Spicy Potato & Coriander Samosas

I love Indian food, but I hardly ever order it out at a restaurant because it's very hard to know which entrees use ghee and which use vegetable oil.  There is a small Indian market near my house and I sometimes will drop by on my way home from work and order their Chana Masala and Vegetable Biryani (both are made fresh daily and use vegetable oil), along with a couple of their potato and pea samosas.  Now, I normally don't eat fried food, but every now and then, I can't pass up a good samosa.

I learned how to make samosas while working as a Chef in 2008.  We had a 200 person dinner party and they requested 25 platters of samosas as one of their appetizers.  I only had about three days before the party to make 500 samosas and so I was panicked to say the least.  But the wife of my husband's co-worker came to my rescue and gave me a quick lesson, along with her delicious recipe and I have been happily making samosas ever since.  And they were such a hit that we placed them on the menu permanently.   

Making the dough couldn't be easier (it includes, a/p flour, vegetable oil, water and salt) and once you get the hang of rolling and stuffing the samosas, it goes by very quickly.  A good samosa dough should puff up with little bubbles when fried and be crispy out the outside--never greasy or soggy, even after sitting out at room temperature.

The filling for the samosa should be fluffy, spicy and flavorful.  I have never tasted a filling that compares to the recipe that she shared with me.  I use russet potatoes, green chilies, ginger root, garlic, amchur powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala, crushed coriander seeds, chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) and sea salt.  And I always serve my samosas with a cilantro-mint sauce and tamarind-date chutney.  Both sauces provide a nice contrast (sweet and cooling) to the spicy samosas.  

Too bad that samosas are deep fried or I would probably eat them everyday!  But once or twice a year seems to satisfy my craving and all is good in the world, or at least in my kitchen! 

 

Spicy Chickpea & Sweet Potato (Aloo)

You can tell that it's the end of the month and the end of my grocery budget.  Not that this dish couldn't be served and enjoyed anytime during the month, but it's a great dish to serve when you're cooking from your pantry.  I had all the ingredients (dried chickpeas, tomato puree, Indian spices, quinoa) in my pantry and so I only needed to purchase one large sweet potato, which cost me a whopping $1.70.  Normally I wouldn't be close to overspending for the month, but I traveled back east to visit my family and I always end up spending more trying to stock their pantry with healthy ingredients.  But just because this is a budget meal doesn't mean that it lacks flavor and certainly not nutrition.  One serving of this dish is packed with Vitamin C, Beta-Carotene, Lycopene, Potassium, Fiber and Protein!  I should be eating this more often--everyone should!  Good for the budget and good for your health!

I served the aloo over yellow quinoa, but brown basmati rice, or whole wheat couscous would also be good to soak up the flavorful sauce.  For the tomatoes, I used Pomi crushed tomatoes, but they are really expensive, but since they were already in my pantry I didn't need to spend the money.  If it were summer and the tomatoes were bright red and juicy I would just blanch them to remove the skins and grate them for the sauce.   Also, this is another oil-free dish--there's so much flavor that you don't any processed oils.

Ingredients:

1 tsp grated ginger
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less depending on taste)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
1-2 small whole green Thai chilies, halved or quartered
2 cups tomato puree
2 1/2 cups filtered water, (more or less depending on consistency)
1 large sweet potato or yam, diced into 1/2-1" pieces (about 3 cups)
2 cups cooked and drained chickpeas or garbanzo beans
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup minced cilantro leaves

Method:

• Soak 3/4 cup of chickpeas overnight and then cook until tender.  Drain and set aside. 
• In a large sauce pan, over medium-low heat, add whole cumin seeds and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.  Add 1/4 cup water, grated ginger and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes until soft.
• Stir in other spices and chilies and then add tomato puree and 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
• Next add the diced sweet potatoes and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cook on medium-low heat until sweet potatoes are just tender, adding more water if necessary.
• Finally add cooked chickpeas and heat through and season with salt and pepper if necessary. 
• Garnish with minced cilantro and serve over grain of choice.

Curried-Cauliflower Puree with Candied Almonds

This is my favorite soup to serve during the fall.  With cauliflower in season and paired with the warm spices of the curry powder, it truly hits the spot on a chilly autumn evening.  I garnished the soup with candied almonds (cauliflower and almonds are a perfect match) and drizzled it with Major Grey chutney.  The flavors and textures of this soup are amazing--spicy, sweet, velvety smooth and crunchy--and I know it will be one of your fall favorites as well.

