Kitchen Confidential

Samosas....

I have often heard people say that as couples grow old together, they begin to look more and more alike. I however, fail to see the resemblance. But what I do notice is how much we have begun to think alike. There have been many times when we would say the same thing at the same time, and then there are those days when we just know what the other is thinking. This may not sound so bad to you. But trust me, when you spend a whole month planning a big surprise, only to have the reciever guess it out the week before, it kinda sucks!

But nontheless, it’s a big comfort to know that the closeness can only increase. And no matter how frustratingly irritating it may seem that surprises don’t work well between us, its a pleasure to know that we understand each other so well.

One of hubby’s and my all-time favourite munchies to cuddle up with are piping hot samosas dipped into tangy chutney. I remember times when I lived on Samosas for an entire day! Mind you, I still can, and do when I get those cravings of guilty pleasures.

Most of the Samosas we find at Indian stores here, are the ones usually made with Spring Roll sheets. Though they do satisfy me at times, I still find myself craving of the authentic pyramid-shaped ones I grew up loving in India. Well, desperate times call for desperate measures, and this is no different! It wasn’t until I tried my hand at it last Diwali, that I realized how simple it is to prepare. I often make a big batch and freeze them, frying as many as I want whenever I wish. Try it out, and if you don’t get hooked, I’ll eat it all on my own! :0

For now, I have a big platter full of these beauties waiting for hubby dear to devour!

Potato-Peas Samosas

Ingredients:

For the Base:

2 cups All-Purpose flour 1 tsp ajwain 1 tsp salt

1 tbsp oil water, as needed

For the Filling:

2-3 mid-size potatoes, boiled and cubed into tiny pieces 1 cup frozen green peas 1 small onion, finely chopped 1/2 tsp red chili powder 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp coriander seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds salt, to taste fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped for garnish 2 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

For the Base:

1. Mix all the base ingredients in a big bowl and form into a nice soft dough.
2. Divide dough into golf-sized balls and set aside.

For the Filling:

1. Saute cumin seeds and coriander seeds in hot till till they start to sizzle.
2. Add chopped onions and fry till tender.
3. Add salt, chili powder and turmeric powder, and fry spices for a minute.
4. Add potato cubes and saute till spices mix well with the potatoes.
5. Add peas and coriander leaves and cook for another minute or two.

For the Samosas:

1. Roll out each dough ball into circular discs about half a centimetre thick.
2. Cut circle in half in the middle, to form two semi-circles.
3. Taking one semi-circle, roll one end to the other forming a cone.
4. Press the edge of the cone slightly with your fingers to prevent it from opening.
5. Fill cone with potato filling.
6. Pinch the middle of open end of the cone slightly to form a dent, and press edges together to tightly close, forming a pyramid-like shape.
7. Continue for the remaining of the dough.
8. Deep fry samosas in hot oil till brown on all sides.

Recipe Notes: To keep samosas for longer periods of time, allow the unfried samosas to cool in the fridge for a few hours and then store them in sealed bags in the freezer. When ready to fry, just remove from the freezer and fry in hot oil without thawing them.

A cry for simplicity…

When I first ate this dish at a dear friend’s place, I instantly knew it was going to be a regular on my menu. From the looks and taste of it, it seemed to come out from some great kitchen, cooked up with the utmost care and style. But one try at making it, and you’ll believe that simple meals can sometimes be the most gourmet!

Alu Tamatarwale

Ingredients:

• 2-3 potatoes, boiled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
• 1 tbsp chopped green chillies
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida powder (hing)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• salt, to taste
• 1 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

• Heat oil in a non-stick pan and add asafoetida powder, cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Once they begin to sizzle, add in chopped ginger and green chillies.
• Add chili powder, turmeric powder and tomato paste, and cook for a few minutes till the paste soften and oil starts to form on top.
• Throw in the potatoes and sprinkle salt, and mix thoroughly to evenly coat the potatoes with the sauce.

