Chapter : 4 - Food of the Earth Tests of Heaven

Garnish:

1. Heat the oil in a pan.  Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds the sesame seeds and allow to pop.  Remove from heat and pour over Khandvi and serve.

                                                  Serves 4-6

Deep Fried Filled Pastries

(Samosas)

Pastry

3 cups all-purpose flour                               3 Tblsp ghee

1 tsp salt                                                    ¾-1 cup water

Filling

2 boiled potatoes (1/2 pound)                     ½ cup boiled fresh green peas

2 Tblsp vegetable oil                                   (about ½ pound unshelled)

2 tsp scraped, finely                                     1 tsp salt

  chopped ginger                                          1 Tblsp finely chop. Coriander

1 tsp fennel seeds                                        ½ tsp garam masala

¼ tsp cumin seeds                                      1/8 tsp hot red pepper

¼ tsp turmeric                                            2 tsp amchur powder

Pastry

1.   In a deep bowl, combine flour, salt and ghee.  With your fingertips,. Rub flour and ghee together until they look like flakes of coarse meal.  Pour ¾ cup water over the mixture all at once,. Knead together vigorously, gather dough into a ball.  If dough crumbles,. Add up to 4 Tblsp water, a Tblsp at a time until the particles adhere.

2.   On a lightly floured surface,. Knead the dough by folding it end to end,. Then pressing it down and pushing forward several; times with the heel of your hand.  Repeat until the dough is smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Gather into a ball, brush lightly with vegetable oil,. Set in a bowl and drape a damp kithen towel over the top to keep the dough moist.  (Covered with the towel, it can remain at rook temperature for 4 top 5 hours.)

Filling:

1.     Peel and cut the potatoes into tiny cubes.

2.     In a heavy saucepan or skillet,. Heat the vegetable oil over moderate heat. Add the cumin seeds and when they brown, add ginger.  Stirring constantly, fry for about 1 to 2 minutes.

3.     Stir in fennel seeds and turmeric.  Add the potatoes,. Peas, salt and coriander leave. Reduce the heat to low.  Cover the pan tightly and cook for 5 minutes.

4.     Remove pan from heat.  Stir in garam masala, red pepper and amchur powder. Taste for seasoning.  Put in a bowl and to cool; to room temperature before using it.

Shape and Fill   the Samosas two at a time in the following way:

1.     Pinch off a small piece of dough and roll into a ball about 1 inch in diameter.  (keep remaining dough covered.) On a lightly fouled surface, roll the ball into a 3-inch round.  With a pastry wheel or small knife, cut the round in half.  Moisten the straight edge with a pastry brush or finger dipped in water.  Shape each semicircle into a cone, fill with 1 ½ tsp of filling.  Moisten and press top edges closed.  (Covered with foil or plastic wrap, the pastries may be made ahead of time and kept for 2 to 3 hours.)

2.     To deep fry pastries, heat 3 cups of vegetable oil in a 10-12 inch wok (in a deep fryer, heat 2-3 inches oil to a temperature of 375⁰F on a deep frying thermometer).

3.     Preheat oven top 200⁰F line a large baking dish with double thickness of absorbent paper towels.

4.     Deep fry Samosas 4-5 at a time for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.  When done, put them in lined dish and keep warm in oven.

5.     To serve, mound samosas on a platter.  Accompanied with chutney in a separate bowl.
Yields about 60 samosas 

Vegetable Fritters

(Bhajias)

1 small cucumber                                          Batter

2 small potatoes                                            2 cups chick-pea from (besan)

2-3 cabbage leaves                                        ¼ tsp hing

1 small zucchini                                             ¾ cup water

1 banana                                                      Salt to taste

3-4 spinach leaves

Oil for deep frying

1.     Wash and slice vegetables thin, except for cabbage and spinach leaves, which are cut into 1 inch squares.

2.     Combine batter ingredients.  Add enough water to make batter of pancake consistency, or slightly thinner.

3.     In a wok or deep fryer,. Heat oil until very hot.  Lower heat.  Test the oil by dropping a drop of batter into the oil, it will rise to the top immediately if the oil is of correct temperature.

4.     Mix 1 tsp of the hot oil into the batter top make the Bhajias crispy.

5.     Dip the vegetable pieces into the batter.  Make sure the batter covers the vegetables thoroughly.  Drop 4-5 pieces in oil at a time.  Fry until brown.  Continue until all the vegetables are fried.  Drain on paper towels.  Serve with mint chutney.

                                                              Serves 4-6

 

Dal Ball with Yogurt

(Dahi pakodi)

Batter                                                          Sauce

1 cup udad dal                                             4 cups whipped yogurt

2 Tblsp finely chopped green                         1 cup water

  pepper (use chilli pepper or                         3 tsp sugar

  sweet green pepper)                                    1 tsp salt

½ tsp salt                                                    2 Tblsp oil

Water to blend                                             2 tsp mustard seeds

Oil for deep frying                                        2 tsp udad dal

                                                                   10 dried curry leaves

                                                                   3 Tblsp finely chopped

                                                                     coriander leaves

Batter

1.   Clean dal and wash thoroughly.  Soak in water to cover for 4 hours.

2.   Strain dal and place in a blender.  Adding just enough water to facilitate blending, grind to a coarse consistency.

3.   Place blended dal in a bowl.  Add chopped green pepper and salt.  Mix well.

Sauce

1.     Place whipped yogurt in a large bowl.  Mix to a smooth sauce with a mixer.  Add sugar, salt and stir still blended.

2.     Heat oil in a small saucepan.  Add mustard seeds and when they begin to pop, add udad dal and curry leaves.  As soon as the leaves brown, add the mixture to yogurt and stir to blend.  (Udad dal will turn slightly pink. Do not allow it to brown.)