Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Easy Rava Upma

Ingredients:
Rava (semolina) - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Green chillies, chopped - 2
Ginger, chopped - 2" piece
Chana dal (split pigeon peas) - 1 tsp
Rai (mustard seeds) - 1 tsp
Turmeric (optional) - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves (optional) - 5-6
Onion, chopped (optional) - 1
Eggplant, diced (optional) - 1/2 of 1 medium
Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 1-2 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Servings: 2-3
Cooking time: 20 min (cook+prep)

Method:
Heat the oil in a wok. When hot, add the chana dal, ginger and mustard. When the mustard starts to sputter, add the green chillies and curry leaves. Stir for a minute. Add the onions and fry until translucent. Now add the eggplant (optional, but gives a great flavour) and stir to coat well. Lower the heat to medium and cook for a few minutes. Add water and bring to a boil. Mix in turmeric (optional) and salt and ghee. On low flame, while stirring continuously, slowly add the semolina to the water, making sure no lumps are formed. Quickly cover and cook on low flame for a few minutes. Turn off the flame and leave for a minute. Garnish with coriander leaves (optional) and serve hot with yogurt/sambar/Indian pickle/chutney. Some people enjoy it with a side of sugar. Yuck.

Author: Le Shrinkingsodacan Incroyable

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Potato Samosas

Source: America's Test Kitchen

These are quite a bit of work but they're amazingly delicious. Setting up an assembly line of sous chefs is quite helpful.

For dough:
2 Cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for the work surface
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsps plain whole milk yogurt
3 quarts plus 3 Tbsps vegetable oil
6 Tbsps cold water

For filling:

Spices:
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1/4 tsp ground fenugreek
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

2 pounds russet potatoes (about 4 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
Salt
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, minced
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (~ 1 Tbsp)
1 1/2 tsps minced or grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
Ground black pepper

1. In a food processor (or by hand) combine flour and salt. Drizzle with the yogurt and 3 Tbsps oil and process until the mixture resembles course corm meal. Slowly add 4 Tbsp water until the dough forms a ball. If it doesn't form a ball, slowly add up to 2 Tbsps more water. The dough should feel very soft and malleable.

2. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead by hand until it firms slightly, 2-3 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for at least 20 minutes (or up to 1 day).

3. Cover the potatoes by 1 inch of water in a large saucepan and add 1 Tbsp salt. bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook until tender, 12-15 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

4. Combine the spices in a small bowl. Heat the oil in a 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium-high hear until shimmering. Add the spices and saute until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Stir in the onion and 1 tsp salt and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the cooled potatoes and cook until they begin to brown around the edges, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the peas to combine.

5. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until completely cool, about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper (you can store the filling at this point for up to 2 days).

6. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. One at a time (so as not to let the rest dry out), roll the dough into a 5-inch round using a rolling pin. Cut each dough round in half to form 2 half moons.

7. To shape the samosas: Working with 1 half-moon piece of dough at a time, moisten the straight side with a wet finger and fold in half. Press to seal the seam on the straight side only and crimp with a fork to secure, leaving the rounded edge open.

8. To fill the samosas: Pick up the piece of dough and hold it gently in a cupped hand with the open, unsealed edge facing up and open in a cone shape. Fill with ~ 2 Tbsps filling and pack the filling in tightly in order to leave a 1/4 inch rim at the top. Moisten the inside rim of the cone with a wet finger, and pinch the top edge together to seal. Lay the samosa on a flat surface and crimp all the edges with a fork to secure.

8. Heat 3 quarts oil in a large Dutch oven to 375 degrees F. Add 8 samosas and fry until golden brown and bubbly (2 1/2 to 3 minutes), adjusting the heat to maintain 375 degrees. Using a slotted spoon, remove the samosas, return the oil to 375 degrees and fry the rest of the samosas, 8 at a time.

Posted by MER

Extra note: The recipe also called for adding 1/4 cup minced cilantro and 1 1/2 tsps lemon juice after cooling the filling, but I forgot to add them and the samosas were still ridiculously good so I probably won't bother with them in the future.