Spicy Roasted Potatoes

I read this article today and it reminded me of the myriad ways in which I can spoil roasted potatoes.


http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/how-to-ruin-roasted-potatoes-and-other-spuds

The text from the article, which is germane here –

1. Roasting raw potatoes. “Simply tossing raw potatoes into the pan before roasting will guarantee tough results because the high water content will steam out over the course of a long cooking time. “You feel more like you’re eating the skin, because the structure just collapses inside,” says Hanson. “It also gets too hard. There’s crispy, and then there’s tooth-shattering.” To achieve that perfectly crispy exterior and creamy interior, parboil potatoes until 3/4 cooked, when a knife tip can pierce the potato, but it will not slip off when picked up. Drain before roasting for about 20 to 30 minutes at 425 degrees.”

I was guilty of throwing a perfect batch of small red potatoes right in the oven at 400 degrees. They were cooked in 30 minutes but they were dry as hell. Parboil! Parboil! Parboil!

2. Starting with a cold pan. Putting potatoes in a cold roasting pan increases the likelihood that they’ll stick. Hanson and Nasr suggest heating a pan in the oven then adding oil. Let that heat to just before smoking before dropping in the potatoes.

I roast potatoes on a tin foil on the baking sheet. Preheat!

3. Crowding the pan. Leaving space between the potatoes helps them cook evenly, so it is best to keep them in a single layer.

4. Micromanaging. It’s important to let potatoes brown completely on one side before turning them over. “As with most food,” explains Hanson, “potatoes are just not as good if they’ve been handled over and over.”

5. Adding tons of oil. Only use enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan; otherwise, they’ll have a fried quality. “I prefer using duck fat, but I understand that can be hard to obtain for most folks, so olive oil or clarified butter works well too,” says Hanson. For an extra layer of flavor, the duo likes to add a few sprigs of rosemary or sage to the oil.

I oil the potatoes beforehand with some spice.

6. Using the wrong variety. Don’t try to roast a waxy potato like red bliss. It’s better to stick to Yukon golds. Otherwise, the chefs like German butterballs or even fingerlings.



20 small red potatoes ( Which you must parboil and cut in half)

1 tsp. coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, dried mango powder each

Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper to taste

2 tbsp. olive oil



Mix all ingredients and heat in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes. Garnish with coriander powder. I also added a dash of hot and sweet maggi sauce.

Buttermilk Mashed potatoes

4 yukon gold potatoes – boil, mash and mix with the following
¾ cup of warm buttermilk
Salt and black pepper

Additional touch – Add a little (1 tbsp.) ghee in a pan. Add some paprika and cumin seeds to the ghee. When it splutters add to the potatoes.

Mixed Vegetables – Carrots, Kale, Zucchini, Peas Paneer, Bell Pepper, Tomatoes, Spring Onions

Basically emptying the refrigerator but not succumbing to the temptation of panch phoron. With any medley like the above, it is important to get the vegetables in at the right time, so that each vegetable cooks perfectly, and then to tie them all together with a sauce that complements the flavors. I like to get this all ready in one pot, so the sequence of adding vegetables is important. Again, quantity of each vegetable does not matter. Increase or decrease the quantities according to what you have or prefer.

1 bunch of spring onions chopped finely
1 pack of paneer
2 zucchinis cut into semi circles
5 baby carrots cut into fours
¼ cup of peas
1 bell pepper – squared
Kale – chopped finely, should be around 1 cup
1 tomato – cut in eights
Fresh coriander
3 cloves of garlic
1 piece of ginger
1 tbspn coriander powder
Turmeric
Cayenne Pepper
Crushed Tomatoes- 1/2cup

• Heat some oil in a pan. Add the paneer and sauté till golden.
• Scoop the paneer to the side and add the zeera and wait till it splutters.
• Add the chopped spring onion and the carrots. Sauté for at least 2 minutes.
• Add the tomato paste. When it reduces , add the spices and roast while coating the vegetables.
• Add the kale.
• Cover and cook for a few minutes. Add the zucchini and tomatoes.
• After two minutes add the peas.
• When the vegetables are nearly done add the bell pepper.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.

