The Café Spice Cookbook: 84 Quick and Easy Indian Recipes for Everyday Meals (14 page)

Serves
4

Prep time:
30 minutes

Cook time:
15 minutes

SAMOSA PASTRY

2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon nigella seeds (optional)

4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon oil

4 tablespoons water, plus more if needed

POTATO AND PEAS FILLING

4 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 onion (about 5 oz/150 g), diced

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon Asian red chili powder or cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

2 potatoes (about 1¼ lbs/600 g), peeled and diced

1 cup (130 g) green peas, fresh or frozen (shelled from 1 lb/500 g fresh pea pods)

To make the Samosa Pastry: Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the nigella seeds (if using) and 4 tablespoons of oil and rub the ingredients in with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Slowly add about 4 tablespoons water and form the dough into a stiff ball, adding more water if needed.

Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 5–7 minutes, until smooth, and make a ball. Rub the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil on the surface of the dough ball and set it aside for at least 30 minutes, making sure it is tightly wrapped with plastic wrap. While the Samosa Pastry is resting, make the samosa filling.

To make the Potato and Peas Filling: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds, and when they start to pop, add the onion and fry until soft. Add the ground coriander, Asian red chili powder or cayenne pepper, salt, and ground turmeric and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds. Add the potatoes and green peas. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the potatoes are cooked. Remove from the heat and set aside.

When you are ready to fill the samosas, divide the Samosa Pastry into 8 balls. It is important to work with one ball of dough at time and to keep the other dough balls covered to prevent drying. Take a ball and roll it out into a 7-in (18-cm) circle. Cut it in half with a sharp knife. Working with one of the half-circles, with the straight edge positioned at the top, fold one of the sides inward to the center. With your finger, rub a little water on the top of folded edge. Now take the other side and fold it inward, overlapping the moistened dough edge to form a cone. Press the two edges together. Fill the cone with about 2 tablespoons of the filling of your choice. Do not over fill the samosa. It is very important that there is at least a ¼-in (6-mm)-wide border of dough along the top to make sure the filling does not come out while frying. With your finger, rub a little water along the inside edge of the dough at the top of the cone. Close the top of the cone by firmly pressing the open edges together. Press the top seam down with back side of the fork, or flute it with your fingers. Fill the rest of the samosas.

Heat 2 inches (5 cm) of oil in a kadhai, small wok, or large saucepan over medium heat to 325°F (160°C) on a deep-fry or candy thermometer. To gauge the temperature of the oil without a thermometer, drop a piece of bread about 1-in (2.5-cm) square into the oil, turning the piece of bread often as the oil heats up. When the oil reaches 325°F (160°C), the bread will begin to brown quickly and turn golden brown all over—like a crouton—in about 40 seconds. Deep-fry the samosa in batches, turning frequently, until golden brown and crisp. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Chapter 4
SOUPS AND DALS

As far as Indian soups go, the possibilities are endless. They can be eaten as a part of the meal or made into a bigger portion that’s good for a full meal. Many soups such as tomato and sweet corn have taken the front page in our Indian restaurant menus and are the perfect start your meal.

Indian-flavored soups receive a different treatment during preparation than their Western counterparts. The delicate use of spices like cumin seeds with a dash of green chili, in combination with fresh herbs, lentils, and vegetables imparts special aromas to these soups and makes them a perfect match for Indian fare. Some parts of India have extreme winter conditions, and some soups—especially the ones that contain spices like ginger, cinnamon, and peppercorn—are meant to combat the chill. Most of these soups would also make a delicious and substantial lunch, perhaps served with some Indian bread such as Naan Bread (page
121
), or as an imaginative start to a dinner party. These soups are easy to prepare and most can be made ahead of time and then reheated just before serving. You can use a blender or a food processor for preparing most of these soups and make them thick or thin in consistency as you like. Indian soups are almost never thickened with starch, unlike Western soups.

