Eating Indian

When my new issue of Saveur magazine came I was delighted to see the entire issue was devoted to Indian cooking. If you have any interest in Indian cooking at all this issue was terrific and easy to use and had a great source of Indian products to buy on line. The articles were from all parts of India, North, South, East, and West.

I tried three recipes immediately and I was not disappointed. I have made samosas (fried potato-filled pastries) in the past but never got the pastry right. Well, this recipe was so simple and the pastry was easy to deal with. I also tried a spicy cabbage and potato curry with chapatis (whole wheat flatbreads). These are only three of the39 recipes in the issue. Go buy this issue and try some Indian treats!

And to round out my recent Indian fix, I went to see The Hundred Foot Journey this past weekend. Indian, French, food, Helen Miren---what’s not to like?

All recipes taken from the August/September issue of ‘ Saveur’ magazine, 2014.

Samosas

Makes 24

3 cups flour

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

Kosher salt to taste

¾ cup ice-water

½ lb. russet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

2 carrots, roughly chopped

2 tbsp. canola oil, plus more

1 tsp. cumin seeds

1 small yellow onion, minced

1 1”piece ginger, peeled and minced

¾ cup frozen peas, defrosted

¼ cup minced cilantro

¼ cup minced mint

½ tsp. garam masala (can be brought in spice section of most stores)

2 small green Thai chiles or 1 serrano, minced

Make the dough. Pulse flour, butter, and salt in a food processor into pea-size crumbles. Add water; pulse until dough forms. Divide into 12 balls; chill 1 hour.

Make the filling. Boil potatoes and carrots in a 4-qt. saucepan of salted water until tender, 8-10 minutes. Drain; coarsely mash. Add 2 tbsp. oil to pan; heat over medium-high. Cook cumin seeds until they pop, 1-2 minutes. Add onion and ginger; cook until golden, 4-6 minutes. Let cook; stir into potato mixture with peas, cilantro, mint, garam masala, chiles, and salt.

Form and fry samosas: Working with 1 ball at a time, roll dough into a 6”round; cut in half. Gather straight edges of 1 half-round together, overlapping by ¼’ to form a cone. Moisten seam with water; press to seal. Spoon 1 tbsp. filling into cone. Moisten edges of cone with water; pinch to seal. Heat 2” oil in a 6-qt. saucepan until a deep fry thermometer reads 350°F. Fry samosas until crisp, 8-10 minutes. Drain on paper towels; serve with chutneys if you like.

Spicy Cabbage and Potato Curry

Serves 4

This vibrant curry comes from the Meghwal tribe of the Thar Desert.

3 tbsp. canola oil

1 ½ tsp. cumin seeds

½ tsp. red chile powder, such as cayenne

½ tsp. ground turmeric

3 small green Thai chilies or 1 serrano , sliced ½ ‘ thick

2 Indian or regular bay leaves

1 small red onion, quartered and cut into ¼’ wedges

1 ½ lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered, and sliced ¼’ thick

4 plum tomatoes, chopped

½ small head green cabbage, cored and cut into 1’ pieces

Kosher salt to taste

Heat oil in a 12’ skillet over medium-high. Cook cumin seeds until they pop, 1-2 minutes. Add chile powder, turmeric, chiles, bay leaves, and onion; cook until onion is soft, 3-4 minutes. Stir in potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, and salt; cook, covered, until potatoes are tender about 30 minutes.

This bread is the perfect addition to the curry.

Chapatis

(Whole Wheat Indian Flatbread)

To Make: Place ½ cup (wheat flour) in a bowl. In another bowl, stir 3 ¼ more flour and 1 ¼ cups water until dough forms. Knead dough briefly until smooth; divide into 10 balls. Working with 1 ball at a time, coat in reserved flour; roll in a 7’ circle, about 1/8’ thick. Heat a 12’cast-iron skillet over high. Cook dough, flipping once, until puffed and charred in spots, 2-3 minutes. Serve hot.