What is Vegetable Manchurian?

Manchurian is a dish made up of vegetables or protein. The core ingredient is coated in a batter of cornflour (cornstarch) after which it is ready to deep fry. Once crispy, we coat it in a spicy sauce. Sauce ingredients vary from recipe to recipe, but it will usually contain soy sauce, chilli and vinegar. Delicious!

Why is it called Manchurian?

Strictly speaking, the Indo-Chinese take on Manchurian has an ambiguous history. It’s an Indian interpretation of Chinese food, possibly taking some direction from India’s Chinese community. The Chinese immigrant community in India began centuries ago, and many settlers lay down new roots around the ports of Kolkata and Madras. The vibrant and flavoursome cooking of India’s Chinese communities has carved a place in all our appetites.

Aside from nomenclature, it most likely has very little connection to Manchuria, the region of modern Northeastern China and its’ cuisine.

The rise of Indo-Chinese cuisine

Manchurian, and most Indo-Chinese food for that matter, has a bit of a cult following in the Indian community. The ever-growing appetite for umami-rich Chinese-style food cooked to suit the Indian palate is prolific. Walk into many Indian-owned restaurants and you’ll likely spot an Indo-Chinese dish; from Chilli Paneer and Hakka Noodles, to Schezwan Rice (an Indian interpretation of Sichuan) and this Vegetable Manchurian. I love Hakka Noodle Dosas. They are collision of Indo-Chinese and South Indian flavours.

Indo-Chinese food is fast food – often street food. It’s packed with flavour and usually swimming in rich, crimson-tinted sauces. Peppers, onions, garlic and ginger feature heavily, as do chillies. Lots of chillies.

Manchurian troubleshooting

Ingredients for Vegetable Manchurian

• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Carrots
• Spring onions (scallion)
• Cornflour (cornstarch)
• Plain flour (all-purpose flour/maida)
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Ginger
• Coriander leaves
• Any oil suitable for frying (e.g. sunflower, rapeseed, peanut, vegetable)
• Peppers (capsicum)
• Onions
• Garlic
• Green chillies
• Soy sauce
• Vinegar
• White or black pepper
• MSG (optional)
• Sugar
• Salt

How to make Vegetable Manchurian

Print

Vegetable Manchurian

Flavour bomb incoming! The ultimate Vegetable Manchurian recipe with crispy dumplings in a hot & garlicky Indo-Chinese sauce. Easy recipe & AMAZING results.

Course Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Chinese, Indian

Keyword indo-chinese, manchurian, stir fry, vegetables, vegetarian

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

For the kofta:

• 180 g cabbage finely grated
• 150 g cauliflower finely grated
• 80 g carrots finely grated
• 2 spring onions very finely chopped
• 40 g cornflour cornstarch
• 40 g plain flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Oil for deep frying I used sunflower

For the sauce:

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 pepper cut into wedges (I used 1/2 red and 1/2 green)
• 1 red onion cut into petals
• 6 large cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 2-3 green chillies sliced on the bias
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp rice wine vinegar white, brown or apple cider are all fine to use
• 1/4 tsp white pepper or black pepper
• 1/2 tsp MSG optional
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water
• 300 ml water or more for a more saucy Manchurian

To garnish:

• 2 spring onions finely chopped

Instructions

To make the vegetable kofta:

• In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, spring onions, ginger, fresh coriander and salt. Add the plain flour, cornflour, baking soda and baking powder. Mix with clean hands, squeezing the mixture to encourage the veggies to release their natural water. Once the mixture reaches a soft, dropping consistency, stop mixing and allow to sit at room temperature while the oil heats up.
• Heat enough oil in a deep wok or pan to deep fry the kofta (the oil will need to be about 3 inches deep). Once the oil reaches 175°C/350°F, it is ready.
• Use a small amount of cold oil to grease your hands. Take a small portion of the vegetable mixture in your hand (a little less than a tablespoon is perfect). Gently roll into a ball between your greased palms – the oil should stop it from sticking too much. You may not get a perfect sphere as this batter is quite soft but this is fine. Don't be tempted to add too much flour.
• Once a ball is formed, carefully slide it into the hot oil. Repeat this for the remaining portions of batter. Try not to overcrowd the pan as this will reduce the temperature of the oil and the kofta may become soggy. Work in small batches. I fried my kofta in 3 batches.
• Fry the kofta for 3-4 minutes per batch. They should be golden brown on the outside and cooked all the way through. If you find they brown too quickly and remain raw in the centre, reduce the heat and wait for the oil to cool before continuing. Drain the fried kofta on a plate lined with a kitchen towel – this will help absorb excess oil. Set aside.

To make the manchurian sauce:

• Heat a large wok or pan until smoking hot. Add the oil and garlic. Saute the garlic for 5-10 seconds and then add the tomato puree. Cook for 15 seconds, stirring all the time. Next, add in the onions, peppers and chillies. Toss to combine everything well.
• After a minute, add the soy sauce, vinegar, white pepper, MSG (if using), sugar and salt. Stir fry for another minute and then add the water.
• Once the water comes to the boil, add the cornflour and water mixture. Stir well until the sauce thickens and develops a glossy, translucent sheen.
• Add the cooked vegetable kofta to the sauce and toss well to coat. Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve immediately.

Video

Notes

If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Hakka Noodles

The post Vegetable Manchurian appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Been there, done that, stayed for dinner

Every now and again I crave the food swaddled most deeply within my memories. They aren’t always meals I’ve eaten multiple times. Sometimes they’re the ones closely tethered to people, emotions and of course, to taste. They are edible memories preserved through senses and relationships.

A sherbet fountain from my parent’s sweet shop, my late father-in-law’s Sunday morning bhajiya, the caramel buttercream in my wedding cake and the takeaway pizza I devoured in my hospital bed after my son was born.

One deep inhale and I’m right back there; A little girl picking candy from a shelf, a daughter-in-law (to be) trying to make a good impression, a beaming bride and a terrified new mother.

Memories of Masala Chips

Masala chips for supper were somewhat of a tradition in our family when I was growing up. Once every two or three months, my dad would pick up a bag of red potatoes to make these for us all. He would lock up the shop and come upstairs to take over the kitchen with the clattering of multiple pots and pans.

My brother would drown his chips in ketchup and I would prefer mine on the dry side. Dad has always had a penchant for hot food so he would add chillies and my mum chose to eat them as they came. In their own way, these Masala Chips represent paternal love and the warmth of knowing I have a father who has always shown up, no matter how tired.

What are the best potatoes for making Masala Chips?

Any floury variety of potato is ideal for making masala chips. In the UK, both King Edward and Maris Piper are excellent choices. I used King Edward potatoes for this recipe.

Do I have to peel the potatoes?

Not at all. If you like skin-on chips, don’t peel the potatoes.

How should I cut my potatoes?

Use a sharp knife or a chip slicer to cut the potatoes. I love the rustic feel of hand-cut chips (this is how I grew up eating them). The chips can be as thick or as thin as you like, just make sure they are all roughly similar in thickness so they cook evenly. Thin chips will take less time to cook compared to thick-cut chips. Adjust the cooking time to suit the cut of your chips. Mine were neither thick, nor thin so the timings mentioned in my recipe are an average.