Dal or lentils are also an integral part of Indian cuisine. Dal is often eaten with rice in the southern part of India, as well as with Indian breads in the north. Dal has an exceptional nutritional profile. It provides an excellent source of protein, particularly for those eating vegetarian diets or diets that do not contain much meat. Dal is also high in carbohydrates while being virtually fat free. Most dal recipes are quite simple to prepare. The standard preparation begins with boiling a variety of dal (or a mix) in water with some turmeric, salt to taste, and then adding a fried garnish at the end of the cooking process. In some recipes, tomatoes, tamarind, unripe mango, or other ingredients are added while cooking the dal, often to impart a sour flavor. Sometimes red kidney beans, chickpeas and other heavy legumes are used to make preparations that are a cross between a dal and gravy.
Rajmah
(Red Kidney Bean Dal, page
51
) is usually served with rice. Although the recipes for dal used in this book are all vegetarian, feel free to add meat in some of the preparations. For example, you could use minced chicken, turkey, or pork in some of the recipes, per your preference, and make them into a wholesome dinner bowl!

Green Pea Soup
Matar Shorba

For a comforting starter or simple meal on a cold day, try a bowl of warm pea soup. This soup can provide several benefits as part of an overall balanced diet. It is high in fiber, a great source of essential minerals and vitamins, and also has some contribution to weight loss, if some study reports are to be believed. The soup tastes great when made with fresh green peas that are in season, but when made with frozen peas, it tastes just as delicious.

Serves
4

Prep time:
15 minutes

Cook time:
30 minutes

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups (200 g) fresh green peas shelled

2 cups (100 g) packed fresh spinach leaves, washed and chopped or ¾ cup (150 g) frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves

2½ cups (625 ml) water or vegetable stock

1 cup (250 ml) cream

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

¼ teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder

¼ teaspoon Café Spice Garam Masala (page
22
)

Juice of ½ lime

Melt 1 teaspoon of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat add the green peas, spinach, and mint and cook for 30 seconds. Add the water or vegetable stock and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer covered for 25–30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool. Using a table top or a hand blender, purée the mixture until very smooth. Pass it through a strainer for a smooth texture.

Melt the remaining butter in a large saucepot over medium heat, add the strained pea soup, cream, salt, black pepper, sugar, nutmeg, and Garam Masala. Bring to a boil, simmer for 2 minutes, and then remove from the heat. Add the lime juice before serving. Serve hot.

Red Kidney Bean Dal
Rajmah

This dish is extremely popular, not just in northern India, but elsewhere as well. It is a very popular weekend brunch dish, often served with plain rice. The consistency of this dish can be thicker, for scooping with roti bread or even whole grain tortillas or made thinner to serve over rice and eaten like a stew. Serve Rajmah with Simple Rice Pilaf (page
120
), Chopped Vegetable Salad (page
43
), and your favorite pickle.

Serves
4

Prep time:
15 minutes plus 8 hours soaking time if using dried kidney beans

Cook time:
55 minutes (1 hour 20 minutes if using dried kidney beans)

2 cups (350 g), dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight and drained, or two 15½-oz (439-g) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

½ cup (100 g), split black gram (urad dal), soaked overnight and drained

10 cups (2.5 liters) water plus ½ tablespoon salt for cooking the dried beans

½ cup (125 ml) oil

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 large onion (about 8 oz/250 g), minced

4 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste (page
22
)

3 fresh green chili peppers, minced

3 large tomatoes (about 1½ lbs/750 g), minced

3 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons Asian red chili powder or cayenne pepper

Salt, to taste

2 teaspoons Café Spice Garam Masala (page
22
)

4 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

2 tablespoons butter (optional)

If using dried kidney beans, bring the soaked and drained beans, split black gram, water, and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender, about 45–50 minutes. Drain the beans, but reserve the cooking liquid. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Let them sizzle for 10 seconds. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the Ginger-Garlic Paste and fry for 1–2 minutes until soft. Add the green chili peppers, tomatoes, ground coriander, Asian red chili powder or cayenne pepper, salt, and 1 cup (250 ml) of the reserved bean-soaking liquid or water. Cover and cook over low heat until the masala is cooked, about 5 minutes.