredients
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt 
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 green zucchini, sliced on a bias
• 1 chicken breast (optional)
• 10-12 cherry tomatoes, cut into halves (I used yellow ones)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, cut lengthwise (Any color- I used yellow)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 10-12 leaves of fresh mint, julienned
• 1 cup Israeli couscous
• 2 cups vegetable stock/ water, heated

Method

• In a small bowl, whisk the dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt & pepper and 2 tbsp olive oil.
• Pour the marinade in two separate bowls- Marinate zucchini and peppers in one bowl for 30 minutes. In another bowl, marinate the chicken for 30 minutes.
• Preheat grill while the vegetables/ chicken marinate. Grill the vegetables until just cooked through. Optional - Grill the chicken, until done. Gently pull the chicken apart, into small bite sized pieces.

Cooked toasted Israeli Couscous

• Toast the Israeli couscous in a dry skillet, until the couscous is golden brown in colour. Cover the couscous with the vegetable stock/ water and bring to a boil, cook until pearls look transparent, and are almost done. 

Saute yellow cherry tomatoes and diced onion

• In a medium skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Add diced onions, tomatoes and pinch of salt. Saute for a couple of minutes. Add the couscous, dried cranberries, grilled veggies and/ chicken.
• Gently transfer into a serving bowl, add the mint & parsley and toss. Serve at room temperature. 

Israeli Couscous with cranberries and grilled veggies

Notes: Israeli Couscous can be easily substituted with couscous or any short pasta. Vegetables can be altered according to seasons as well. This is an easily customizable dish. :)


Bon Apetit!

Hetal from Houston

Mami's yummy sambhar

My J Mami is an artist, an avid crafter and a wonderful cook. Needless to say, she is my favourite. I always looked forward to our trips to Nagpur during the summer vacation. She would teach us something new everyday!! All summer long, she would make the yummiest dishes for us, always with so much love and affection. 

For the last few weeks, she is going through a difficult time in life, battling longterm illness. Today, I made one of her best recipes, Sambhar, thinking of all the times she made dozens of dosas and idly with a smile, as we devoured it all.  Get well soon, Mami! 


Here it goes -

Serves-4-6

Dry daal for the sambhar powder

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes.

Ingredients

Toor daal -1/2 cup + 1 tsp

Chana daal - 1 tsp 

Urad daal - 1 tsp 

Mung daal- 1 tsp 

Methi/ Fenugreek seeds - 8-10 seeds

Rice - 8-10 seeds

Tomato - 1 medium, finely chopped

Onion -1/2 medium, finely chopped

Coriander leaves - a handful, finely chopped

Curry leaves - 8-10 leaves

Ginger - 1 inch, finely chopped

Green chillies - 2-3, finely chopped.

Sambhar powder

Salt

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Oil -1 tsp

Hing/ asafoetida - 1 pinch

Turmeric - 1tsp

Tamarind- 2-4 small segments (or more, depending on sourness)

Drum sticks - 1, cut into smaller 2" segments (optional)

Carrots, eggplants - cubed (optional)

Water

Method

• Cook 1/2 cup toor daal with water in a sauce pan/ pressure cooker, till soft.
• Sambhar Powder: Roast the dry daals, methi seeds and rice in a small skillet, till the lentils turn golden brown and aromatic. Let it cool. Grind in mixer-grinder/ coffee grinder into a fine powder.



Saute onions, sambhar powder, tomato paste

• In a mixer-grinder, add chopped tomato, coriander leaves, curry patta, ginger and chilli, and grind together - into paste.
• In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tsp oil. add mustard seeds, hing and chopped onion - till golden brown. 
• Add 1/2 of the sambhar powder (about 2 tsp). Add tomato - dhania paste. Saute. 

Simmering sambhar

• Add cooked toor daal. Add salt, haldi and tamirind (2-4 segments). add water as needed (3-4 cups). Add drumsticks/ veggies if desired. Continue to cook till veggies are cooked or desired consistency is reached, about 10-15 mins.