Why do you soak the potatoes in cold water?

Once cut, the potatoes need to be kept in a bowl of cold water. We do this for two reasons:

1. The water helps to remove excess starch from the surface of the potatoes (so they don’t stick together during the cooking process).

2. To stop the potatoes from oxidising (turning brown). The cold water keeps them crisp and fresh until you’re ready to cook. You can slice the potatoes a few hours ahead of when they’re needed and keep them in a bowl of cold water (refrigerated).

Masala Chips & Vegan Avocado Mayo: Is it vegan?

My easy from-scratch recipe is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Masala Chips & Vegan Avocado Mayo: Is it gluten free?

No. However, this recipe can be made gluten free by simply leaving out the asafoetida in the sauce, or by using a wheat-free compounded asafoetida instead. This recipe is also free from soy. Ensure the vegan mayo you use is free from any applicable allergens before using.

Can I use frozen chips/French fries to make masala chips?

Absolutely. If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to make Masala Chips at home, bake or air fry frozen chips/fries according to the package instructions. Make the sauce according to the recipe and toss with the cooked chips for an easy frying-free version of these Masala Chips.

Ingredients you’ll need to make Masala Chips & Vegan Avocado Mayo

• Floury variety of potato, such as King Edward or Maris Piper (UK)
• Oil
• Tomato passata (sieved tomatoes from a jar, can or carton)
• Lemon juice
• Asafoetida
• Chilli powder
• Black salt or chaat masala
• Ground cumin
• Ground coriander
• Garlic powder
• Sugar
• Fresh coriander
• Spring onions
• Lime wedges
• Large, ripe avocados (I used Hass)
• Vegan mayo of your choice
• Lime juice
• Black pepper
• Salt

Print

Masala Chips & Vegan Avocado Mayo

The ultimate recipe for Masala Chips & Vegan Avocado Mayo. Made from homemade chips and the perfect blend of Indian-style masalas. Serve them with my smooth and creamy avocado mayo for a vegan take on this street food favourite.

Course Appetizer, Lunch, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American, Indian

Keyword avocado, chips, french fries, fries, masala, vegan

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

For the chips

• 1 kg floury potatoes such as King Edward
• 2 L oil for deep frying (I used rapeseed but you can use sunflower, vegetable or any with a high smoke point)

For the masala sauce

• 400 g tomato passata (you can also use a can of chopped tomatoes, blended)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp asafoetida
• 1 tsp chilli powder or to taste
• 1/2 tsp black salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• Chopped coriander to garnish
• Spring onions to garnish
• Lime wedges to serve

For the avocado mayo

• 2 large ripe avocados
• 3 tbsp vegan mayo
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Salt to taste

Instructions

To make the avocado mayo

• Place all the ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. You may need to add a splash of water if the blender is struggling to process the ingredients. Add no more than 2 tbsp water.

To make the sauce for the masala chips

• Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a pan. Add the asafoetida, chilli powder, garlic powder, ground cumin and ground coriander. Sauté for a moment and then stir in the tomatoes, salt, sugar and lemon juice. Cover and simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

To make the chips

• Peel the potatoes and slice into chip-sized batons, as large or as small as you like. Mine were about 2cm in width. Place the sliced potatoes in a large bowl of cold water to remove excess starch and stop the potatoes turning brown.
• When you’re ready to fry, place the uncooked chips on a clean, dry tea towel and pat well to absorb all the water. Ensure you do this thoroughly as they need to be dry or the oil will spit and crackle.
• In a deep pan, heat the oil to 160°C/320°F. The chips should bubble gently in the oil. Deep fry the chips in small batches until softened, about 70% cooked and still pale in colour (this should take about 4 minutes per batch). Remove from the oil with a perforated spoon to drain away excess oil. Place the chips on a plate.
• Increase the temperature of the oil to 200°C/400°F. The chips should sizzle much more than the first frying. Fry the chips in small batches until golden all over (this should take about 4-5 minutes per batch). Place on a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.
• Place the chips in a bowl and add the masala chip sauce. Toss gently, taking care not to break the chips. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander and spring onions. Serve with the avocado mayo.

Video

Notes

If using frozen chips or French fries, cook according to the package instructions (in the oven or in an airfyer) and toss in the prepared masala chips sauce.

Pin it for later!

If you like these, you’ll love my recipe for Paneer Tikka

Love Sanjana

The post Masala Chips & Vegan Avocado Mayo appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

No two samosas are ever identical in shape and colour — you could say they’re as unique as we are.

Love triangle: the significance of samosas in Indian culture

The palm-sized dumplings are iconic of street stalls and restaurant menus alike. Indian festival banquets wouldn’t be complete without them, either.

In fact, I’ve overheard murmurs of outrage at the lack of samosas at a dozen Indian weddings.

They’re expected to show up and perform like it’s their first day working a demanding job. An occasion simply isn’t an occasion without samosas. Casual events also require a samosa platter or five, too.

We snaffle them over chai with friends, and stash a few away to devour once all our guests have left after a gathering at home. Keeping a stash in the freezer is common for when last-minute guests show up.

Homemade Samosas: The filling

Although there are countless fillings to choose from, potatoes, onions and peas will always be the poster child for samosas.

The potatoes are usually boiled whole, with the skin on so the inside remains tender and fluffy. Once cooled, the skin-on spuds are peeled and roughly mashed before being united with a mixture of softened onions, spices and green peas.

Other common vegetarian fillings include: soy mince (kheema), cauliflower and peas, Tandoori Paneer, sprouted lentils, Maggi Noodles or Hakka Noodles (seriously). Some of the more modern takes on samosas are wild, but nevertheless, delicious.

Homemade Samosas: The spices

Amchur, or dried mango powder gives potato samosas a welcome tang alongside fragrant, lemony coriander seeds. These two ingredients cut through the richness of the craggy, crunchy fried exterior.

Cumin, onion, chilli and salt add the earthy flavours you crave when only a deeply savoury snack will do.

Homemade Samosas: The pastry

First impressions matter! The pastry is one of the primary indicators of a good samosa. In my opinion you can instantly tell a good samosa from a bad one by the appearance of the pastry.

My preferred method of making homemade samosas (for texture, flavour and ease) is to use the homemade “shortcrust” pastry.

Why is this pastry a great option?

• It requires no pre-cooking prior to folding and filling the samosas.
  
• This method ensures a perfectly-crispy and robust samosa every time.
  
• The pastry is stiff enough to make light work of the stuffing and folding process. This means you don’t need to spend ages fixing tears and snags in the pastry.
  
• This is a very forgiving way of making samosas. If the pastry does in fact tear at any point, just pinch the dough together to seal again.
  
• Unlike filo pastry samosas, it’s okay if this type to look rough and ready. In my opinion, the craggier the samosa the better! The rough, pitted surface of samosas made with homemade pastry is the perfect carrier for chutney.
  
  The only question that remains is whether you’re a dipper or a full-blown dunker?

What is “moarn?”

This pastry recipe begins with rubbing together flour and oil to create a rough, breadcrumb-like texture.

