The Big Book of Curry Recipes (38 page)

Singaras

Singaras is a traditional Indian recipe (from Bengal) for a classic snack of cakes made from a blend of potatoes and flour flavoured with panch phoron that are fried to cook.

Ingredients:

500g (1 lb) potatoes

500g (1 lb) plain flour

30g (1 oz) butter or ghee

ghee, butter or oil, for cooking

2 tsp
panch pharon

salt, to taste

Method:

Scrub the potatoes and boil for about 25 minutes, or until tender. Drain the potatoes, allow to cool until they can be handled then peel and cut into fine cubes.

Season the potatoes with salt, then scatter over the panch phoron and mix to combine then set aside.

Sift the flour into a bowl then rub in the butter (or ghee) before adding just enough cold water to bring the mixture together as a dough. Divide this into 36 balls. Flatten each ball on an oiled work surface and, using an oiled roller roll out to thin ovals. Cut the ovals across the middle (short way).

Take one half and moisten the edges with water. Place a few potato pieces onto one half then place the other half on top and fold over the edges to form a triangular-shaped pocket filled with potato.

Heat oil or fat to a depth of 3cm (1 in) in a wok. When hot, drop in a few of the singaras and fry until golden brown and piping hot in the middle. Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot.

Aloo Anardana

Aloo Anardana is a traditional Indian recipe for a classic dish of spiced and fried potatoes that, typically, is served and eaten as a snack.

This makes a very nice kind of fried potato that can be eaten as a snack or as an accompaniment to a main meal.

Ingredients:

750g (1 2/3 lbs) boiling potatoes (King Edwards or Santé are good)

60ml (1/4 cup) ghee (clarified butter)

3–4 whole red chillies

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tbsp ground coriander seeds

3/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp chilli powder

100g (3 1/2 oz) anardana (dried pomegranate seeds, finely powdered)

1 tsp sea salt

Method:

Peel the potatoes and cut into 4cm (1 1/2 in) pieces. Boil the potatoes until tender, remove from the water and allow to cool completely.

Once the potatoes are cold heat the ghee in a wok then add the whole red chillies and fry until they begin to darken. Add the chopped potatoes to the oil and fry until they begin to run crispy. Add the powdered spices at this time and make sure that they cover all the potatoes. Finally add the pomegranate seeds, toss the potatoes to mix with the spice and fry for a further few minutes. Serve immediately.

Mandas of Cucumber

Mandas of Cucumber is a traditional Indian recipe for a classic snack of a ground rice batter in coconut milk with cucumber that’s steamed in banana leaves.

Ingredients:

1kg (2 lb) boiled rice

1kg (2 lb) raw rice

750g (1 2/3 lb) jaggery (or palm sugar)

1 large cucumber

4 coconuts

175g (6 1/2 oz) ghee

pinch of grated nutmeg

1 tsp cardamom powder

salt to taste

a few plums and/or almonds (if available)

Method:

Extract 480ml (2 cups) of thick coconut milk, as follows: Grind the fresh coconut to a paste and when the paste is smooth add 300ml (1 1/4 cups) water and mix thoroughly. Squeeze as much coconut milk from the resulting mixture as possible. Then add a further 300ml (1 1/4 cups) water, mix and squeeze the coconut milk out again.

Peel the cucumber, remove pith and seeds, and cut into pieces. Wash and soak the boiled and raw rice for an hour and then grind along with jaggery (or palm sugar), cucumber, coconut juice and salt to obtain a thick batter. Add to this batter the blanched and cut plums and/or almonds (if available), cardamom powder and a little ghee and mix well.

Spread plantain (or banana, or dock) leaves at the middle, bottom, and sides of the steaming vessel (thondor). Apply ghee thinly over these leaves the pour in the thick batter and sprinkle a few drops of ghee on the top of the batter. Cover the top of the vessel with more leaves then replace the lid and steam it well placing the vessel in an oven with a tray of water underneath and cook for 30 minutes. Allow to cool, unpack and cut-up the resultant pudding and serve.

Mandas of Red Pumpkin

Mandas of Red Pumpkin is a traditional Indian recipe for a classic snack of a ground rice batter in coconut milk with pumpkin that’s steamed in banana leaves.

