Indian Vegetarian Fast Food at Home

 Indian Potato Fritter Sandwiches with Coriander Chutney and Tamarind-Date Chutney

Indian Vegetarian Fast Food at Home

by Victoria Challancin

It may not be as fast, but making Vada Pav at home is almost as satisfying as grabbing one of these exotic and aromatic potato fritter sandwiches at a bustling street stall in Mumbai.  Well, almost...

Vada Pav, or a Potato Fritter Sandwich, is staple vegetarian fast food in Mumbai in the state of Maharashtra.  Popular for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks, these tasty fritters are served to rich and poor alike, all over the city with variations appearing all over the country.  Even luxury hotels offer this dish--for a price, of course.

The word vada refers to a "fritter," and pav means an unsweetened bread or bun.  Although completely vegetarian, these are often known as "Indian Burgers."  Served with chutney(s) and placed between a toasted, buttered soft roll, these sandwiches have morphed and fused with other cuisines in such popular variations as the following:

• Szechuan Vada Pav-- a Chinese fusion version that serves the vada with a spicy Szechuan-style sauce
• Cheese Vada Pav--Processed cheese is either melted over the vada or stuffed inside
• Jain Vada Pav--caters specifically to Jain religeous restrictions by eliminating onion, garlic, and potatoes (yes, these substitute a mash of cashews and raisins for the potatoes with other variations existing)
• Samosa Pav--samosas are used instead of a vada 
• Gujarati-Style Vada Pav--usually the vada are fired in butter or sometimes are not fried at all

Cook's Notes:  Like many Indian recipes, this one looks complicated because of the number of ingredients, but in fact, is quite simple to make. While I did use the delicious and fluffy batter on these, you could eliminate that step and still have a tasty dish.  Even though I have asafoetida on hand, my cooks have no access to it, so I simply omitted it.  I also just pan fried these in a large skillet instead of deep frying them in more oil.  Because we don't have tamarind paste, I used tamarind pods and used the fresh pulp--actually, I had a bag of the pulp with seeds that was a gift from a friend who brought it to me from the Pacific Coast of Mexico.  One last thought--we ate both chutneys with everything until they disappeared, but the tamarind chutney was particularly lovely served with cheese.

Recipe:  Vada Pav (Potato Fritter Sandwich)

(Recipe from Saveur Magazine)

For the Coriander Chutney:

2 cups chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons roasted peanuts

2 tablespoons desiccated coconut

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 jalapeños, stemmed (or serrano chile)

For the Tamarind Chutney:

8 oz tamarind paste

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 serrano chile, stemmed and finely chopped

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup pitted dates, finely chopped

1/4 cup raisins

1 teaspoon hot paprika

For the Vada:

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 1/2 lb russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 tablespoons canola oil

3/4 teaspoons black mustard seeds

1/8 teaspoon asafoetida

1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 serrano chile, stemmed and finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

1/4 cup finely chopped mint

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup chickpea flour

1/4 cup rice flour

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Canola oil for frying

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 store-bought Parker House rolls, split but left hinged (or ciabatta or other small roll of choice)

 The two chutneys

 Make the coriander chutney:  Heat the tamarind paste and 2 cups water in a 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat; cook, stirring, until tamarind dissolves.  Pour through a medium strainer into a small bowl, pressing on solids to extract all pulp; discard solids and set aside pulp.  Heat oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add fennel, mustard seeds, and chile; cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.  Add reserved tamarind pulp, brown sugar, dates, raisins, paprika, and 1 cup water, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, until reduced and thick, about 10 minutes.  Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Make the vada:  Bring a 4-quart saucepan of salted water to a boil, and add potatoes; cook until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Drain in a colander, then pass through a potato ricer into a large bowl; set aside.  Heat oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add fennel, mustard seeds, and asafoetida and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes.  Transfer to bowl with potatoes, along with cilantro, mint, and juice; season with salt and stir until well combined.  Shape mixture into 2-inch balls, slightly flatten with palms, and transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet; refrigerate for 1 hour.  Meanwhile, whisk together 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining turmeric, chickpea and rice flours, yogurt, coriander, cumin, baking soda, and 3/4 cup water until smooth; set aside.