Eggplant, Swiss chard and tomatoes

I love Japanese eggplants for the very meaty flavor and a lack of seeds. They go very well with tomatoes. I had a bunch of Swiss chard and just threw everything into the pot. Basically, this is a very easy recipe and does not require many fancy spices. All that is needed is some coriander powder and garam masala, which is added with the tomatoes and not later. And it is just for me. Cooking is a very unselfish act for me, I cook to please. But basically in the world I currently live in, that would entail divorcing mushrooms, eggplants, greens, onions, cauliflower etc. Basically, subsisting on potatoes, beans, carrots, tomatoes, and corn.

Actually, this is close to the recipe I posted before.

http://indianfoodathome.blogspot.com/2010/10/eggplant-sabzi.html

This version has Swiss chard. I was just trying to use all the vegetables in my fridge. I had this rainbow Swiss chard from the farmer’s market, it kind of adds to the redness of tomatoes.

2 Japanese eggplants cut in semi circles
2 large tomatoes finely chopped
1 large onion chopped finely
½ “piece of ginger chopped finely
Salt
Coriander powder
Garam masala
2 green chills finely chopped
1 bunch of Swiss chard chopped finely
Cumin seeds
1. To some oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds, and after they splutter add the onions. Add a little sugar and caramelize the onions till they are brown.
2. Add the tomatoes and ginger. Cook till pulpy. Add green chilies.
3. Add the spices. Sauté for a minute.
4. Add the eggplant and Swiss chard.
5. Cover and cook. Keep adding a little water till you get a pulpy consistency. The vegetables should be kind of mashed.

Non Bengali Ghonto

I am totally in love with panch phoron; to the extent that I am going on to hail it as the perfect spice blend. I use it for breakfast potatoes. The flavor of panch phoron allows vegetables to be cooked in a simple fashion, just a little mustard oil, dry red chilies, turmeric, and salt are enough to enhance the flavor of the vegetables. Compare this to the tedium of North Indian cooking, where we sauté the onions, tomatoes, coriander powder, garam masala till we get a rich spice base. Don’t get me wrong, I am a proud North Indian girl and love my food; however, the simplicity of making vegetables the Bengali way has charmed me lately. Apparently, my web research reflects that “ghonto” means a mixture where the ingredients are mixed/mashed together completely. Most popularly, the web is abounded with recipes of “Muri Ghonto” where fish head is cooked with rice and potatoes, “Mocha Ghonto” where banana blossom is cooked with spices, and “Mulor Ghonto” where radish is cooked with potatoes. Some “Ghontos” have lentils in them. . I have no idea what this dish is called. It has potatoes, spinach, and squash. I guess the commonality to all the Ghontos are the red chilies, panch phoron, mustard oil, and turmeric. So I will just call it “Ghonto by a non Bengali.”

I bought a little squash from the Chinese market the other day. The band aid on my finger will remind me to stick to pre peeled and pre cut squash from henceforth. I used vegetable oil, so any true Bengali will have nothing but scorn for my version of Ghonto.

2 potatoes finely cubed
½ bag of baby spinach
½ tspn turmeric
4 dry red chilies
½ small squash cubed ( nearly a cup)
½ tspn sugar
Salt
1 tspn panch phoron
Cumin powder

1. Take some oil in a pan and add the panch phoron. When it splutters, add the chilies.
2. Throw in the potatoes and spinach. Add salt and some water.
3. Cover and cook till potatoes are done. Add some water.
4. Add the squash,
5. Add cumin powder and sugar.
6. Cook till done. Keep adding water if you need to. I don’t like this very dry. At the end , my vegetables resembled a thick paste, and tasted delicious.

Roasted Cauliflower with Bread Crumbs

Cauliflower is a divisive vegetable; it has ardent admirers and devout haters. I think a good cauliflower dish is highly dependent on getting the texture right. Vegetables like potatoes are more forgiving, but a mushy cauliflower is almost inedible, in my opinion. It tastes and smells very differently from a crunchy crisp floret of cauliflower. So for me cauliflower should be crisped, steamed soggy cauliflower is a big no-no.

This recipe was inspired by a posting on Huffington Post.
http://www.food52.com/recipes/7015_roasted_cauliflower_with_gremolata_bread_crumbs


Mix the following together and throw in a 425 degree oven. Bake till the cauliflower looks roasted and brown. It should take around 20 minutes.

1 cauliflower head cut into florets
1 tbspn olive oil
Salt
Black pepper

Meanwhile in a small pan take the following:

1 tspn olive oil
½ cup panko bread crumbs
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
Red pepper flakes
Salt

Roast till bread crumbs are light brown.
When the cauliflower is done, just add the bread mixture and add the zest of ½ lemon. You could also add some parmesan cheese, but it is strictly optional. Garnish with parsley leaves.