It’s similar to making shortcrust pastry, but uses oil in place of butter. Ghee can also be used, if that’s a flavour you like.

The technique is called “moarn” in Hindi and it facilitates the creation of a crispy pastry for deep-fried snacks like samosas and kachoris.

How does it work?

This method works by creating a protective barrier between the flour and water which hinders the development of gluten in the pastry as it is kneaded.

The dough must be kneaded until smooth and overworking the dough could lead to a soggy texture in the absence of rubbing the flour in oil.

Note that the pastry in this recipe requires no pre-cooking prior to folding and filling.

Other ways of making samosas

Another method for making samosas using homemade “samosa patti” (or samosa pastry) requires homemade dough to be rolled thinly and partially cooked on a tawa before folding. You can see this technique in my recipe for Mung Daal Samosas.

Samosas can also be made using shop-bought filo pastry, spring roll pastry or puff pastry, depending on the style you prefer.

Some newer methods involve using shop-bought wholewheat wraps to wrap the samosa filling.

How to fold The Best Vegetable Samosas

Stuck on how to fold The Best Vegetable Samosas like a well-seasoned Indian aunty? I’ve got your back.

How to fry homemade samosas

Controversially, these samosas are not fried in hot oil; they are cooked in warm oil… for 35 minutes per batch.

You should be able to comfortably touch the oil with your finger prior to adding samosas to the pan. Be careful not to heat it too much as this will result in uneven cooking.

Simply allow it to cool down before adding the samosas. Very few small bubbles that slowly reach the top of the oil will indicate that the oil is the perfect temperature.

Starting the cooking process in warm oil probably goes against all the laws of deep frying but when it comes to this type of samosa, this is the way to do it. This technique will not result in greasy samosas, I assure you.

Ingredients you’ll need for The Best Vegetable Samosas

• Potatoes
• Peas
• Onions
• Cumin seeds
• Fresh ginger
• Chillies
• Turmeric
• Amchur (dried mango powder)
• Ground coriander seeds
• Salt
• Water
• Flour
• Ajwain
• Oil

Recipe for Homemade Vegetable Samosas

Print

The Best Vegetable Samosas

Learn how to make amazing Indian vegetarian samosas stuffed with the classic combination of potatoes and peas. Includes a detailed step-by-step recipe for folding samosas with homemade pastry.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Indian

Keyword peas, potatoes, samosas, snacks, vegan

Prep Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings 18 samosas

Author Sanjana

Equipment

• Rolling pin
• Large pan with high sides or a wok for deep frying

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 250 g potatoes
• 100 g peas I use frozen
• 1 tbsp any flavourless oil
• 2 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 1 large onion finely diced
• 3 hot green chillies finely chopped
• 2 1/2 cm piece fresh ginger peeled and grated
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp amchur dried mango powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander finely chopped

For the pastry:

• 500 g plain flour
• 2 tsp ajwain
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 100 ml any flavourless oil
• 280 ml warm water

For deep frying:

• 1.5 L flavourless oil such as vegetable, sunflower or rapeseed oil

Instructions

For the filling:

• Boil the potatoes in plenty of water until tender. Drain and allow to cool completely. Once cool, peel the potatoes and roughly mash using a potato masher or the back of a fork. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large, non-stick pan. Add the cumin seeds and allow to sizzle briefly. Add the ginger, chillies and onions. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, until translucent but not browned.
• Add the mashed potatoes, peas, turmeric, amchur, ground coriander seeds and salt. Give the mixture a good stir to combine all the ingredients thoroughly. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring all the time and then remove from the heat. Spread the mixture onto a plate and add mix in the coriander leaves. Allow to cool completely.

For the pastry:

• Place the flour in a large bowl and mix in the ajwain and salt. Make a well in the centre of the flour. Add the oil. Using your fingertips, begin to rub the flour and the oil together to create a fine, breadcrumb-like texture, as if you were making shortcrust pastry. Add the water and combine using your hands to create a rough, shaggy-looking dough.
• Knead for 10 minutes, until smooth. Cover with a damp tea towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
• Once rested, divide the dough into 9 tennis ball-sized rounds. Smooth into rounds between your palms and cover again with a damp tea towel to stop the pastry from drying out. Each round will make 2 samosas, for a total of 18 samosas. You can choose to make them larger or smaller by making fewer or more dough balls.

How to fold the samosas:

• Take one dough ball and dip each side in a small amount of flour. On a clean surface, roll it into an oblong, about 12cm wide (approx. 5-inches) and 18cm in length (approx. 7-inches). It doesn't have to be perfect.
• Cut each oblong in half, width ways. You should be left with two semicircles.
• Take one of the semicircles and place it flat on the surface in front of you, straight side facing north. Roll it with your rolling pin a few times to make it a little thinner and taller. Take the upper left corner and bring it to the centre of the semicircle. Place some cool water down the middle and bring the upper right-hand corner of the semicircle to the centre to meet the waterline. Press both sides together very gently.
• Lift the samosa pastry up and open the pocket you just created. At the same time, press the seam together a little more to ensure it is well sealed. You should have a little pouch ready for filling.
• Stuff the samosa with the cooled potato and pea filling. I used about 2 tbsp of filling per samosa.
• To create the little crease in the back of the samosa so it can stand up by itself: Along the open seam of the filled samosa, place your finger in the centre of the round edge of the pastry. Create a tiny fold, about 1cm wide and pinch to seal (this will create a small dimple for the back base of the samosa. Now dab some cold water on the inner seams of the open edge of the pastry and press together and seal to close, pushing out any air as you go.
• Repeat these steps for the remaining samosas. Ensure the dough portions are always covered to ensure it doesn't dry out.
• Once all the samosas have been folded, allow them to air dry for 45 minutes, until the surface of the pastry feels rough and sandy to the touch. This is an important step to eliminate air bubbles in the pastry and to stop your samosas from getting a "gremlin" skin.

To fry the samosas:

• Heat the oil in a large pan with deep sides or a wok until warm, not hot. You should be able to comfortably touch it with your finger. If you have a cooking thermometer, it will be around 40°C/100°F. Be careful not to heat it too hot as this will result in uneven cooking. You should be able to comfortably touch the oil with your finger prior to adding samosas to the pan. Be careful not to heat it too much as this will result in uneven cooking. Simply allow it to cool down before adding the samosas.
• Cook the samosas in batches. I managed to get 7 in my large wok without it feeling overcrowded. Allow the samosas to cook over a medium-low heat for 35 minutes until golden and crispy. If you feel they are browning too quickly, turn the heat down. Allow the oil to cool down in between frying the samosas in batches.
• Drain the samosas on a plate lined with absorbent kitchen paper.

Video

Notes

Just-fried samosas are HOT! Allow to cool slightly before serving.

To store: Keep the samosas in an airtight container lined with absorbent kitchen paper. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

To freeze: Keep the samosas in an airtight container lined with baking parchment. Freeze for up to 3 months. Re-fry from frozen on a medium heat to ensure samosas are piping hot.

Pin this recipe for later!

If you like these, you’ll love my recipe for Easy Paneer & Vegetable Tikkis

Love Sanjana

The post The Best Vegetable Samosas appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

The soft cheese centre just melts in the mouth, whilst the coating provides a welcome crunch. This is store-cupboard comfort food you’ll make again and again.