Ingredients:

1 large head cauliflower, cored and broken into florets of even size
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced fresh thyme
1/2 cup white wine
2-3 tsp Madras Curry Powder, or other high quality brand
4-6 cups vegetable stock
1 cup cashew milk (see below) or other non-dairy milk
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Major Grey chutney
Candied almonds
Parsley sprigs
Note:  Purchase a chutney that is smooth instead of chunky.  Spoon about 1/4 cup into a small sauce pan, add 1-2 tbsp water and heat until smooth and pourable.

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss cauliflower florets with 1-2 tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper.  Place on a sheet tray roast until lightly charred about 20 minutes, flipping cauliflower half way through the cooking time.
• In a dutch oven or stock pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and saute onions with a little salt and pepper until soft about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, thyme and deglaze with white wine and cook until almost all the wine is absorbed and onions are creamy.
• Add 4-1/2 cups vegetable stock, and curry powder to taste.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20-30 minutes.
• Stir in cashew milk and heat through and place mixture in a blender and blend until smooth, adding additional stock if needed to get to the right pourable consistency.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and keep warm until ready to serve.
• When ready to serve, drizzle with chutney and garnish with almonds and parsley.

Candied Almonds:

1/2 cup sliced raw almonds
3 tbsp agave syrup

Method:

• Heat a small saute pan on medium-low.  Add almonds and agave and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly until syrup has coated the almonds and they are golden brown.  Remove almonds from the pan and spread out on a silpat or parchment paper to cool.  Once cool, break up large chunks and set aside.

Cashew Milk:

1/2 cup raw cashews
1 1/2 cups filtered water
1 tsp agave syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Note:  To give a creamy texture to recipes, cashew milk is my number one choice because of the high-fat content.  You will have some milk left over--you can use it in your morning cereal, add to smoothies or freeze for another use. 

Method:

• Soak cashews for four hours or over night in filtered water.
• Drain water and place cashews in a blender and cover with 1 1/2 cups filtered water.
• Blend on high until smooth.  If you have a high-speed blender, you do not need to strain; otherwise strain before using.

 
 

  

 

Curried Lettuce Wraps

Finally! our first beautiful day in the Bay Area in over a week.  The temps are still below normal for this time of year hovering around 70 degrees, but at least the skies were sunny and blue.  A perfect day for a hike...so my husband and I decided to go to Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve in Los Altos Hills.  What a beautiful place by the way, clearly marked trails, beautiful scenery with mountain vistas and lots of wild life...even saw a rattlesnake! 

Anyway, I knew that I would not want to make dinner after returning from a three hour hike and so before we left I prepped this dish in 15 minutes.  And when we got home it was ready and waiting.  Just a perfect day!

Curry Sauce:

1/4 cup Follow Your Heart Sour Cream
1/4 cup Vegenaise
1/4 cup Major Grey's Mango Chutney
1-2 tbsp Madras Yellow Curry Powder
2 tbsp white wine, veg stock or water
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Method:

• In a large bowl mix all ingredients together and set aside.

Wrap Ingredients:
(Serves 2)

4 oz (1/2 package) Soy Curls (or you can substitute, extra firm baked or fried tofu, tempeh or seitan)
1 cup celery, finely diced
1 cup red seedless grapes, sliced in 1/2 or 1/4's depending on size
1/2 cup toasted and salted cashews, roughly chopped
2 tbsp red onion, finely diced
1 tbsp chives, finely minced
1 head bib lettuce, washed and dried

Method:

• Cover soy curls with boiling water and rehydrate for 15 minutes, drain really well on paper towels or a dish towel to remove excess moisture. Chop into 1" pieces and place in a large bowl.
• While soy curls are soaking, prep other ingredients.
• Combine all ingredients together and check for seasonings.
• Let mixture chill for at least an hour for flavors to develop.
• Place about 2 tbsp of mixture in the center of each lettuce leaf and garnish with additional chopped cashews and chives.

Red Lentil & Cauliflower Curry with Methi Thepla

When I was a young girl I lived in an apartment complex and I remember our next door neighbors were from India.  Whenever they would open the door to their apartment this wonderful aroma could be smelled throughout the common hallway.  I was too young at the time and really not focused on food, so I never asked them what spice they were cooking with.  But when I started cooking Indian cuisine and exposed to different spices, I knew exactly what spice they were using when I purchased and opened up my first bag of fenugreek.  It took me all the way back to 1968 and my apartment building and I finally knew what that wonderful aroma was.  And even today, whether I use fresh fenugreek leaves, seeds or dried leaves in my cooking, I think of that family and I associate Indian cooking with the smell fenugreek.

