1,000 Indian Recipes (96 page)

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₄
cup grated mild cheddar or any other melting cheese

1.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap each potato in foil and bake until tender, about 45 minutes. Unwrap and let cool, then cut each potato in half lengthwise. Using a grapefruit (or other) spoon, scoop out the insides of each potato half, leaving a
¹
⁄
₄
-inch shell. Reserve the insides. Lower oven temperature to 350°F.

2.
Brush each shell with oil, inside and out. Place, cut side up, on a baking sheet and bake until crisp and golden, about 20 minutes. When the potatoes are done, raise oven temperature back to 400°F.

3.
To prepare the stuffing, heat the oil in a small nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the ginger, garlic, and onion, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato, cilantro, and chile pepper and stir, about 2 minutes. Stir in the coriander, cumin, and turmeric, then add the peas and salt and cook, stirring a few times until the peas are soft, about 5 minutes. Mix in the reserved potatoes and cook another 2 minutes.

4.
Divide the stuffing equally among the potato shells and fill each one. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top and bake at 400°F until golden, about 5 minutes. Serve.

Variation:
Use
³
⁄
₄
cup finely chopped mixed vegetables, such as carrots, zucchini, or green beans, instead of the peas.

Stuffed Potatoes with Spicy Shredded Chicken

Murgh Bharae Aalu

Makes 12 to 15 pieces

Select the long, thin, oval potatoes; they are easier to scoop out and look appealing, especially when garnished with wilted cherry tomatoes and scallion greens. This dish can be served with any dried bean dish, such as
Classic Kidney Bean Curry with Onions
, or a vegetable curry.

1 teaspoon
Chaat Masala
(or store-bought), or to taste

12 to 15 medium white or purple potatoes

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 small clove fresh garlic, minced

1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger

¹
⁄
₂
cup finely chopped onion

1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds

¹
⁄
₄
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1 cup cooked shredded chicken

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon garam masala

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon salt, or to taste

10 to 15 cherry or pear-shaped tomatoes

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice

¹
⁄
₄
cup minced scallion greens

1.
Prepare the chaat masala. Cook the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water to cover until soft but not broken, about 15 minutes. Peel them if you wish, but it's not necessary. Slice off a
¹
⁄
₄
-inch cap from one end of each potato and carefully, with a paring knife and a small spoon, scoop out the insides, leaving a
¹
⁄
₄
-inch barrel-shaped shell. Reserve the insides, the shells, and the caps.

2.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the garlic, ginger, and onion, stirring until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the green chile pepper, cilantro, and chicken, then mix in the garam masala and salt and cook, stirring, over medium heat until everything is golden, about 5 minutes. Mix in the reserved potatoes and stir, 1 minute. Let cool.

3.
Fill each potato shell with the stuffing and fit the caps on. Place in a nonstick skillet and drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon oil on top. Cook, turning over medium heat until golden on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove to a serving platter.

4.
To the skillet add the cherry tomatoes and cook, shaking the skillet until slightly softened, about 1 minute. Transfer to the potato platter as a garnish. Sprinkle the chaat masala and lime juice over everything, garnish with the scallion greens, and serve.

Indian French Fries with Tomatoes

Tamatar vaalae Aalu kae Chips

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This is my brother, Rakesh Bhatla's, creation—spicy French fries, lightly moistened with tomatoes and topped with a dusting of savory chaat masala. It's almost like a warm chaat salad, and goes really well with a glass of chilled beer.

1 teaspoon
Chaat Masala
(or store-bought), or to taste

4 to 5 small russet potatoes, peeled and cut into
¹
⁄
₂
-inch fingers

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

1
¹
⁄
₂
to 2 cups peanut oil for deep-frying

1 large firm tomato, coarsely chopped

1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds

1.
Prepare the chaat masala. Then, place the potato fingers in a medium bowl, toss with salt and set aside about 30 minutes. Wash, drain, and dry well on cotton kitchen or paper towels.

2.
Heat the oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches 325°F to 350°F on a frying thermometer or, until a small piece of the potato dropped into the hot oil takes 15 to 20 seconds to rises to the top. Deep-fry, turning and moving the potato fingers until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels.

3.
Let cool and remove all but 1 teaspoon of oil from the wok. Reheat the oil over medium-high heat and stir-fry the tomatoes and green chile pepper until just tender, about 1 minute. Add the fried potatoes and mix well. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with the chaat masala, and serve.

Savory Croquettes and Dumplings (
Vadae
)

Pakaudhis
(
mungi kae laddu
),
bhallae
(
vadae
,
badae
, or
vadai
),
ammavadai
, and
gujjia
are all different regional names for deep-fried spongy cakes, or croquettes. When these cakes are served in a sauce, they are called dumplings.

Made with an array of different
dals
(legumes) and shaped into balls, circles, doughnuts, and half moons, all the croquettes in this section are variations on the same theme. They have different names and different seasonings in different parts of India, and their distinction lies in the type of
dals
used. When made with yellow mung beans (
dhulli mung dal
) they are
pakaudhis
, with white urad beans (
dhulli urad dal
) they are
bhallae
or
vadae
, with a mixture of
dals
they are
ammavadai
. However,
vadae
are also made with split pigeon peas (
toor dal
) and yellow split chickpeas (
channa dal
), and can be made with other
dals
as well.

Making them is time- and labor-intensive, but they store well in the refrigerator and freezer, so you can make a large batch when you have time.

Mung Bean Croquettes

Pakaudhiyan or Mungi kae Laddoo

Makes 18 to 20 pieces

These authentic Punjabi croquettes are sold on every street corner. They are lightly fried for your perusal, then when you make your selection the vendor will instantly refry them, press them between the palms of his hands and serve them to you warm on dried banana leaves with a
sonth
(sweet and sour tamarind) chutney and a handful of spicy grated daikon radishes. They are often transformed into a special yogurt dish,
Simple Mung Bean Croquette Raita
, and served as a snack or part of a meal.