How to make Easy Paneer & Vegetable Tikkis

I use shop-bought paneer crumbled in the blender (or with clean hands) and frozen mixed veggies, chopped as finely as possible.

Air-fry or bake!

You can bake them in the oven or if you have an air fryer, arrange them in a single layer to cook in just 8 minutes flat!

Why Easy Paneer & Vegetable Tikkis are a family favourite

I’m forever on the hunt for new ways of encouraging my son, Bodhi to eat more. I never restrict his diet and am thankful for anything he eats.

Laid back mama, here! To be honest, the only thing I’m mindful of is excess salt. I will allow him to eat as much whole fruit as he likes and he does enjoy the odd biscuit or bite of chocolate brownie, too.

About Bodhi

For those of you who are new here, Bodhi was an IUGR baby, delivered 20 days early, so not quite a preemie but because of a growth restriction, he was only 4lb at birth.

His development has been phenomenal for a baby the doctors (and we) were seriously worried about in the first few months of his life.

He’s not walking yet but is the biggest chatterbox who surprises me daily with how many words he knows.

I’m so proud to be his mum and I salute all the NICU baby parents out there. It takes immense strength to watch a child go through a period of physical weakness.

Little scamp

He’s always on the move and as a super tiny dude (currently wearing 6-9 month clothes at 16 months), he needs a good mix of veggies and fats in his diet.

Some of Bodhi’s favourite dishes

Buttered roti, carrot coins and peas cooked in ghee, peanut butter on toast, lemony avocado slices and strawberry yoghurt are his favourites at the moment.

How else can I adapt these Easy Paneer & Vegetable Tikkis?

This is a very forgiving recipe. You can use any vegetables you like, either fresh, frozen or even canned.

You could even try replacing the paneer with crumbled firm tofu or mashed beans for a vegan version.

However, I’ve made them with kidney beans before and they’re absolutely delicious, not to mention, full of plant-based protein.

A note on chilli when cooking for Bodhi

Finally, add salt and chilli to your preference. I haven’t listed chilli in the ingredients because I don’t put it in when cooking for Bodhi.

This means that I’ve actually become my dad and now eat raw green chillies with almost every meal because the heat is so addictive.

How to serve Easy Paneer & Vegetable Tikkis

My favourite way to enjoy these tikkis is to wrap them up in a chapati, naan or tortilla with lots of salad a coriander chutney. They’re perfect for picnics or eating on the go, too!

Can I freeze them?

Yes! In fact, I make them in bulk because let’s be honest, sometimes you need a quick-fix meal you can simply reheat in the oven. These tikkis freeze very well and keep for up to 3 months.

How to freeze these tikkis

Make them and then layer them up inside a freezer-safe container with pieces of parchment paper in between each tikki. To reheat, arrange the tikkis on a baking tray and bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C/400°F for 10-12 minutes until piping hot. Do not refreeze.

Ingredients you’ll need to make these paneer tikkis

• Paneer, shop-bought or homemade (I like Everest)
• Mixed vegetables of your choice, fresh or frozen
• Onion
• Fresh root ginger
• Cumin seeds
• Garam masala
• Saffron (optional but delicious)
• Green cardamom
• Amchoor (dried mango powder)
• Chickpea flour
• Breadcrumbs
• Fresh coriander
• Salt
• Oil

Print

Easy Paneer & Vegetable Tikkis

Quick to make and bursting with Indian flavours; these Easy Paneer & Vegetable Tikkis are a family favourite in our home. The soft cheese centre just melts in the mouth, whilst the coating provides a welcome crunch. This is store-cupboard comfort food you’ll make again and again.

Course Appetizer, Lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword cutlet, great for kids, paneer, tikki, vegetables

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 225 g fresh or shop-bought paneer crumbled
• 150 g frozen mixed vegetables e.g. peas, carrots, broccoli, corn and beans, cooked and chopped finely
• 1 medium onion finely diced
• 2 cm piece ginger grated
• 2 tsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 5-6 strands saffron optional but delicious
• 2 cardamom pods seeds finely crushed
• 1 tsp amchoor dried mango powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp roasted chickpea flour
• 3 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

For the coating:

• 3 tbsp breadcrumbs
• Oil spray for cooking

Instructions

• Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
• In a dry, non-stick pan, toast the chickpea flour until aromatic and a very pale pinkish colour. Transfer to a bowl.
• Heat the oil in the same pan. Add the cumin seeds and allow to sizzle for a few seconds. Next, add in the ginger and onions. Cook for 3-4 minutes until translucent.
• Stir in the garam masala, saffron and ground cardamom. Cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the crumbled or grated paneer and veggies. Cook for 3-4 minutes and then allow to cool.
• Once cool, add the toasted chickpea flour, breadcrumbs, salt and coriander. With clean hands, give the mixture a good knead to bring everything together. If it feels overly sticky, you can add another tablespoon of breadcrumbs but be careful not to add too much or it may make the finished tikkis dry.
• Form small tikkis with the mixture (you should have 12-14 mini tikkis). Roll the tikkis in the reserved breadcrumbs to coat. Arrange on a baking tray and spray both sides with cooking oil. Bake at 200°C/400°F for 10 minutes. Alternatively you can air fry the tikkis at 200°C/400°F for 8 minutes.
• Serve with your favourite chutney, dip or plain yoghurt.

Notes

Tips for freezing:

 

• These tikkis freeze very well and keep for up to 3 months.
• Make them and then layer them up inside a freezer-safe container with pieces of parchment paper in between each tikki. To reheat, arrange the tikkis on a baking tray and bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C/400F for 10-12 minutes until piping hot. Do not refreeze.

Pin it for later!

If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Bodhi’s Keema Pau Bhaji

Love Sanjana

The post Easy Paneer & Vegetable Tikkis appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

We rarely ate out at Indian restaurants in those days. The vegetarian options were limited to side dishes of random “mixed vegetables” swimming in generic curry sauces and quite frankly, homemade was better.

As the millennium approached, more and more options bubbled up, beginning with areas populated with a high density of Indian residents. Leicester, Wembley and Southall were all on the radar and we visited often. It was in Leicester that I first read the words “Indo-Chinese fusion dishes” on a restaurant menu and this immediately grabbed my attention. I wanted to know more. A whole list of dishes to choose from and I made it my mission to try them all. Chilli Paneer, Gobi Manchurian, Hakka Noodles, Spring Rolls, Mixed Rice & Noodle Sizzler and even Szechuan Dosa were options. I ordered as much as I could manage and that was the day I fell in love with Chilli Paneer.