Pour oil into a 6-quart Dutch oven to a depth of 2 inches, and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 360 degrees.  Working in batches, use a slotted spoon to dip potato patties into chickpea batter, shaking off excess, and transfer to oil.  Fry, turning occasionally, until browned and puffed, 2 to 3 minutes.   Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

To assemble, heat butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Add rolls, cut sides down, and cook until toasted, about 3 minutes.  Spread 1 tablespoon coriander chutney inside top of each roll and 1 tablespoon tamarind chutney inside bottom of each roll.  Place a potato fritter in each and close, then gently smash.

Related Recipes

The filling for my Potato Samosas are similar to the actual vada pav, but are encased in pastry instead of served in a bun.  Click here for the recipe which is served with another green coriander-mint chutney.  And here you can find my coconut-garlic chutney, which would also be great with the vada pav.

Potato Samosas with another Coriander-Mint Chutney

Parting Shot:

 Lord Krishna playing in a friend's garden...

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

Please ask permission before using text or photos.  Thanks!

Fast and Easy Potato-Zucchini Waffles

Fast and Easy Potato-Zucchini Waffles with Dill

Fast and Easy Potato-Zucchini Waffles with Dill

by Victoria Challancin

I came home today after a busy afternoon of working with a non-profit charity, Mujeres en Cambio, which, among other things, gives out scholarships to young women who live in the many out-lying rural communities of San Miguel de Allende.  Perhaps one day I will write more about this project, as I believe in it so strongly and am so pleased to be a part of helping these girls further their education. But for today, I'll just tell you about what I cooked when I got home, whipped!

Looking for a refreshing and easy vegetarian meal for my husband to be made with ingredients I had on hand (mainly potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes), I settled on a recipe in my head that I have made in the past.  Subsequent research reveals that the lovely food blog Cara's Cravings was my original inspiration, though I just tossed this together in my own way when I started cooking.  I am a big fan of the waffle iron, you see.

 Potato-Zucchini Waffles with Dill

Essentially, these are just a riff on the zucchini pancakes I wrote about here, only this time I made a horseradish-enhanced yogurt accompaniment instead of tzatziki.  A food processor made quick work of the shredding of the ingredients and the waffle iron completed the job, leaving me just enough time to slice some ripe tomatoes, smoked sea salt from Trader Joe's, and a drizzle of olive oil and toss together a quick sauce.  This meal came together in a matter of minutes and was tasty and satisfying in every way.  A quick lunch indeed.

  Potato-Zucchini Waffles with Dill

Cook's Notes:  A nice variation on this recipe might be to add 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and serve it with a chunky tomato sauce.  You can either grate the potatoes and zucchini on the large holes of a box grater or just pop them into the food processor, using the shredding disk, as I did. I measured the vegetables after I had grated them only because I decided then to write about them and needed to know how much I used.  It was 2 large baking potatoes and 6 small Mexican zucchini, but that will depend on the size of the vegetables.

Recipe:  Potato-Zucchini Waffles with Dill

(Recipe by Victoria Challancin inspired by Cara's Cravings)

2 cups shredded potato with skin

2 cups shredded zucchini 

3 small green onions (white and a bit of green)

1 large garlic clove, pressed

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3 large organic eggs

1 1/2  teaspoons fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Potato-Zucchini Waffles with Dill

Either grate the potatoes and zucchini on the large holes of a box grater or use a food processor with a shredding disk.  Place the grated vegetables in a large metal bowl and blot with several paper towels.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine the ingredients and distribute the flour.  Cook in a waffle machine according to machine instructions or pan-fry as fritters in a skillet with a few tablespoons of vegetable oil.  Serve with the yogurt sauce if desired (see recipe below).

Potato-Zucchini Waffles with Dill

Cook's Notes:  Sour cream would work equally well as yogurt as would lemon juice instead of vinegar.

Recipe:  Mustard-Horseradish Yogurt Sauce with Dill

(Recipe by Victoria Challancin)

1 1/2 cups plain natural yogurt

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 heaping tablespoon horseradish, or to taste

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon minced fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

Combine ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.  Check and adjust seasoning to taste.  Serve chilled.

Enjoy!