Ingredients:

1kg (2 lb) boiled rice

1kg (2 lb) raw rice

750g (1 2/3 lb) jaggery (or palm sugar)

1/2 red pumpkin, flesh only

4 coconuts

175g (6 1/2 oz) ghee

pinch of grated nutmeg

1 tsp cardamom powder

salt to taste

a few plums and/or almonds (if available)

Method:

Extract 480ml (2 cups) of thick coconut milk, as described in the recipe above.

Wash and soak the boiled and raw rice for an hour and then grind along with jaggery (or palm sugar), red pumpkin, coconut juice and salt to obtain a thick batter. Add to this batter the blanched and cut plums and/or almonds (if available), cardamom powder and a little ghee and mix well.

Spread plantain (or banana, or dock) leaves at the middle, bottom, and sides of the steaming vessel (thondor). Apply ghee thinly over these leaves the pour in the thick batter and sprinkle a few drops of ghee on the top of the batter. Cover the top of the vessel with more leaves then replace the lid and steam it well placing the vessel in an oven with a tray of water underneath and cook for 30 minutes. Allow to cool, unpack and cut-up the resultant pudding and serve.

Vegetable Samosas

Vegetable Samosas is a traditional Indian recipe (from the North of India) for a classic snack of a flour and oil pastry filled with a mix of potatoes and peas flavoured with spices that are deep fried until golden before serving.

Samosas are a traditional snack in North India, often served at tea time. Though many fillings (including meat-based ones) are used a mix of potatoes and peas, as here, are the most traditional.

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

360g (4/5 lb) plain flour

4 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp salt

water

For the filling:

4 large potatoes (boiled in their skin)

200g (2 cups) fresh (or frozen) peas blanched in boiling water for 2 minutes

3 tbsp oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp asafoetida powder (or dried onion)

3cm (1 in) piece of ginger, finely grated

2 green chillies, finely chopped

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp Amchoor (or 1 tbsp lemon juice)

1 tsp
garam masala

1 tsp toasted and ground cumin seeds

1 tsp salt (or to taste)

generous handful of chopped coriander leaves

oil for deep frying

Method:

Peel the boiled potatoes and dice them very finely. Add a little oil to a wok or frying pan and fry the cumin seeds and asafoetida until fragrant and aromatic then add the ginger and chillies and fry for 1 minute.

Add all the remaining ingredients (except the coriander leaves) and stir to coat the vegetables in oil. Cook gently for 5 minutes (try not to break up the potatoes) then add the coriander leaves and stir to mix in. Take off the heat and set aside.

For the pastry, add the flour, salt and oil to a bowl. Rub with your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add water a little at a time until the mixture comes together as a firm dough. Tip onto a floured surface and knead well. Return to a bowl and allow to rest for 20 minutes before kneading once more.

Make a paste from 1 tbsp flour and 2 tbsp water. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

Divide the dough into 9 pieces, roll into balls and cover with a damp cloth. Place a ball on an oiled surface and roll into a 20cm (8 in) circle. Cut in half with a knife and lift up. Bring the cut edges together to form a cone and seal with the flour paste you just made.

Press to form a good seal then fill the cone with 2 tbsp of the potato mixture. You should be left with about a 5mm (1/5 in) overlap at the top that you can fold over and seal with the flour paste to close the samosa.

Repeat until all the pastry and potato mix is used-up, covering those samosas you’ve already made with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out.

Add oil to a depth of about 5cm (2 in) in a wok and bring to temperature on medium heat (don’t make the wok too hot or the samosas will turn out soggy). It’s ready when a small piece of pastry dropped into the oil sizzles and rises to the surface.

Add the samosas to the oil (don’t over-crowd) and fry gently until coloured golden brown. Turn once or twice (if you turn too often they have a tendency to break. Lift with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

Serve hot with a green chatni or a chilli chatni.

Beef Samosas

Beef Samosas is a traditional Indian recipe (from the North of India) for a classic snack of a flour and oil pastry filled with a mix of potatoes and minced beef flavoured with spices that are deep fried until golden before serving.