Taking it easy…

When it comes to cooking a fulfilling dinner on weeknights, my keyword, or should I say keywords, are QUICK and SIMPLE! I have many a times blogged on how much I love easy recipes that hardly take any of my time and effort and yet seem to please our over-demanding palates.

Truly, coming home at seven in the evening after a long and tiring day at school doesn’t leave me even in the slightest mood to cook anything. But eat we must and that’s where I make use of my instincts. A little bit of this, a splash of that, and dinner is on the table!

I always wonder why people look at cooking Indian food with such disdain. According to so many non-Indians I’ve come accross, they all have the same thing to say - It takes a lot of time and many more ingredients to cook a traditional Indian meal! Well, all I can say yet again is that you, my dear are mistaken! Now, if you are one of those who thinks that the traditional Indian meal comprises of exotic dishes such as, Briyani, Butter Chicken, Dal Makhani and Naans, then, well, I think you need to invite yourself to an Indian home for a simple dinner.

When it comes to food, we Indians know how to make a gala of the mere act of eating. But at the same time, we have our home-grown secrets of making a simple “Dal-Chawal” meal seem fit for a King, or Queen ofcourse!

Alu-Pyaaz Fry (Fried Potatoes with Onions)

Ingredients:

7-8 red baby potatoes, boiled and sliced with skins left on 1 medium-sized onion, sliced into rings 1 tsp cumin seeds 1/2 tsp red chili powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder salt, to taste 2 tbsp cooking oil 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

Method:

1. Heat oil in a non-stick pan and saute cumin seeds till it starts to sizzle.
2. Add potato slices and fry till they begin to crisp on the edges.
3. Add salt, chili powder, turmeric and onions, and fry for a few minutes till spices mix well and onions turn tender and transparent.
4. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

A meaty fare…

When we were growing up, I remember eating mutton/lamb as a special lunch on Sundays and Holidays. Mom would make a different meat dsh every week and it was always seen as a delicacy! Her mutton Biryani often won her many praises from friends, family and anyone who happened to eat it, and made her the talk of the town. But apart from her Biryani, I was a die-hard fan of her simple mutton curry that I would happily gorge on with a good helping of rice.

A few weeks back, on our weekly trip to the local grocery supermarket, I happened to chance upon a pack of fresh cut lamb. Now this was a joyous ocassion for me since, I’ve never really noticed lamb at the store before; and my refusal to enter a butcher shop limits me to eating lamb outside of home.

With the pack sitting happily in my cart, I treaded home with many ideas on how I could relish this delight. So finally when the time to cook the meat, I questioned myself a number of times to figure out the right way I wanted to dish it out. Bitten with the bitter cold of the lazy Sunday morning, I decided to go for something that would be spicy and good enough to enjoy with fresh warm rotis.

So while I cut the lamb into tiny bite-size chunks, I could already taste my leisurely Sunday meal!

Mutton Masala

Ingredients:

2 lb boneless mutton/lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes 1 large onion, sliced 1 tbsp tomato paste 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (I just take equal amounts of ginger and garlic and make a paste of it) 2-3 green chillies, finely chopped 1 tsp cumin seeds

1 cinnamon stick 6-7 whole peppercorns 7-8 cloves 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp coriander powder 1/2 tsp red chili powder salt, to taste 2 tbsp cooking oil fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped for garnish

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Once it starts to sizzle, add in sliced onions and fry till slightly brown.

2. Add in meat pieces, chopped green chillies and ginger-garlic paste, and fry for 3-4 minutes.

3. Add salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder and let all spices blend in well.

4. Once meat starts to brown, add tomato paste, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and cloves, and saute for 2-3 minutes.

5. Add water and cover cook for 30-35 minutes or till meat tenderizes. You can add more water, bit by bit, to prevent it from drying up.

6. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot!

On one of those days…

Sometimes, you just want to get away from the hoohaas and settle down with something simple and wholesome. Today, I just felt like taking things easy. All I wanted to do to begin my weekend with was to cuddle on my couch, watch a good movie and have a simple and satisfying lunch. And there’s nothing simpler I can think of than a big bowl of rice, drowned in Dal (Indian lentils). As I have said many times before, Dal is cooked in many ways all over India. I, myself, make atleast ten or more variations of it.

