Oreen's Batata Vadas

As finger foods go, nothing compares to batata vadas or Indian potato fritters. They are ubiquitous in most cities on the sub-continent, small balls of turmeric and spice flavored mashed potatoes, dipped in chickpea batter and crisp fried.  Street vendors sell them with a spicy red chile sauce or green chiles. Sometimes they come nestled in slider buns, bathed in a flaming hot red chutney. The internet is chock full of recipes, but mine comes to me from a beloved aunt. 

Aunty Oreen is family. Among her many attributes was generosity of home and hearth. She welcomed my family into her house with widespread arms. She taught me enthusiastic garage sale skills, ones that I am still too timid to employ. Our weekends with her with filled with expeditions to country parks and bargain basement stores as were always in search of a good deal! And of course many kitchen adventures. She unselfishly shared her repertoire of recipes including one of my favorites, batata vadas. She fried as I devoured them in rapid succession.

Sadly, she passed away this month. With her passing is the end of an era. She was the last of ten formidable siblings. She and my mother in law Pam shared a special closeness and looked similar as well. So much so that when my son was a child, he would find it hard to identify both these grey haired grandmas! 

We mourn family that has gone into the great beyond in many ways. I tend to make food that they fancied along with cherished memories. And so starts my foray into vada territory. 

OREEN'S BATATA VADA

Makes 12-15

 DF, GF, VN, EF, V

4 large Potatoes

3 tablespoons Canola Oil

1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds

6-7 Curry leaves

3 Green Chiles

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric

1/4 cup Cilantro leaves

1 Lime

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Oil for frying vadas

Batter

1/2 cup Besan or Chickpea Flour

1/4 teaspoon Chile Powder

1/4teaspoon Garlic Powder

A large pinch of Kosher Salt

A large pinch of Baking Soda

Boil potatoes. Peel and grate potatoes into a bowl. Or chop them into small bits.

Mince chiles finely.

Cut curry leaves into slivers. This way you can eat these antioxidents easily.

Roughly chop cilantro.

Heat oil in a saucepan. 

When it is hot and shimmers drop mustards seeds and let them splutter.

Add chiles and curry leaves to oil and saute for 10 seconds.

Add the grated potato to the pan. 

Season with turmeric, salt and cilantro. Stir well to mix. 

Pour a little water into the pan and cover.

Cook on a low flame for 10 minutes for flavors to develop. 

Squeeze the juice of a lime over potatoes. 

Mash the potatoes well so you do not have any lumps.

Cool potatoes and then roll into golf sized balls. 

Whisk all items for the batter. 

Add 1/4 cup water to batter and whisk till smooth. The batter should be of pouring consistency. If you need to add more water, then do it by the tablespoonful.

Heat oil in a wok or kadhai. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of oil to deep fry the vadas. 

Test the oil by dropping in a bead of batter. The batter should sizzle and rise to the surface immediately.

Coat each vada in batter and gently lower into hot oil. Fry a few vadas at a time, depending on how large your pan is. 

Fry till golden brown all over. 

Drain vadas on paper towels.

Serve them hot. And watch them disappear.

This time I fry and the family makes merry. Oreen is remembered fondly with funny stories of our shared past. The legacy of food and love passes on to another generation.

Grilled Corn with Thai Basil Pesto

 

Corn is sweetness personified in summer and my farmers market cobs cry for some grilling. Instead of the usual butter and chile powder, I opt for a spicy Thai basil pesto. Both basil and chiles abound in my vegetable patch so I make liberal use of the bounty. 

A quick whiz results in a green sauce, spicy and tangy with chiles and lime juice. Grilled corn is slathered with this pesto and away we go!

GRILLED CORN WITH THAI BASIL PESTO

Serves 2

2 Corn Cobs

1 cup Thai Basil leaves

2 Green Chiles

6 Garlic cloves

2 + 4 tablespoons Olive Oil

2 tablespoons Lime Juice

A pinch of Sugar

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Shuck corn. Remove all silk. 

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute garlic cloves till slightly colored. Cool. 

Blend Thai basil, cooled garlic and olive oil, lime juice, sugar, salt and the rest of the olive oil till smooth. Scrape into a bowl.

Grill corn in any fashion, be it stovetop, gas grill or charcoal.

 Season corn with a little salt and slather liberally with pesto. 

Bite into sweetness with a kick!

This is such a fun way to eat corn...my new favorite!

Sate Lamb Chops

 

When my children and their spouses gather at the family table, it is always a special meal. This time it is grilled lamb chops marinated in Thai sate spices along with a host of other dishes. These gatherings give me chance to flex the spatula, indulge in my favorite pastime and feel that familial warmth flood my heart. 

Trimmed of fat, lamb chops are marinated overnight in turmeric, coriander, cumin, black pepper, garlic paste, brown sugar and coconut milk. Grilled for two minutes per side, they are succulent, tasty and reminiscent of the Asian sates we love.

But I will not claim all the credit. After all, the grilling is done by my obliging husband. And the boys that watch him flip the chops!