Eggplant Sabzi

I used to think that the only way to make eggplant edible was to make “baingan bhartha,” (http://indianfoodathome.blogspot.com/2009/03/baingan-bhartha-eggplant-relish.html) where you lose the taste of the eggplant in a flurry of spices and tomatoes. But, I am a convert now. I love “vangi bhaat,” which is a combination of fried eggplant, rice and South Indian spices.

But this recipe, which is very basic and uncomplicated, works for me too. The sweetness of brown caramelized onions, the tanginess of the tomatoes, the spices, and the robustness of Japanese eggplant, all work together very harmoniously and bring out the fleshy eggplant, pretty well. And unlike the “baingan bhartha,” the eggplant does not disappear.

2 Japanese eggplants – diced (I like to cut each eggplant in half, and then dice semi circular pieces)
2 tomatoes – diced
1 red onion diced
½ “piece of ginger minced or finely diced
½ tspn mustard seeds
½ tspn cumin seeds
1 tspn garam masala (reduce if you don’t want it too hot)
1 tspn coriander powder
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander leaves
Olive oil

1. Take some oil in a pan. When it is hot, add the cumin and mustard, and sauté till you hear a splutter.
2. Add the onions. Sauté till brown.
3. Add the tomatoes and ginger. Cook till pulpy. Add the garam masala and coriander powder.
4. Add the eggplant and salt.
5. Cover and cook till done.
6. Garnish with finely chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Chana - Methi

1 cup of black chana
1 cup yoghurt
1 piece of ginger cut into strips
2 tspn besan
1 ½ tspn chana masala
I medium red onion
1 cup of fenugreek
1 tomato
½ tspn zeera
1 green chili

1. Boil the chana in salt.
2. Heat the zeera in some oil. Saute the onions. Add the ginger after the onions are soft. Fry for another minute.
3. Add the chana masala.
4. Add the chana. And tomatoes.
5. Mix the besan, green chili and the yogurt.
6. Add to the chana
7. Cook till the raw smellof besan goes away.
8. Add the fenugreek
9. Garnish with coriander leaves

Sour sweet potatoes

1 Pack of cubed sweet potatoes – microwave for 5 minutes
In a pan take some oil. Add two pinches heeng and 1 tbspn panch phoron.
When the seeds splutter add coriander powder, turmeric, and cayenne powder to the oil.

When the spices sizzle, add the sweet potato. Add salt. Cook till done and deglaze the pan with tamarind water.

Leeks ki Sabzi

Found some beautiful leek at the farmer's market. Decided to cook it South Indian style.

3 leeks - chopped
heeng
1 tspn white urad dal
1 tspn channa dal
1/2 tspn zeera
1/2 tspn rai
3 dry red chillies
curry leaves
salt 1/2 tspn coriander powder
1/2 tspn turmeric

Oil -heeng, zeera , rai, red chillies, turmeric, curry leaves
Add the leek.
Add the salt, coriander. Cook till done.

Egg Subzi

6 Eggs - Hard Boiled- cut into fours
1 tomato- finely choppped
1 onion- finely chopped
1 tbspn roasted besan
3 tspn thick yoghurt
salt
turmeric
coriander powder
garam masala
kasoori methi
cumin seeds

In a wok take some oil. Add the cumin seeds. Add the onions. Fry till golden. Add the tomato and cook till it reduces to a pulp. Add the spices. Now add the yoghurt. Cook till the smell of yoghurt subsides. Add the besan. Add water to adjust the sauce. It should be thick and enough to coat the eggs. Add the eggs. Sprinkle some kasoori methi on top.

The touch is back - Roasted Bell Pepper

I was inspired by Monisha Bhardwaj for this recipe.

2 bell peppers- cubed into squares- the way to do this is cut off the ends, remove the ribs, cut in half and get approximately 9 cubes per half
1/2 onion - finely chopped
2 heap spoonfuls of besan mixed with some ajwain
1/2 tspn haldi
1 tspn garam masala
1 tspn dhania
salt to taste
1/2 tspn zeera
2-3 tbspn crushed peanuts

1. Roast the besan and ajwain till the besan is light brown and fragrant. Keep aside.
2. Take some oil in a pan, heat it, add the cumin seeds and wait for them to splutter.
3. Add the onions. Fry till golden brown.
4. Add the bell pepper, peanuts, and spices. Keep mixing , or the peanuts will burn.
5. After a few minutes the bell peppers will be crisp and ready.
6. Add the besan.