I later learned that Indo-Chinese food, also known as Desi Chinese was a cuisine developed by the Chinese community of Kolkata, West Bengal. It became a lifelong dream of mine to visit Kolkata’s Chinatown and enjoy Hakka-Indian food in its original birthplace. Just as my grandparents and thousands of other families brought Indian cuisine to East Africa and the British embraced Indian curry, this small community of Hakka settlers shared the gift of their ancestral cuisine with Kolkata. Little did they know that it would lead to the creation of a truly exquisite Indian-Chinese food culture that’s now internationally sought after. Food travels regardless of borders. This is pure comfort food which is why it’s such a treat when eating out. It’s spicy, garlicky, smoky and umami-rich with a liberal attitude towards rivers of soy sauce and the addition of MSG (ajinomoto) in most dishes. It’s not a style of cooking that shys away from battering and deep frying either. Green chilli, spring onions, ginger, garlic, tomato ketchup, soy sauce, chilli sauce, vinegar, turmeric, black pepper and sugar are all widely-used ingredients in Indo-Chinese dishes. A smoking hot cast iron wok is essential for the highly coveted wok hei caramelisation and aromas.

Indo-Chinese food is all about taking an abundance of fresh veg, protein and Indian spices and pairing them with sticky, umami-rich cornflour-thickened sauces. These sauces are unlike anything you get in traditional Indian cooking. If you’re a fan of Singapore Noodles, Laksa and Nasi Goreng, it’s worth giving Indo-Chinese food go.

My Instagram family have recently made their love of Chilli Paneer very clear. After a poll, they voted Leicester restaurants Indigo, Chai Paani and Tangoe as the best places to eat the famous dish. Special mention for Sakonis which isn’t in Leicester (they have restaurants in Wembley and Hatch End) but still do a delicious Chilli Paneer. Luckily, I’ve tried them all (several times over) and did my best to recreate the best version in my kitchen at home. The criteria was as follows: The paneer needed to be juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside, the peppers needed some crunch, the sauce had to be loaded with garlic, no tomatoes, lots of green chillies, soy sauce-rich and slightly sweet. Well my friends, I think I may have nailed it but I’ll let you have the final say on that. If you’ve never tried Indo-Chinese food before, Chilli Paneer is one fusion dish worth trying.

Print

Restaurant-Style Chilli Paneer

Crispy paneer wok-fried in a light chilli and garlic sauce with lots of crunchy veg. A real Indo-Chinese crowd pleaser.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Chinese, Indian

Keyword cheese, chilli, paneer, stir fry, vegetables, vegetarian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

• 450 g paneer cut into 2cm cubes
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 peppers sliced into 3cm strips (I use red and green)
• 10 spring onions sliced on the bias, some greens reserved for garnishing
• 3 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
• 8 large cloves garlic crushed
• 4 green chillies sliced on the bias
• 3 tbsp lighy soy sauce if you want a darker colour, use dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander chopped
• Shredded lettuce to serve

Instructions

• Mix together the cornflour, white pepper and salt. Coat the paneer in the cornflour mixture.
• Heat the oil in a large wok and add the paneer. Fry until crispy and golden all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.
• In the remaining oil, add the garlic, chillies, 3/4 of the spring onions, peppers, soy sauce and sugar. Saute over a high heat for a minute and then add the paneer. Toss to combine.
• Serve on a bed of shredded lettuce, garnished with the reserved spring onions and fresh coriander.

Pin it for later!

Love Sanjana

The post Restaurant-Style Chilli Paneer appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Aloo Chaat is a spud-packed street food dish that’s traditionally served in a bowl and enjoyed on the go, right? Not today. I’ve got a fun little treat for you and it constists of swapping the traditional plastic or banana leaf chaat bowl for a crispy potato skin bowl you can devour along with the mouth-watering aloo chaat inside.

This Aloo Chaat Potato Skin platter is a sharing feast that will be a hit at parties and celebration meals alike. Create an explosion of flavours with just a handful of spices and fresh herbs, topped off with sweet pomegranate seeds and a cooling yoghurt drizzle.

The best thing is that it’s a great make-ahead dish you can prep the day before if you like. I like to cook the potatoes fully and keep them covered in the fridge so they’re nice and firm when it comes to cutting the flesh and prepping the skins. You can also make the yoghurt, prep the pomegranate seeds, chop all the herbs, onions, ginger and chillies, keeping them all covered in bowls in the fridge. The next day all you need to do is fry the potatoes and assemble right before serving. The only rule is that this must be eaten hot, as soon as it’s ready.

I pick the biggest potatoes I can find for generous potato skin portions in which I can fill lots of crispy aloo and flavoursome toppings. I’m just greedy like that. You could also make cocktail-sized Aloo Chaat Potato Skins this serve as canapés.

Print

Aloo Chaat Potato Skins

This Aloo Chaat Potato Skin platter is a sharing feast that will be a hit at parties and celebration meals alike. Create an explosion of flavours with just a handful of spices and fresh herbs, topped off with sweet pomegranate seeds and a cooling yoghurt drizzle.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword chaat, party, potatoes

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 4 large potatoes
• 1 medium red onion finely diced
• 2 green chillies finely chopped
• 50 g fresh pomegranate seeds
• 1 tsp chaat masala
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander chopped
• 1- inch fresh ginger peeled and julienned
• 1 tsp coriander seeds toasted and ground
• 1 tsp cumin seeds toasted and ground
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Salt
• Sev to serve (optional)

For the masala yoghurt:

• 100 g plain yoghurt
• 1 tsp cumin seeds toasted and coarsely ground
• 1 tsp fennel seeds toasted and coarsely ground
• Salt
• Sugar
• Lemon juice

Instructions

• First, the potatoes need to be cooked. I recommend either microwaving or baking them. To microwave, pierce the potato several times all over, place on a microwave-safe plate and cook on High power for 10-12 minutes. To bake, individually wrap the potatoes in foil and bake at 200°C/400°F for 1 hour. In both cases, allow the potatoes to cool completely.
• In the meantime, combine all the ingredients for the yoghurt, cover and refrigerate.
• Once the potatoes are completely cold, cut them in half lengthways. Use a spoon to scoop out the middles, leaving a 2cm border around the potato to keep the skins sturdy for filling later. Try not to break the flesh of the potato too much. The skins need to remain whole and 2cm thick as these will be cooked again and then filled.
• Set the skins aside and cut the flesh of the potato into 2cm cubes. They don’t have to be perfectly shaped as the craggy ones will crisp up beautifully once fried.
• Fill a large, deep pan or wok with sunflower oil. Once the oil reaches 200°C/400°F, fry the potato skins over a medium-high flame until crispy and golden. Set aside to drain on a tray lined with absorbent kitchen paper.
• Next, the potato cubes until golden and crispy. Set aside to drain on a tray lined with absorbent kitchen paper.
• Toss the fried potato cubes with the toasted cumin and coriander seeds, ginger juliennes, chopped fresh chilli, chopped onions, lemon juice, chaat masala, pomegranate seeds, Kashmiri chilli powder, freshly chopped coriander and salt.
• Fill the crunchy potato skins with the hot, sour and spicy aloo chaat. Serve with the masala yoghurt and sprinkle over the sev if using.

Pin it for later!

The post Crispy Aloo Chaat Potato Skins appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Like many others before me, I believe that there’s a separate stomach for dessert. You can eat all the empanadas, cassava fries and frijoles you like but in my book, the sensation of something sweet on your palate is always a welcome one.

And this second stomach rule doesn’t just extend to South American food and hot desserts – it could be palak paneer, naan and kulfi, or thai massaman curry, papaya salad and coconut sticky rice with mango. They’re all delicious and all made better with something sweet for the finale.