SATE LAMB CHOPS

Serves 4-6 as one course of many

16 Lamb Chops

1 tablespoon Garlic Paste

1 teaspoon Coriander Powder

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1 teaspoon Cumin Powder

1 teaspoon ground Black Pepper

1 teaspoon Brown Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/2 cup Coconut Milk

Mix all the spices together in a bowl.

Trim fat off the chops. 

Place the chops in plastic bag. 

Pour marinate into bag and scrunch so all the chops are coated. 

Zip bag closed and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. 

Heat your grill. I used an outdoor gas grill. You could use a stove top ridged grill as well. Cook the chops a little longer if you use this method.

When the temperature reaches 500F, place chops on the grill.

After two minutes turn them over and cook for a further 2 minutes. 

 We like chops medium rare. Add more grilling time if you like them well done. 

Arrange chops on a platter and dig in!

Dinner is relished. The lamb chops are all gone and so are the kids...Till the next time.....

Mushroom and Baby Potatoes

This is an intriguing side. One you can serve with an Indian meal. And also with any roasted or grilled meats. Light on spice, deep flavors emphasized with caramelized onions, crisp potatoes and earthy cremini mushrooms. And the distinct tang of vinegar.

It is really easy to put together. Shauna came with some baby potatoes so I quickly made this for her dinner takeaway! How fortunate are she and me cause we are both are potato lovers!

MUSHROOMS AND BABY POTATOES

Serves 4

1 pound Baby Potatoes

7-10 large Cremini or white Mushrooms 

1 large Onion

3 Garlic cloves

1 Bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon Chile Powder

1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Several grinds Black Pepper

3 tablespoons Canola Oil

Rinse potatoes well and pat dry. Since they saute in oil they should be really dry or else you will be burnt by splattering oil.

Heat oil in a large nonstick saucepan. 

Drop dry potatoes into hot oil and saute over a high flame for 10 minutes till potatoes are almost done. Poke them with the tip of a knife to check for doneness.

While potatoes saute, thinly slice onion and garlic. 

Clean mushrooms and cut into chunks. 

Take the crisped potatoes out of the pan. 

Drop sliced onions, garlic and bay leaf into the pan and saute till golden brown. 

Return potatoes and mushrooms to the pan. 

Season with chile powder, salt and pepper.

Saute veggies for 3-4 minutes.

Spoon vinegar over veggies and stir well. Let veggies hang out

for few minutes more.

Spoon into a bowl and serve them hot.

Shauna's takeaway is chicken curry and these potatoes. Ours is the same. Divide and conquer is a good way to deal.

Asian Potato Salad

My Thai basil is looking rather verdant and bushy and needs to be used. The leaves top a room-temperature potato salad, along with basil, thyme, cilantro and scallions. The warm dressing is the Asian component. A medley of spices simmer in oil before they are poured over sliced boiled potatoes. Potatoes are then smothered with fresh herbs. Another simple salad but one that packs in a ton of flavors. 

ASIAN POTATO SALAD

Serves 2-3

4 small Potatoes 

2 Garlic cloves

2 Scallions

2 tablespoons Canola Oil

2 teaspoons light Soy Sauce

2 teaspoons Chinkiang Black Vinegar 

1/2 teaspoon Chili Garlic Paste

1 tablespoon toasted Sesame Oil

1/2 teaspoon Sugar

2 teaspoons Toasted Sesame seeds

Kosher Salt

Thai Basil leaves

Cilantro

Thyme 

Basil

Boil potatoes till just cooked. Peel and cool them. When cool cut them into 1/4 inch slices and place in a serving bowl. 

Season potatoes lightly with salt.

Mince garlic finely.

Cut scallions into thin slices. 

Heat oil in a small saucepan. 

When it shimmers drop garlic into oil. Let garlic turn light brown. 

Add half the scallions to the oil.

 Add soy sauce, vinegar, chile garlic paste,  sesame oil, sesame seeds and sugar. Allow the sauce to simmer for 2-3 minutes. 

Take it off the fire and pour over potato slices. 

Top the potato with remaining scallions, Thai basil, cilantro, thyme and basil leaves. 

Serve at room temperature.

The salad is a mildly spicy accompaniment to any meal. Bold herbal notes with a buttery potato taste.. quite enjoyable.

 

Peach Pistachio and Bacon Salad

Sweltering days call for cool salads. A ripe peach, meaty pistachios and salty crispy bacon come together in an enticing salad. Peach salads are a favorite. A tree ripened juicy peach is all you need. Crispy bacon could be eliminated but you will miss that salty component. And those green plump pistachios add a unique flavor.  Use your choice of dressing,. It should be a simple vinaigrette or just a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. I use a truffle balsamic glaze. 

This salad is truly a quick fix. Perfect for a hot summer day.

PEACH PISTACHIO AND BACON SALAD

Serves 2

1 heaped cup of Salad leaves ( Spring mix, Romaine )

1 ripe Peach

1 tablespoon Pistachios

1 slice of Crisp Bacon, diced into small bits

1 tablespoon Balsamic Glaze or Extra Virgin Olive Oil

A pinch of Kosher Salt

Freshly ground Black Pepper

Mound the salad leaves in a bowl.