Plaintain Saubzi

Meanwhile in a food processor , roughly chop the following- coriander leaves, ginger, garlic, peanuts, sesame seeds, turmeric, green chillies, coriander powder, cumin powder, and som garam masala. And take some oil in a pan - add heeng, zeera and the plaintains which have been chopped. Fry for a few minutes. Add the mixture. Cook for 10 minutes. Add salt and the finally add tamarind pulp. Cook till done.

Edamame Subzi

Simple ...you cal also use lima beans. Heat some oil in a pan, add plenty of asfoetida and cumin seeds. Add the beans ....add coriander powder, turmeric, salt, and aamchoor. After 5 minutes add some garam masala .

Also makes a nutritious snack.

Swiss Chard Subzi

1 bag of color ful chard

1/2 bag spinach

1 large tomato

2 cloves garlic

1/2 " piece ginger

spices

1. Boil the greens for 15 minutes.

2. Heat some oil , add asfoetida and cumin seeds , wait till they splutter.

3. Now add the tomato, ginger, and garlic.

4. Now add 1/2 tspn haldi, 1 tspn coriander powder, and salt.

5. Add the greens.

6. After 10 minutes add garam masala.

Simple Stringbeans

A very basic way of preparing beans , however the anardana adds pizzaz to the recipe.
Take some oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds . Wait till they splutter. Add beans. Add coriander powder, chilly powder, salt. When beans are nearly done add some anardana ( dried pomegranate seeds). Add garam masala. Serve.

Cauliflower and Peas

1. Chop the cauliflower into small florets.
2. In a pan add 3 tbspn oil. Add 1 tspn cumin seeds, wait till they splutter.
3. After 1 minute add 1 tspn coriander powder, ½ tspn turmeric.
4. Add the cauliflower. Sauté for 1 minute. Coat the cauliflower with the spices. Add salt to taste.
5. Add 1 cup peas.
6. Add very little water to the pan. Cover and cook on medium flame for 5 minutes.
7. Remove the cover and reduce the flame to medium low. Add 1 tbspn dried mango powder.
8. Cook till cauliflower is done.
9. Add ½ tspn garam masala.
10. Add 2 tbspn dried fenugreek leaves.
11. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Bharwan Mirch

I saw these longish peppers at the Chinese market and was transported back to time right there. I had made a version of stuffed peppers years ago, using bell peppers instead of these peppers I found at the Chinese Supermarket. I refrained from ever doing it again because I hate deep frying; after I deep fry something I don't want to eat it for some weird reasons.
Coming back to stuffed peppers, I had a very tantalizing version of this recipe in Leavenworth , Washington State. Leavenworth is a cheesy German themed town redeemed by its proximity to tall alpine trees and luscious streams. In a Latin Food Restaraunt I had chilies stuffed with cubed plaintains and rice. I might recreate my own version some day and season it with Indian spices. One of my Chinese friends made a version where the pepper was stuffed with an aromatic pork stuffing. Of course I never ate it , but the fragrance, the looks were something my passionately vegetarian self could admire. Different cultures have different versions of stuffed peppers. And why not - the dish looks festive , impresses your guest and the stuffing always takes in the subtle flavor and scent of the pepper.
Since I detest deep frying , the next time I make stuffed peppers, I will just brush oil over my pepper after stuffing them and bake them in a moderate oven. The pepper should look wilted , bruised and charred after the frying - raw pepper will not work well with the stuffing. This worked out well when the tangy minty potatoes take on the flavor of the peppers.

2 Large green chilies
5 medium potatoes
1/2 cup finely choppped mint leaves
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tspn zeera
1/2 tspn turmeric
1 tspn coriander powder
1 tspn cumin powder
1/2 tspn garam masala
1 pinch asfoetida

1. Boil and mash potatoes or microwave and mash.
2. In a small pan, heat some oil. Add asfoeitida and cumin seeds wait till they splutter.
3. Add potatoes.
4. Mix in spices and mint leaves.
5. When potatoes are done add lime juice.
6. Split open chilies and fill with potato mixture.
7. Shallow fry till the skin is bruised and brown.