So there is an Indian restaurant near my husband's work and they serve the best Methi Thepla (fenugreek flatbread) that I've ever tasted.  I have tried on several occasions, but I have yet to master making certain Indian flatbreads.  I even purchased a Tava (iron griddle) and a chapati rolling pin thinking that I had to have the right equipment.  My Methi Thepla were very flavorful, but I still need to work on the texture.  In the meantime, if you want to make the Red Lentil & Cauliflower Curry recipe below, I recommend that you purchase whatever flatbread you like, because you'll want to have something to soak up all the flavorful juices of the curry.  And once I master the recipe, I will definitely share it, especially if it's as good as the restaurant's! 

Red Lentil & Cauliflower Curry:

1 tbsp Canola Oil
1/2 medium onion, small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp mild yellow curry powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
1 14 oz can tomato puree
3 1/2 cups filtered water
1 cup red lentils
1/2 head cauliflower florets, seamed
1 cup frozen or fresh peas
1-1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Method:

• In a medium sauce pan, heat canola oil on medium low, add onion and saute for five minutes until tender.  Add garlic, ginger and spices and stir to combine.
• Add tomato puree, water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Add lentils and stir to combine and reduce heat to medium low and cook for about 15 minutes until lentils are soft.
• While lentils are cooking, steam cauliflower until crisp-tender.
• Just before serving stir in cauliflower and frozen peas and heat through.
• Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and serve with warmed flatbread.

Curried Tempeh Wrap with Mango-Cucumber Raita

My husband and I are watching the TV show America's Next Great Restaurant hosted by Bobby Flay.  I don't think that creating another "unhealthy" fast food restaurant chain is what America needs right now with obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer on the rise, but who am I to say.  At least there are two contestants who are trying to serve somewhat healthy food with their concepts, HarvestSol and Spice Coast and I'm rooting for Spice Coast. I like the idea of serving flavorful and healthy Indian fast food. 

However, I was disappointed when the investors, Bobby Flay, Curtis Stone, Lorena Garcia and the founder of Chipotle, Steve Ells recommended that the owner of Spice Coast add meat to his vegetarian menu saying vegetarian food was too limiting for a restaurant chain.  And I disagree with that as well.  I truly believe that there is a market for vegan and vegetarian restaurants, especially in major metropolitan areas.  And I believe that all restaurants that serve meat should offer at least one or two vegan options on their menu.  So if you're listening...Bobby, Curtis, Lorena and Steve I'd love the opportunity to talk to you about my vegan concept "Leafy Greens"...:-) 

Anyway, watching the show last night made me want to make Indian wraps--my version of Indian fast street food.  And it was really good!  One day, if I ever have my own vegan restaurant, this will probably be on my menu.  Along with a Greek Gyro of course...but that's another post!

Curried Tempeh Balls:

1 8oz package of Organic 3-Grain Tempeh
1/4 cup oat flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (found in health food stores)
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten (found in health food stores)
1/2 medium onion, small diced
1/2 medium red bell pepper, small diced
2 tsp yellow curry powder 
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tbsp tomato paste
4 tbsp filtered water
1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tbsp canola oil

Method:

• Heat saute pan on medium, add canola oil and saute onions and red pepper until soft.  Set aside and cool to room temperature.  
• Grate tempeh with a box grater in a large bowl.
• Add onions and red pepper.
• Add the remaining dry ingredients and spices and mix well.
• In a small bowl, mix tomato paste and water and pour into dry ingredients and mix well.
• Using a small ice cream scooper, form mixture into 16 balls, pressing to make sure that they are firm. 
• Heat a large cast iron skillet to medium and add 1 tbsp canola oil and brown tempeh balls turning frequently until brown and crisp on all sides.

Mango-Cucumber Raita:

1/2 cup vegan organic soy plain yogurt
1/2 cup vegan Follow Your Heart sour cream
1 cup English Cucumber, small diced with skin on
1/2 cup fresh Mango, small diced
1/2 tsp whole cumin seed, toasted
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or red chili pepper
1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Method: 

• Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and chill for at least an hour for flavors to develop.

Carrot-Cabbage Salad:

2 cups shredded carrots
2 cups shredded green cabbage
2 tsp black mustard seeds, toasted
Juice from 1/2 fresh lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp canola oil

Method:

• Heat canola oil in saute pan on medium heat, add mustard seeds and toast for about 1 minute until seeds start popping.  
• Remove from heat and immediately pour over carrot salad.
• Toss with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
• Serve chilled or at room temperature. 

Serve with multi-grain rotis or whole wheat tortillas, lightly brushed with olive oil and grilled until lightly charred.  Enjoy!

