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.

Chilly Paneer

You see, I am a sucker for Indo-Chinese food, any restaurant known as “masala wok” or “spice and zen” has me instantly. I always loved chowmein, gobhi Manchurian, fried rice, chilly paneer, sweet and sour soup etc. The strong tangy flavors always resonated with me, and I still prefer Indo- Chinese food over traditional Chinese food at times, at least the take out variety or American –Chinese food. Although I must admit, I love Panda Express at times. It is right opposite my house and the noodles and spicy eggplant with the Rangoon cream cheese fried wantons, hit a spot at times. :)

Indo-Chinese food gets it unique flavor from a combination of Indian ingredients such as garam masala, cilantro and tamarind with Chinese soy sauce, ginger, garlic, vinegar, green chilies, and scallions. I think it is a great marriage between two cuisines, backed by century’s old cooking traditions. The two flavor profiles complement each other so well; it’s like a perfect marriage between two people who just complete each other. And then, I love paneer. I still don’t understand why people use tofu as a substitute in curries. Tofu is tasteless, while paneer has a nice meaty flavor and texture, which my partner says reminds him of chicken. Paneer stand up well to strong Indian sauces. And it works very well, in this Indo-Chinese dish as well.

Chilly Paneer is made after deep frying the paneer which is coated in a cornstarch batter. I hate deep frying, so I always avoid that step. I just sauté the paneer till I get a sear.


1 pack paneer
1 tomato
I bunch spring onions
Corn flour
Ginger
Garlic
Garlic chilly paste
4 green chilies
Soy sauce

1. Saute paneer till golden.
2. Heat some oil. Add the ginger garlic and wait for the raw smell to dissipate.
3. Add the chopped spring onions.
4. Add ginger garlic paste.
5. Add the tomato, cook till pulpy.
6. Add the green chillies.
7. Mix corn flour in some water and mix.
8. Add paneer. Cook for a while.
9. Add soy sauce.

Indian Vegetarian Noodles

1packet Hakka Noodles
1 tspn garlic chilly paste
Sriracha Sauce
Magi sweet and hot sauce
Soy Sauce
Garam Masala
Ginger garlic paste
1pack of broccoli slaw
1 bunch of green onions
Salt

1. Heat some oil. Add the ginger garlic and wait for the raw smell to dissipate.
2. Add the chopped spring onions.
3. Add ginger garlic paste.
4. Add the broccoli coleslaw and the garam masala.
5. Meanwhile, boil the noodles in some salted water till they have a nice bite but are not mushy.
6. When the vegetables are ready, add the cooked noodles.
7. Add the soy sauce, sriracha and magi hot and sweet.

Serve with chilly paneer.

Masala Corn Pancakes – Makes 4 large

I must admit, these pancakes are kind of sweet, despite all the additions. I don’t think I will use the jiffy mix next time, maybe corn flour and baking powder, to get a lesser sweet version. But if you have a sweeter palate, this works fine.


1 - 250 g pack of Jiffy’s corn mix
1 egg
¾ cup of milk
1 cup of chopped spinach
Salt
Black pepper
1 tspn garam masala
1 clove of garlic – minced
1 piece of ginger – minced
1 scallion diced

Mix the above together.
Take some oil in a 9” skillet pan. Add ½ cup of batter.
Flip when golden.
Serve with green chutney.

Naan Pizza

The other day my friend Ava was complaining that eating pizzas out was expensive. I like to make my own pizzas from scratch. Check

http://indianfoodathome.blogspot.com/2010/10/pizza-from-scratch.html

However, that takes time, and the following recipe is quick and a great way of using left over naan. The sauce here has Indian elements like ginger and garam masala while the toppings include paneer. But I think it is very easy and inexpensive to use naan as a base, pile it with toppings and cheese.


Sauce
14 oz can of petite diced tomatoes
1 tspn garam masala
2 cloves of garlic
Ginger finely minced
Cumin powder
1 -2 green chilies

Toppings
1 cup paneer
1 bell pepper finely chopped
Mozzarella cheese ( ½ pack)
Parmesan
Cheddar
Loads of finely chopped green coriander

Base
4 naans

Instructions

1. Simmer all the ingredients of the sauce till you get a thick sauce which loses most of its water.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Sauté the paneer and the bell pepper separately.
4. On each naan, add the sauce, toppings.
5. Bake till golden brown.

Spicy Pot pie- makes 2

My partner is an avid carnivore and he digs pot pie. I tried and trashed many pot pies. I was using the ususal medley of frozen vegetables ( peas, beans, carrots) with the bechamel sauce. I thought the recipes were inspid, just not spicy enough. And then I just experimented with the following recipe and he licked the platter clean.

2 large potatoes – boil
½ cup of peas
1 tbsp oil
2 tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1 onion
2 Tbspn hot mango pickle masala
1 tspn coriander powder
1 tspn red chili powder
½ tspn turmeric
2 blocks of frozen fenugreek
½ tspn cumin seeds
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves
½ tspn garam masala
Frozen puff pastry – bring it out to thaw
Parmesan cheese
2 - 13 oz gratin dishes, which have been buttered

1. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and the onions. Cook till translucent. Add the spices.
2. Pre heat oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Add the diced potatoes. Coat with the spices. Add finely minced garlic.
4. Add peas and fenugreek.
5. Add achaar masala. Cook till done and add garam masala. Mash the vegetables a little with a heavy spoon.
6. Add coriander leaves and distribute in the gratin dishes.
7. Once the pastry has thawed, roll it out. Put a gratin dish on top and cut a circle around the dish so nearly an inch hangs outside the dish.
8. Cover the dish with the pastry. Make small vent on the top.
9. Bake for 25 minutes, till pastry is golden brown. Add parmesan on top of the pie.
10. Let the pie rest for at least 20 minutes and then serve with a garnish of coriander leaves.

Cheese Chutney Sandwich- single serving

Two slices of multigrain bread
Two slices of cheddar cheese or grated cheddar
Green chutney
Two slices of tomato
Two slices of Cucumber
Little paprika
Oil

1. Mix the paprika in the oil.
2. Heat the grill to medium.
3. Brush the slices of bread with oil – one side. Put this side on the grill.
4. Put the cheese on top of each slice of bread.
5. Brush the chutney on one side of bread.
6. When the bread is almost done, add the tomato and cucumber slices. The vegetables are best at room temperature.
7. Make the sandwich.

Achari Paneer Wrap

This is a simple flavorful quick recipe.
I took a pack of paneer and cubed it. I took some oil in a pan and added loads of asafetida. To this I added mustard seeds, cumin seeds, nigella seeds, fennel seeds, and fenugreek seeds. In retrospect, I could have used panch phoron. I added a teaspoon of garlic. Once then seeds sizzled, I add turmeric and cayenne pepper. When the spices are done, add around 1 cup of thick yoghurt to the pan and whisk slowly. At this stage I added two teaspoonfuls of hot mango pickle. Add the paneer and cook till dry.

Now add some ghee to a pan. Spread out a roti or parantha. Add some of the paneer mixture. Add cilantro chutney, chopped tomatoes, onions (pickled in vinegar), and cream cheese (Optional).

Serve with cucumber raita.