• Serve hot, with coconut chutney and Idly/ Dosa etc.

Mami's yummy sambhar

Bon Apetit!
Hetal from Houston

Khatta-meetha Paneer Gravy in Microwave

Time constraint does not stop any of us from craving for fancy food...does it? I have always relished paneer and when my MIL gave me this unbelievably easy recipe, I had to try it the very next day. I have made it a few times now and it turns out equally tasty every time. Here goes the recipe for the quickest paneer dish I have ever made.

Serves: 5-6 persons

Preparation time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Shredded Paneer

• 400 g (14oz) paneer i.e. 1 medium sized packet
• Vegetable oil – 2 tsp
• Green chillis - 4-5 slit longitudinally
• Raisins (medium sized)  1 tbsp
• Garam masala – 1 tbsp
• Ginger paste – 2 tbsp
• Tomato paste -5 tbsp or 1 medium sized chopped fresh tomato 
• Milk-1 cup
• Salt to taste
• Green peas –1/2 cup
• Cilantro - 1/4 cup finely chopped

Method:

• Grate paneer  and mix it well with oil in a medium sized microwave-safe container. Cook in microwave for 2 mins.
• Add garam masala and raisins and stir well .Microwave again for 2 mins .
• Add green chillies, ginger paste and tomato paste and microwave for another 2 mins after stirring.
• Add milk,green peas,cilantro and salt to taste and microwave for 4 mins.
• Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Serve hot with homemade chapati or even rice!

Paneer Gravy

Enjoy :)

Ajanta from Amherst

Notes: The step by step adding of ingredients instead of adding everything together is for better mixing because we stir every time we bring the bowl out. Also, cooking time may vary with each microwave.

Red Pepper- Pistachio Paneer/ Shrimp

Here in Houston, there are only a handful of restaurants that serve vegetarian dishes that are just as good as their non-vegetarian dishes (Surprise!). So every time we go out for dinner, one of us has to 'settle'. 

At home, I try to make both, but often struggle. I wanted a recipe that would be great for strictly non-vegetarian him and vegetarian me!Thats when I stumbled upon this original Vikas Khanna recipe that called for a pound of shrimp. I swapped that with 1/2 pound of shrimp and 1/2 pound of paneer, so I could make us both happy :) This recipe with only paneer would surely taste just as good. Here it goes-

Serves: 4 persons

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Chopped pepper and onion

• 
  
• Ingredients:

• 1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

• 1 red onion, coarsely chopped

• 1/2 cup raw, unsalted, shelled pistachios

• 2 green chillies

• 4 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp red chilli powder (optional)

Raw shelled pistachios

• 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic

• 1/2 pound paneer, cubed
• 1/2 pound deveined shrimp

• Salt to taste

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• Water

Method:

Golden brown paneer

• Paneer: In a small skillet, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and 1/2 tbsp garlic, saute till edges turn brown, (~1 minute). Add paneer and salt and cook until golden brown on all sides (~ 5-7 minutes). Transfer paneer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Sauteed shrimp 

• Shrimp:In another small skillet, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and garlic and cook until edges turn brown, about 1 minute. Add the deveined shrimp and salt and cook until the shrimp turn pinkish opaque (~2 to 3 minutes). Drain on a paper towel.

Red Pepper-Pistachio Sauce

Sauce: Blend bell pepper, onion, 1/2 cup pistachios, green chilies and 1/2 cup water to a smooth puree. Add remaining tablespoon oil to medium skillet. Add red pepper mixture and cream and bring to a boil. Add 1 tsp red chilli powder. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes - till the sauce is creamy good! :) Divide sauce into two. I used the same skillets I used to fry the paneer and shrimp, respectively.

Add paneer and shrimp into the respective skillets and simmer for 4-5 minutes; stir in chopped mint. Season with salt, and garnish with mint/ chopped pistachios. 

Serve hot with roti or naan.

Red pepper- Pistachio Paneer

Red pepper Pistachio Shrimp

Bon Apetit!
Hetal from Houston