Roasted Baby Potatoes with Mustard & Coriander

There is a 13 acre apricot orchard located about a mile from my house and every March there is a Mustard Festival where people are invited to come and harvest the mustard plants that are grown amongst the trees.  When the flowers are in full bloom, it is really beautiful and makes me think of Napa Valley and all the vineyards planted with mustard.  The reason why vineyards and orchards plant mustard is to keep the weeds under control, but also to help stimulate the soil for the upcoming growing season.  And of course because it's beautiful!

I love visiting produce farms, orchards, vineyards and farmers markets, learning how plants and produce grow.  When we purchase food in the grocery store, it is so prepped and over processed that half the time we have no idea what it looked like in its natural form.  I mean who would of thought that this beautiful flowering weed could produce thousands of tiny pungent seeds used in cuisines all over the world, and end up in a jar in the spice section.  Pretty amazing actually.

Spring has finally arrived and all the mustard seeds have been harvested and so I decided to make Roasted Baby Potatoes with Mustard and Coriander.  This dish uses just about every form of mustard, except of course, yellow table mustard.  I served these potatoes with a Chickpea Curry, but you could also serve these as a side dish with your favorite vegan burger, topped with a spicy curry-mango aioli.  Sounds yummy!

Ingredients:

2 lbs baby white, Yukon gold or fingerling potatoes, quartered
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp mustard oil (optional), found in Indian markets
2 tsp black mustard seeds
2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds, coarsely ground in a spice grinder
1 tsp tumeric powder
1/2 small fresh, hot green chili, very finely minced
2 cups mustard greens, leafs only, rinsed, dried and torn into bite size pieces
1 tsp kosher salt (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Method:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Rinse potatoes and pat dry.  Cut into quarters or in half if small.
• In a bowl, toss potatoes with 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Roast potatoes in the oven for 10 minutes, toss with a spatula and return to the oven for another 10 minutes or so until crispy and golden brown.
• While the potatoes are roasting, in a saute pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and the mustard oil on medium heat, add spices and cook just until spices are fragrant and starting to sizzle.
• Add mustard greens and heat just until slightly wilted, then remove pan from heat.
• Remove the potatoes from the oven and place in a large bowl and immediately add spices and toss until combined.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste and drizzle with remaining olive oil and cilantro.

Chickpea Curry with English Peas

A lot of people think that preparing Indian food is very time consuming and very costly.  Neither is true.  This chickpea curry probably took me 45 minutes from start to finish and that included only 10-15 minutes of actual prep assembling the ingredients.  The remainder of the time is for simmering on the stove to develop flavors.  Spices can be costly if you purchase them at a large chain grocery store, but if you have access to an Indian grocer or Middle Eastern market you can save a lot of money, and if stored properly will keep for up to a year.  I use a lot of spices in my cooking, but you can make this same dish, using only one spice (Madras Curry Powder) and it will come out just as delicious.

There are techniques used in Indian cooking for layering and building flavors...you fry the whole spices first, then add your paste mixture, which can consist of pureed onion, garlic, ginger and chilies, then you add the powdered spices, then your liquid ingredients, pulses and so on.  But if you have all of your ingredients ready to go, this takes no time at all.   I served this with Roasted Baby Potatoes with Mustard and Coriander, but it would also go well with brown basmati rice or any Indian flatbread such as, chapatis or rotis.  Just make sure that if you purchase the flatbread that you check to see if it contains any butter/ghee.  But if you make the flatbread yourself, which I usually do, then you can substitute canola oil, or leave the fat out entirely.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp mustard seeds (yellow or black)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp minced or grated ginger root
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp red chili powder or to taste
1 tsp tumeric powder
3/4 tsp salt (less or more depending on taste)
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, pureed in a food processor or blender
2 cups filtered water
1/4 cup light coconut milk
1 tsp garam masala
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 cup English peas (frozen)
2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Method:

• If using dried chickpeas, soak overnight, and cook until tender, set aside.  If using canned, rinse really well before using.
• In a 3 qt sauce pan, heat canola oil on medium-low and add mustard seeds and fry just until they start popping, about 30 seconds.
• Next add the finely minced onion and cook until soft, about five minutes.
• Once the onions are soft, add the minced garlic and ginger and cook for another two minutes being careful not to burn the garlic.
• Add all the remaining dry spices and stir until combined.
• Add the tomatoes and water and bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes for the flavors to blend and the sauce to thicken.
• Add coconut milk, chickpeas, and English peas and heat through.
• Adjust seasoning if necessary and garnish with cilantro.