Churros are one of my favourites; the delicious coating, crispy outside, soft, semi-hollow inside and the gooey dip for controlled dunking. I love it all, and so much so that I want it for dessert and as a starter.

This double churros fantasy is possible come true with my recipe for Indian Chilli-Cheese Churros. They have all the delicious components of regular churros except the flavours are inspired by India. They include everyday favourites like ajwain seeds, cumin, dried fenugreek leaves and ground turmeric for the most beautiful golden colour you ever did see.

Instead of the satisfying crunch of granulated sugar on the outside, we have sharp Cheddar and crisp morsels of chilli and spring onion. I’ve tested this recipe a number of times, probably more times than I actually needed to – not because I was tweaking it hugely, but because it has been requested so many times. We’re talking like eight times since it was conceived of back in May.

As I pipe uneven, yet rustic bits of churro dough into hot oil, I wonder why it’s taken me this long to put Indian-inspired churros on the table when it makes such perfect sense.

The dip is a cooling combination of classic coriander, mint, zesty lime and sour cream. It cuts through the earthy spices and naughtiness of the churros. The finished dip makes the deep-fried churros feel saintly and not at all like that drunken visit to Chicken Cottage (for a veggie burger in my case) after a grimy night out.

This makes for a delicious party starter when you have friends coming over. You can make the dough a little ahead of time and keep it in the fridge but in order to get your lips around crispy churros, you’ll need to fry them just before serving. I promise you it’s worth it. Serve them in a platter or in paper cones for a more chilled out feel. Throw in a couple of fried chillies if you’re feeling fancy.

Indian Chilli-Cheese Churros
Serves 6

For the Churros Dough:
300g plain flour

425ml boiling water

65g ghee

2 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp dried fenugreek leaves
½ tsp ajwain seeds
2 tsp salt
1 tsp brown sugar

Oil to deep fry

For the Chilli-Cheese Coating:
120g medium strength Cheddar
2 spring onions, chopped finely
2 tbsp chopped coriander
1 tsp cumin seeds

For the Lime and Coriander Sour Cream Dip:
80g fresh coriander, including the stalks
40g fresh mint leaves
Juice and zest of 1 lime
2 green chillies (adjust according to your taste)
180g sour cream
1 tsp salt
3 tsp sugar

Method

1. To make the churros dough: In a stand mixer, combine the flour and dry spices.

2. Place the water and ghee in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Allow to simmer for a minute, until all the ghee has completely melted and switch off the heat.

3. Turn the stand mixer on low and quickly pour in all of the water and ghee mixture. Increase the mixer speed and beat for about a minute, until the mixture is smooth.

4. Switch the mixer off.

5. Fit a large piping bag with a star-tipped nozzle (I use Wilton #22 – large open star tip) The disposable piping bags are great for this as you can just throw it away after use – good news for your next batch of icing.

6. Place the churros dough into the piping bag and ensure there aren’t any air bubbles in there. Close the top of the bag up and allow to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

7. In the meantime, grate the cheese on the fine side of a grated and place it on a plate. Add the chopped chilli, coriander and spring onions. Next, place the cumin seeds in a dry pan and toast on a medium heat until aromatic. Give them a quick bash in the pestle and mortar and add these to the cheese mixture too. Combine and set aside.

8. Heat a large, deep-bottomed pan or wok with sunflower oil to 190C. Ensure the oil is at least 5-inches deep to make sure the churros have plenty of space to move around and cook evenly.

9. Line a plate with kitchen paper to drain the churros after they’ve been fried.

10. Keep a pair of clean scissors handy.

11. Now your workstation is ready and your oil is heated, you can start piping the churros.

12. Take the piping bag of rested dough from the fridge and carefully pipe it into the hot oil, snipping the dough with the scissors as it reaches the desired size and allowing it to gently drop into the hot oil. I love the crazy, craggy look of uneven churros – I find it more interesting to look at and eat but you can also go for straight churros sticks or any other shape you like.

13. Fry 4-5 churros at a time to ensure they cook evenly and the temperature of the oil doesn’t drop too much.

14. Don’t move them around in the oil for the first minute of cooking and then gently move them with a spider to make sure they brown evenly. All in all, they should be in the oil for about 2 minutes.

15. Remove from the oil, draining any excess oil and then transfer them to the paper towel-lined plate. They’ll become crispier as they cool here.

16. After a minute or so, place the cooked churros into the plate of chilli cheese, tossing them in the cheese. Place them onto another tray and repeat this process until you’ve used up all the churros dough.

Note: It’s important you toss the churros in the cheese mixture while they’re still super hot so it sticks to them properly.

Note: Also, if you’re going to fry some chillies to serve alongside the churros, make some holes in them first. Nobody likes hot oil and exploding chillies.

Method for the Dip:

1. To make the Coriander and Lime Sour Cream: Combine all the ingredients except the sour cream in a blender. I use my NutriBullet. Add a splash of water too. Blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl and add half the sour cream. Stir to combine.

2. Before serving, place the remainder if the sour cream into a bowl and add in the coriander mixture. Stir gently for a sour cream swirl effect.

Love Sanjana

The post Indian Chilli-Cheese Churros appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

My tandoor obsession

Every year, ask me what I want for my birthday and you’ll get the same response each time. It’s not an expensive pair of shoes and it’s not perfume, it definitely isn’t a designer handbag or clothes. I don’t really care about those things. What I really want is my own tandoor.

But why a tandoor?

The idea of having a raging-hot pit of fiery coals in my kitchen makes me go weak at the knees. Install a beautiful granite countertop and leave just enough space for a cavernous drop into a heat-proof cylinder.

Pop in a clay oven and watch me go nuts with recipes galore. I’ll pretend I’m Sanjeev Kapoor or Cyrus Todiwala, reaching in with my gigantic asbestos hands.

What can you cook in a tandoor?

What can’t you cook in a tandoor? I would make fresh, homemade naan with charred edges and chewy middles, kebabs of all shapes and sizes and the best baked potatoes life has to offer!

Birthday week!

Well, my 28th birthday just went and sadly, I didn’t get my own tandoor. I did however, have the most wonderful birthday cake from Mr Feasts. It was the first cake he’d ever baked and he totally nailed it.

The next best thing: An oven

I’m hoping one day someone will take me up on my request for a tandoor but in the meantime, I’m getting my tandoori food fix using the trusty oven.

Whack it up as high as it will go and when it’s smoking hot, stow your food inside, closing the door swiftly. I do naans like this all the time and it works a charm.

What are Momos?

Except I didn’t make just any dumplings, I made Momos. The most delicious Indian-style dumplings filled with veggies, paneer, ginger and soy sauce.

Folding dumplings is one of the most cathartic things you can do. Little parcels, half moons, gyoza-style or tortellini style, the possibilities are endless.

I love nothing more than a ‪Saturday afternoon in with a cup of chai, a good movie and a marathon dumpling-making session. So after a long week at work, I did just that.

How to serve Vegetarian Tandoori Momos

Traditionally, Nepali Momos are served with hot tomato chutney but instead, I made my own tandoori marinade (the one I use for making my Tandoori Paneer Samosas) and covered the Momos in it before popping them into the sweltering pit of fire, a.k.a, the oven.