This recipe is one that me and hubby crave for after every couple of days. It hardly takes any time and effort, but yet still feels like a meal fit for a King. Afterall, are we no less?

Tadka Dal (Lentils with a Spicy Tempering)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup red lentils (lal masoor)
• 2 cups water
• 1 small onion sliced
• 2-3 green chillies, chopped
• 1 medium-sized tomato, chopped
• 2 cloved of garlic, sliced
• salt, to taste
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)
• a pinch of asafoetida powder (hing)
• 1 tbsp ghee

Method:

• Boil lentils with onions, tomato, green chillies, garlic and turmeric powder till lentils soften and pulp. Add salt and stir well.
• In a small frying pan, make tempering by heating ghee and frying cumin seeds, fennel seeds, red chili powder and asafoetida powder till it all starts to sizzle.
• Add tempering into dal and stir well.

Serve warm over rice.

Speeding things up!

I have always preferred rice over rotis, and always tend to make a little extra just so I have leftovers for the next day. I like it when I take a peek into my fridge and find a box of leftover plain rice. It drives my imagination wild, since there is so much you can create out of plain boiled rice.

I have tried so many rice dishes over time but fried rice has always been a favourite. There is so much you can do to alter the taste and so many ways you can use to make a big bowl of fried rice. I often use whatever veggies or meats i have at hand, throw in a variety of flavours, and I have a great wholesome meal ready to be served.

This is another easy breezy recipe that hardly takes anytime at all and can be put together in minutes. I can’t even remember how many times I’ve cooked this up at the end of a long tiring day. And it never fails to please me!

Vegetable Fried Rice

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked plain rice
• 1 cup mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, beans, celery, cabbage…go wild! Frozen
• vegetables would also be a great option)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp soya sauce
• 1 chicken buillion cube (substitute with vegetable buillion cube for a vegetarian version)
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp crushed black pepper
• salt, to taste
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• chopped spring onion for garnish

Method:

• Heat oil in a non-stick pan and fry onions till transparent. Add vegetables, bullion cube, salt, pepper and chili powder and fry till all the water from the vegetables evaporate.
• Add rice and mix well. Splash soya sauce and stir-fry rice till everything is mixed well.
• Garnish with spring onions and serve warm.

Bowing to the Queen…

While I do try and bring as many different flavours and tastes to our table at, sometimes a traditional dal-roti-sabzi meal is all we desire. While I can the veggies I actually enjoy eating on my fingers, I make up for the minimal mumber with the oh so many different variations I use to cook them.

There is always a way of cooking any veggie you don’t enjoy so much in a way that will keep you asking for more. Okra, or lady-finger as it is known in India, is one such veggie. Known as the queen of veggies, with its elegantly shaped form and crown-like head, it does require some special care while cooking.

While I don’t usually pounce on a stack of them to pick the best ones at the store, I do sometimes, however, look forward to one of the simplest and tastiest side dishes I know to make. And while I do bring a batch home every other week (hubby dear totally loves it, you see!), this is one of the few ways I relish it. A simple three-step process of chop-fry-serve makes this dish a definite keeper and especially good for a large crowd!!

Bhindi Pyaaz (Okra with Onions)

Ingredients:

10-15 whole fresh okra, washed and dried thoroughly dried with a cloth 1 medium-sized red onion, sliced 1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp red chili powder 1/4 tsp turmeric powder salt, to taste 1 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

1. Make sure the okra is thoroughly dried on the outside. Discard ends and cut into half centimeter thick pieces.
2. In a no-stick pan, heat oil and add cumin seeds.
3. Once they start to sizzle, add in okra pieces and saute for a minute or two. Cover the pan and allow it to cook for 10-15 minutes on a medium-low heat.
4. Once the okra starts to cook and lose its sticky texture, add in onions and spices and stir well to mix in spices evenly.
5. Cover cook for another 7-10 minutes till onions tenderize and start to brown on the edges.
6. Serve warm with Dal and fresh rotis.