Samosas are a traditional snack in North India, often served at tea time. Though many fillings (including meat-based ones) are used a mix of potatoes and peas, are the most traditional.

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

360g (4/5 lb) plain flour

4 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp salt

water

For the filling:

2 large potatoes (boiled in their skin)

200g (7 oz) minced (ground) beef

3 tbsp oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp asafoetida powder (or dried onion)

3cm (1 in) piece of ginger, finely grated

2 green chillies, finely chopped

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp Amchoor (or 1 tbsp lemon juice)

1 tsp
garam masala

1 tsp toasted and ground cumin seeds

1 tsp salt (or to taste)

generous handful of chopped coriander leaves

oil for deep frying

Method:

Peel the boiled potatoes and dice them very finely. Add a little oil to a wok or frying pan and fry the cumin seeds and asafoetida until fragrant and aromatic then add the ginger and chillies and fry for 1 minute. Add the beef and fry until nicely browned (about 8 minutes).

Now add all the remaining ingredients (except the coriander leaves) and stir to coat the vegetables in oil. Cook gently for 5 minutes (try not to break up the potatoes) then add the coriander leaves and stir to mix in. Take off the heat and set aside.

For the pastry, add the flour, salt and oil to a bowl. Rub with your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add water a little at a time until the mixture comes together as a firm dough. Tip onto a floured surface and knead well. Return to a bowl and allow to rest for 20 minutes before kneading once more.

Make a paste from 1 tbsp flour and 2 tbsp water. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

Divide the dough into 9 pieces, roll into balls and cover with a damp cloth. Place a ball on an oiled surface and roll into a 20cm (8 in) circle. Cut in half with a knife and lift up. Bring the cut edges together to form a cone and seal with the flour paste you just made.

Press to form a good seal then fill the cone with 2 tbsp of the potato and beef mixture. You should be left with about a 5mm (1/5 in) overlap at the top that you can fold over and seal with the flour paste to close the samosa.

Repeat until all the pastry and potato and beef mix is used-up, covering those samosas you’ve already made with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out.

Add oil to a depth of about 5cm (2 in) in a wok and bring to temperature on medium heat (don’t make the wok too hot or the samosas will turn out soggy). It’s ready when a small piece of pastry dropped into the oil sizzles and rises to the surface.

Add the samosas to the oil (don’t over-crowd) and fry gently until coloured golden brown. Turn once or twice (if you turn too often they have a tendency to break. Lift with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

Serve hot with a green chatni or a chilli chatni.

Pyaz Bhajia (Onion Bhaji)

Pyaz Bhajia (Onion Bhaji) is a traditional Indian recipe (from the North of India) for a classic snack of shredded onions coated in a batter of chickpea (gram) flour, chillies and spices that are deep fried before serving.

Ingredients:

250g (9 oz) gram (chickpea) flour

4 medium onions, halved and thinly slices

1 tsp salt

1 tsp hot chilli powder

1/2 tsp ajwain

2 green chillies, finely chopped

1/4 tsp baking powder

water to form a batter

oil for deep frying

salt and black pepper, to taste

Method:

Sift the gram flour into a bowl then add the salt, chilli powder and ajwain. Slowly add water, stirring all the while, until you have a batter about the consistency of double cream. Beat it well with a whisk to aerate (this makes the bhajis lighter).

Add the onion slices to a bowl, mix to separate and season with salt and black pepper.

Add oil to a 5cm (2 in) depth in a wok (it’s hot enough when a little of the batter dropped in the wok sizzles and rises to the surface). Whisk the baking powder into the batter. Now take a pinch of the onions and dip into the batter to coat all over before dropping gently into the oil.

Fry, turning often, until golden brown all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Serve immediately with an Indian chatni.

Sabji Pakore  (Vegetable Pakoras)

Sabji Pakore (Vegetable Pakoras) is a traditional Indian recipe (from the North of India) for a classic snack of shredded onions, potatoes, spinach and peas coated in a batter of chickpea (gram) flour, chillies and spices leavened with baking powder that are deep fried before serving.

Ingredients:

250g (9 oz) gram (chickpea) flour