The Vegetarian Tandoori Momos

The pastry is of course, homemade – why not when it’s just three ingredients: flour, hot water and salt. It’s worth making your own, and so much easier when it comes to folding the Momos.

You can make them any shape you like but I thought the simple half moon was pretty.

Can I use this recipe to make regular momos?

You can skip the Tandoori paste part entirely and just straight up fry and steam them like Japanese gyozas – but where’s the fun in that?

No, I’m kidding, they’re absolutely delicious steamed too. Serve them with hot tomato and chilli chutney, adding a glug of sesame oil for good measure.

Word of warning

Once these are out of the oven, you’ll find yourself waiting to frantically get one into your mouth.

Don’t do that. If you’ve ever eaten a hot apple pie from McDonald’s and felt the sensation of the skin on the roof of your mouth being seared like a steak, you’ll know why.

Give your Vegetarian Tandoori Momos a street-style finish

Tumble the momos onto a platter or plate, cover them with sliced red onions, lemon wedges, cooling yoghurt and fresh coriander.

What’s also amazing is brushing them with butter as soon as the come out of the oven. Watch them glisten as you try your best not to go all Tasmanian Devil on them.

Serve immediately and watch them disappear faster than you can say ‘Sanjana, here’s your very own birthday tandoor.’

I can only dream.

How to make Vegetarian Tandoori Momos

Print

Vegetable and Paneer Tandoori Momos

These vegetable and paneer-filled dumplings are so delicious. Slather each one in Tandoori marinade and cook under intense heat for the heavenly charcoal smokiness we all know and love.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian, Nepali

Keyword dumplings, paneer, tandoori, vegetables

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 55 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 200 g plain flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 120 ml boiling water just enough to bind to a firm, smooth dough

For the filling:

• 25 g salted butter
• 1 large onion finely diced
• 2 tbsp grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 3 hot red birds eye chillies chopped finely
• 60 g white cabbage finely shredded
• 2 carrots grated
• 30 g frozen peas
• 30 g green beans chopped finely
• 180 g paneer crumbled or grated
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 2 spring onions chopped finely
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp light brown sugar
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns ground
• 1 tsp toasted fennel seeds ground
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp cornflour dissolved in 2 tsp cold water

For the tandoori paste:

• 1 tsp whole coriander seeds
• 8 black peppercorns
• 2 dried Kashmiri chillies
• 2 inches cinnamon
• 1 ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 1 star anise
• 4 cloves
• Seeds of 4 green cardamom pods
• 1 black cardamom
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• You’ll also need:
• 1 tbsp concentrated tomato puree
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tbsp yoghurt
• 2 tsp dark brown sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp crushed garlic

Momos toppings:

• Fresh coriander chopped
• Plain yoghurt
• Sliced red onions

Instructions

• First, make the tandoori paste. Toast all the spices in a dry pan until aromatic. Grind them in a coffee grinder until super fine. Put half the ground spices in a jar and stow away for another day.
• With the remaining half of the masala, mix in the tomato puree, lemon juice, yoghurt, brown sugar, salt, ginger and garlic. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
• To make the filling, heat the butter in a non-stick pan. Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent but not browned. Add in ginger, garlic and chillies, cook for a moment and then add in the rest of the ingredients, apart from the cornflour.
• Once the veggies and paneer have cooked down, about 10 minutes, add the cornflour and mix vigorously. The mixture should bind together. Turn out onto a plate to cool.
• Meanwhile, make the dough. In a bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Little by little, add in the boiling water, mixing with a spoon. Once you’ve added in almost all the water, leave it for a few moments until cool enough to handle. Try to bind, checking if the rest of the water is required. Add more water if you need to. Bind to a smooth dough, kneading for around 8 minutes.
• Allow to rest, covered for 10 minutes.
• Line a couple of baking trays with baking parchment.
• Take a grape-sized piece of dough and roll it out, 3 inches in diameter. A thin as you can. Take about 2 tsp cooled filling and place into the middle of the dough. Use your fingers to pull the dough together and pleat one side to the other, using your fingers to seal.
• There are lots of handy YouTube video around to help show you how to fold dumplings if you’re not sure. There are so many pays to do it and you don’t have to be a pro to make amazing ones. Just make sure the filling is totally sealed in. The shape is up to you.
• Repeat this process for all the dumplings. Put a movie on, make a cup of tea, enjoy the process.
• Once you have a tray or two of finished dumplings, you’re ready to cook.
• Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/430°F. Boil 150ml water in the kettle.
• Heat a large, flat bottomed pan (one that has a lid). Add 2 tsp oil. Arrange the dumplings in the pan – you may need to do this in batches. Allow for them to sizzle for a minute. Now very quickly and extremely carefully add hot water from the kettle to the pan – just a splash or two. Put the lid on and allow to steam for 3 minutes on a low heat.
• Remove the lid and place the momos back onto a baking tray. Brush them with the tandoori paste you made earlier.
• Place them in the oven for 10 minutes or until charred in places and looking delicious. You can brush them again with melted butter before you serve.
• Tumble onto a platter and garnish with chopped coriander, sliced red onion and plain yoghurt. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Cook the momos immediately before serving to prevent drying.
• To freeze: Arrange the momos on a baking tray. Freeze until solid. Remove from the tray and place in freezer-safe bags or a box. They will keep well for up to 6 months. Cook from frozen.

Pin it for later! Vegetarian Tandoori Momos

If you like these, you’ll love my recipe for Paneer Tikka

Love Sanjana

The post Vegetarian Tandoori Momos appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Instead, it’s packed with a spicy vegetable samosa stuffing. If you’re craving those ever-popular Indian snacks, but want something a little out of the box for your next party, this is the recipe for you.

Pull-Apart Samosa Bread: Made to share!

Rustle up two trays, put them into the middle of the table and watch them disappear in the blink of an eye.

You can serve them hot, as they are or with individual pots of garlic butter for each guest. Either way, I promise everyone will be smiling with a belly full of samosa goodness by the end of the evening.

Easy samosa filling recipe

I’ve kept the filling really simple because hey, you’re making your own bread here.

The filling is packed with flavour, yet doesn’t take away from the fact that the real big deal here is the soft, fluffy bread that’s more of a dinner roll than it is any other kind of bread.

The addition of milk and butter ensure it’s cotton-soft and the perfect, pillowy pocket for the spicy vegetable filling.

What kind of vegetables can I add to this Pull-Apart Samosa Bread?

You can add any vegetables you like here – just make sure you chop them up really finely and cook them until they’re just right beforehand. This is because the filling literally takes seven minutes to cook so they won’t be in the pan too long.

How to make Pull-Apart Samosa Bread

I’ve written a step-by-step method below but it’s much easier to understand the way the bread is formed from the video.

Print

Pull-Apart Samosa Bread

My Pull-Apart Samosa Bread is packed with spicy vegetable samosa filling. If you’re craving those ever-popular Indian snacks, but want something a little out of the box for your next party, this is the recipe for you.