Kadhai Paneer

I can eat paneer every day , cooked in a myriad of ways. I have often seen people substitute tofu for paneer in the bay area. Bad call. Tofu is bland and does not have the structure to stand upto the spicy gravy. Paneer has a great flavor of its own and stand up very well to most gravies expecially tomato based ones. The milky chessy texture of paneer compliments the tangy sweet tartness of tomatoes very well. This recipe consists of choppping vegetables into thick batons and crisping them up. The tomato sauce is added later to coat the vegetables rather than allow the vegetables to simmer in a tomato sauce. I added mushrooms just because I had some lying around, omitting them is perfectly acceptable. Once the sauce is added , the vegetables should not be cooked much ; the crispy texture of the bell pepper is integral to the dish.

1large tomato- finely diced
1 large onion
10 oz paneer
2 large bell peppers
1 cup cremini mushrooms
1 ½ tspns coriander powder
½ tspn cumin powder
1 tspn garam masala
1 tspn red chilly powder
½ tspn turmeric
1 tbspn dried fenugreek leaves
2 tspn salt
2 cloves garlic
½ “ piece ginger
1tspn cumin seeds
Oil

1. In a sauce pan heat some oil and add the cumin seeds till they splutter. Now add coriander, turmeric, cumin, and red chilly powder. Sauté for a minute. Add the tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes sweat. Now add some water and salt. Keep aside.
2. Cut the paneer, bell pepper, and onion into long thin strips./
3. In a pan, add some oil. Add the onions, fry till pink. Add the minced garlic and ginger.
4. Add the mushrooms, bell pepper and paneer. Sauté till done.
5. Add the tomato sauce. Cook for a few minutes.
6. Add garam masala and fenugreek leaves.

Baingan Bhartha - Eggplant Relish

Smoky eggplant cooked in spices and herbs - a north Indian delicacy where each home has its own version. I do not like eggplants much; I don’t know many people who do. However, baingan bhartha to my mind is the best thing you can do to the humble eggplant. The trick is to burn it, char it, and peel away the skin to reveal the browned smoky flesh. I guess you could do this in a barbeque grill. Since I don't have one, I use my gas burner at home. My mother use to pierce holes in the eggplant and stick garlic and cloves in it before scorching it.
Scoop out the seeds. I gave it a little whirl in my blender, so I could get rid of the lumps and my dish would have a silken consistency that a bhartha should be. I add peas to break the monotony of the eggplant. One of my pet peeves with many bhartha versions is the overkill with tomatoes. The bhartha should not look red, it should be brown. That is integral to enhance the smokiness; too much tomatoes kill the smokiness. I might use chipotle sauce next time I make a bhartha.

I also love Baba Ghanoush, Wikipedia says-

Baba Ghanoush is a popular Levantine dish of eggplant (aubergine) mashed and mixed with various seasonings. Frequently the eggplant is baked or broiled over an open flame before peeling, so that the pulp is soft and has a smoky taste. It is frequently eaten as a dip with pita bread, and is sometimes added to other dishes. It is usually of an earthy light brown color. Traditionally, the eggplant is first roasted in an oven for approximately 30 minutes. The softened flesh is scooped out, squeezed to remove excess water, and is then pureed with the tahini. Possible seasonings include garlic, lemon juice, ground cumin, salt, mint, and parsley.

Very close to the bhartha I must say. However Baba Ghanoush is served cold, bhartha should be hot. I was had a version where the eggplant was served with yoghurt , and was cold, however it was not close to the traditional bhartha.
2 large eggplants
1 large tomato
2 green chilies
3 cloves garlic
1” piece ginger
2 tspns coriander powder
½ tspn cumin powder
½ tspn turmeric powder
1 large onion finely diced
½ tspn cumin seeds
½ tspn fennel seeds
1 ½ tspn garam masala
2 tbspn chopped coriander
1/2 cup peas


Roast the eggplants directly on the stove till the skin is charred, black, and burnt. The idea is to give the eggplant a smoky flavor. I used a wire mesh and heat it on the flame. I cover the sides of the burner with silver foil to ensure even heating and a clean burner,
Scoop out the seeds and blend the mixture. Don’t make a fine puree; just blend it to a coarse yet homogenous mass.
Blend the tomato, ginger, garlic, green chilies.
To the oil add the cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Add the onions, sauté till golden brown.
Add the tomato mixture. Fry till it sweats oil.
Add the coriander powder, turmeric, and red chilly powder.
Sauté for 1 minute.
Add the eggplant mixture. Mix. Add salt.
Add the peas.
When done add garam masala and garnish with chopped coriander.