Slice peach and arrange slices over leaves.

Roughly chop pistachios and scatter over peach slices.

Do the same with the bacon bits.

Drizzle the glaze or olive oil over salad.

Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Perfection in a salad!  That ripe peach is the key.

Kheema Bombs

 Pathare Prabhus make a potato and ground meat cutlet called a keroli. Traditionally spiced ground beef is encased in a creamy potato mash and fried. No egg and breadcrumb coating is needed. The outer cover adheres perfectly as the potatoes are steamed, not boiled. This is not the occasion for those keroli, but an amended version, since I have a heap of boiled potatoes that I need to put to good use. 

Ground beef, onion, ginger, garlic and PP sambar masala and seasonings are stirred often until the meat cooks. No water is necessary. The less liquid there is, the firmer the filling. As for the potato coating, I used boiled versus steamed. To that I add some cooked rice and a little arrowroot. Both the latter items make a good binder. The labor intensive part is forming and crumbing the cutlets. Since I havent used the steamed potatoes, I will egg and crumb the bombs as insurance against cracking!  They should be deep fried. You health-conscious folk can shallow fry them, but you miss out on that crunchy crust. 

There is a reason I call them bombs. Primarily, their mini-football, bomb like shape....and of course the flavor, which is the bomb!

KHEEMA BOMBS

Makes 10-12

5 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes, boiled and peeled

1/2  cup cooked Rice

2 teaspoons Arrowroot Powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/2 pound Ground Beef (or your choice of ground meat)

2 tablespoons Canola Oil

1 large Onion

1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste

1/2 teaspoon Chile Powder

1/2 teaspoon PP Sambar masala

A pinch of Turmeric

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 Egg

Breadcrumbs

Oil for frying

Grate boiled potatoes into a bowl. 

Add rice, arrowroot and salt and mash the mix well with your hands till it is smooth. 

Chop onion finely.

Heat oil in a saucepan. 

Add meat to pan and stir well, mashing the meat till there are no large chunks of meat left. Brown the meat. 

Drop chopped onion, spices and salt into the meat. Stir well for 5 minutes, them cover the pan, lower the flame and cook on low heat till meat is done. Stir the meat every so often so it doesn't stick to the pan.  Uncover and cool. 

Whisk egg in a bowl. 

Keep breadcrumbs handy. 

Gather a golf ball sized portion of potato. Mold it into an oval. Use your thumb to make a depression on one  end of the oval. Try to keep the wall of the bomb about 1/2 inch thick. Make a well in the center, enough for 1 heaped teaspoon of meat filling. 

Spoon filling in gently, tamping it down. Gather the potato at the top to close off the opening. 

Make all the bombs this way. Any remaining filling should be refrigerated for another use.

Dip bomb lightly in beaten egg.

Roll the bomb in breadcrumbs. 

Repeat will all the bombs. 

Heat canola oil in a fryer or wok. 

When the oil is hot, drop three or four bombs in carefully and fry till golden brown on all sides.

Enjoy the bombs hot. Or reheat them in an oven.

As I said these are the bomb! An explosion of flavor, both savory and satisfying!

Apple Cake

 I'm in the mood for a cake. An apple cake. As I let the butter and eggs come to room temperature, I mull over the how and what, I find a box of cake flour hidden away, which I think I should use. I have read reviews that cake flour makes for a lighter, fluffier cake. Lets see if that rings true. 

Butter and sugar are creamed. Eggs are added one at a time. Vanilla extract and lemon juice gives it some zest. Cake flour, baking powder, salt and milk make the batter thick. Apple quarters nestle in the batter. Soon the kitchen is flooded with the enticing aroma of cake. Its a Pied Piper kind of situation... all hands to the table for a slice. 

The advice is on point. Cake flour is on my radar. 

APPLE CAKE

Serves 8

1/2 cup Butter

1/2 cup Sugar

3 Eggs

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

2 teaspoons Lemon juice

1 1/2 cups Cake Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

3 tablespoons Milk

2-3 Apples

Bring butter and eggs to room temperature.

Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Cream butter for a minute. 

Then add the sugar to butter and cream both till light and fluffy and 3-4 minutes.

Drop eggs in one at a time, beating well after each addition.

 Add vanilla and lemon juice. Beat well. The batter might look like its separating. Don't panic. It will come together after you add the flour.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.

Spoon the flour mix into the batter in a couple of batches. 

Add milk and let the mixer go for 30 seconds  till batter is smooth.

Heat oven to 350F/180C.

Line the bottom of a 8 inch round baking dish with parchment paper.

Spoon the batter into the baking dish. 

Peel apples. Cut in half and then quarters. Core the quarters. Cut the quarters into 1/4 inch slices. 

Hold the sliced quarters together and nestle them in the batter. 

Bake cake for 45 minutes. 

Test with a skewer or knife. It should come out clean. 

Cool on rack or counter for 10 minutes. 

Cut that slice and enjoy this light fruity cake.

This is the best cake I've made and eaten in a long time...one that is light as a feather. And not too sweet. Apple and lemon flavors make lots of background noise. Happy are we who make this cake disappear.