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword bread, party food, potatoes, samosas

Prep Time 50 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 600 g floury potatoes peeled, diced and boiled
• 350 g finely-chopped mixed vegetables I used peas, carrots, cauliflower and broccoli
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 medium onion chopped finely
• 2 large green chillies chopped finely
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp ginger minced (optional)
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander chopped finely

For the dough:

• 600 g strong white bread flour
• 14 g fast-action dried yeast 2 sachets
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 100 g butter melted
• 180 ml warm milk
• 130 ml warm water
• Extra butter to brush the rolls

Instructions

• To make the filling, heat the oil in a non-stick saucepan and add the cumin seeds. Allow to sizzle a little before adding in the onions. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the chillies, turmeric, ginger (if using) and salt. Stir briefly before adding the potatoes and vegetables. Mix thoroughly.
• Next, add in the lemon juice, garam masala and coriander. Stir and cook for a few moments before turning off the heat.
• To make the dough, take a large bowl and mix together the butter, milk, water, salt and sugar. Stir to combine. Little by little, add the flour until you’ve used up half of it. At this stage the mixture will be cool enough to add the yeast. Adding the yeast any earlier might kill the yeast. You want it to be warm and cosy for the yeast to do its thing.
• Finish adding all the flour and when it begins to come together, turn the dough out onto a clean surface.
• Knead the dough for 10 minutes to work that gluten. It might be a bit sticky at first but keep going. If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook, you can do it in there – it’ll take half the time.
• Take a large, greased bowl and place the dough inside. Cover with a damp towel or cling film and allow to rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size. Luckily for me it was a really hot day so I didn’t need to take a trip to the airing cupboard where my dough usually hangs out – I just left it on the counter top.
• When the bread has doubled in size, knock it back and give it a knead. You’ll feel all the little air bubbles popping and that’s good and will ensure your bread rises evenly in the oven.
• Butter two 25cm baking dishes and set it aside.
• Take half the dough and roll it out on a floured work surface until it’s around 2mm in thickness. Using a round cookie cutter approx. 6cm in diameter, cut rounds of the dough.
• Take the cooled filling and place around a teaspoon of it into the middle of one of the dough rounds. Using your thumb, fold the middle up and bring the sides to meet in the middle, almost like you’re making an open wonton or tortellini.
• Place into the buttered baking dish – start with the outside edge and repeat for the rest of the discs. The amount you will need depends on the size of your dish. My recipe made two 25cm pull-apart loaves. Repeat for the remaining dough and filling.
• Brush the bread with melted butter and bake in a pre-heated oven at 160C for 45 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and brush with more butter before serving.

Video

Pin it for later!

If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for The Best Vegetable Samosas!

Love Sanjana

The post Pull-Apart Samosa Bread appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Happy 2014! It’s a new year and time to start getting excited about the adventures ahead. This year I get to marry my best friend and biggest supporter in all my work and passions. I have never felt so excited and nervous in my whole life.

I thought it would only be right to begin the year with a recipe that’s close to my heart; one which combines my love for Gujarati and East-African food in a beautiful way. Traditional Gujarati Daal Vada are crunchy, spicy and perfect for dipping into yoghurt. My East-African version incorporates bananas to add a hint of sweetness against the intense chilli and lemon heat. The magical thing about adding ripe banana to the batter is that it reacts with the lemon and baking powder, creating a puffy, fluffy-in-the-middle fritters that still have an incredible golden crunch on the outside because of the ground mung daal, urad daal and rice.

For me, rice is an important addition to any Daal Vada recipe because it ensures the fritters are crispy on the outside – essential when you’re craving a crunchy deep-fried starter to begin an Indian meal. But my favourite way to enjoy crispy Daal Vada is with hot, sweet masala chai and great company.

Remember to wash your daal and rice thoroughly and soak overnight for easy grinding and beautifully-textured vada. The frying process is a little tricky – and utterly frightening for the first few vada, but go carefully and you’ll get the hang of it in no time (I say as my finger throbs with pain from the oil splash I got from frying these vada an hour ago). Totally worth it though.

Think crunchy, fluffy, deep-fried pancake bites with a touch of sweet banana, a zip of fresh lemon and a punch of chilli heat (hence the ‘Bullet’). Serve immediately after frying with lemon wedges and fresh coriander and yoghurt chutney.

Coriander and yoghurt chutney is my go-to dip for any Indian starter because of it’s amazing power to perk up any dish from samosas to tikkis and of course, these Daal Vada. All you need to do is open your blender, throw in a washed bunch of coriander, a few dollops of yoghurt, a peeled clove of garlic, green chilli and lots of lemon juice, salt and sugar. Blend until smooth for the ultimate dipping, dunking or drizzling experience.

Bullet Banana Daal Vada
(Serves 8)

Ingredients

75g mung daal
55g urad daal
35g basmati rice
1 ripe banana, peeled and broken into large pieces
2 hot green chillies, stems removed
2 hot red chillies, stems removed
3-inch piece ginger, peeled and cut into chunks
250ml warm water
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
140g gram flour (chickpea flour)

2 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp ground cumin seeds
1 tsp ground fennel seeds
Pinch turmeric
½ tsp asafoetida
2 tsp baking powder
Juice and zest 2 lemons
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Oil for deep frying

Method

1. Pick through your mung and urad daal to ensure there are no stones or other foreign objects. Place the daals and rice in a sieve and wash them until the water almost runs clear. Soak them in cold water overnight.

2. Once soaked, drain the daals and rice and wash again until the water runs almost clear. Place in a blender or food processor and grind with 250ml warm water until you get a smooth paste. Place the paste in a large bowl and rinse the blender as you’ll need it again.

3. In your blender or food processor, add the chillies, ginger, banana, salt, sugar, ground coriander seeds, ground cumin seeds, ground fennel seeds, turmeric, asafoetida, lemon zest, lemon juice and fresh coriander. Blend until you get a smooth, but not entirely uniform paste. Add this to the daal and rice paste.

4. Next, whisk in the gram flour and 1 tbsp oil, ensuring there are no lumps.

5. Heat the oil in a deep, non-stick pan or wok. You’ll know the oil is ready when a cube of bread browns all over in 50 seconds.

6. Quickly whisk the baking powder into the vada batter, ensuring it is mixed in thoroughly. It should resemble pancake batter.

7. To fry the vada, dip your fingers into a little water and shake off any excess. Now, make a ‘cup’ with the four fingers on your dominant hand and scoop enough batter into your fingers to come up to the first line on your middle finger, using your thumb as a stopper. Gently drop the batter into the oil, ensuring your hand is close to the surface of the oil but not touching it on so close, the batter splashes back when you drop it. Use your thumb to push the batter down into the oil. You will almost certainly get smaller blobs of batter in your oil but don’t worry about this – you can scoop them out and scoff them later. Do about 8 vadas at a time and don’t overcrowd the pan. Fry until puffed up and crispy all over. Remove the vada and drain in a colander lined with kitchen paper. Repeat the process until you run out of batter.

Serve hot with lemon wedges, cooling coriander and yoghurt chutney and a cold beer.

Here’s to a spicy, sweet and utterly heavenly New Year. 

Love Sanjana

The post Bullet Banana Daal Vada appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.