San Miguel Magic

Yes, San Miguel de Allende is special.  Yes, it has been conferred UNESCO World Heritage status.  Yes, every magazine in the world seems to have written it up as a top world cultural destination.  Why?  Is it the singular beauty of this 550-year old city?  The colonial buildings? The surrounding mountains?  The arts?  The quaintness?  The fabulous churches, fountains, gardens?  The people themselves and their oh-so-lovely culture?  What really makes San Miguel so special?  Of course, it is an amalgam of all these things and so much more.  But perhaps for me it is the beauty of the unexpected.  Take today, for example...

While I can hardly call the festival of all-things-Cuban "unexpected,"  I was still surprised.  I had read about it and knew it was coming after all.  Yet when I rounded the corner on my way to distribute the scholarships I mentioned at my friend Pakina's family restaurant, La Terraza, located right off the main square, I was blasted with heady, tropical rhythms and the sounds of people dancing and singing.  Cuban-style, of course.  That, and more.  Sprinkle in a few of my beloved mojigangas, giant paper mache figures worn in parades by dancing people and used as props otherwise at practically every event (you have seen more of these on my blog, as in these Mexican ones from the Chili Cook-Off), some books on Cuba, an enlightenment on the cuisine, a couple of beauty queens, and, of course, the singing dancers, and you have the makings of a proper San Miguel festival.  But it was mainly the whimsical mojigangas that grabbed my attention.

San Miguel de Allende.  Always a surprise.

 A Cuban-Style Mojiganga

His Partner

A little perspective...with beauty queens

If you enjoyed this post, you might like:

The Zucchini Fritters with Tzatziki recipe here.

Or the Cinnamon Roll Waffles recipe here.

Or more mojigangas and festivities here.

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

Mediterranean-Mexican Fusion

Salsa ingredients ready to roast on top of the stove

Mediterranean-Mexican Fusion:  Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas

by Victoria Challancin

This has all the hallmarks of a post that might never have been:  a created-on-the-spot recipe, hastily snapped photos (one of which is slightly out of focus), nothing very pretty...I could go on.  But the end result was just so delicious that I had to share.  Luckily, I have the photos to help me remember what I actually did when I made this last week!

Fusion.  I am one of those people who rather dislikes this culinary term.  Modern cooking, just like this dish, is often truly a melding of different influences, unusual ingredients, and a blending of whim and mongrel inspirations.  Sometimes it turns out great, like this dish.  Sometimes, like a Jerk Chicken Étoufée I was once served by a rather famous chef, not so much.  But food travels.  Ideas travel.  WE travel.  And along the way we gather new ideas and new inspirations, and before you know it, new recipes are born.  

I didn't set out to fuse Mediterranean and Mexican ingredients.   Really, I didn't.  I was looking to make a hearty vegetarian main dish to go along with some beans my husband requested.  I had been to the store and market, where I loaded up on fresh vegetables and tortillas. Those, combined with a few other  ingredients I had on hand, led to this recipe.

The prepared dish, right out of the oven

Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas
(Recipe by Victoria Challancin)

Note:  This particular selection of vegetables is just what I had on hand.  You can use any vegetables you like.  Turnips, kohlrabi, eggplant, celery root, winter squash, sweet potato, brussels sprouts...use your imagination!  Because I left my vegetables in rather large chunks, I couldn't really make rolled enchiladas, so I stacked them instead.

Tips for roasting vegetables:  Cut the vegetables into roughly the same size for even roasting.  Remember:  the smaller the pieces, the faster the roasting time.  Season with fresh or dried herbs such as thyme, oregano, or rosemary, if desired.  Do not overcrowd, or the vegetables will steam instead of roasting and caramelizing.  Remember that vegetables such as carrots will turn out firmer than soft, wet vegetables like mushrooms or zucchini.  You can remove the softer vegetables when they reach the desired texture or not--I never do.  You can also parboil dense vegetables such as carrots--I never bother with this either!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the roasted vegetables:

1 small head broccoli, cut into florets

1 orange bell pepper, or use any color you prefer, cut into squares

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled

5 small zucchini, cubed

1 chayote, cubed

1 onion, in large dice

250g/1/2-pound crimini mushrooms, cut into quarters

2 medium carrots, cubed

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the vegetables in a large bowl.  Toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Spread the coated vegetables onto a large baking tray.

Roast vegetables for 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes of cooking.  Return to oven and roast for another 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the vegetable pieces, stirring occasionally to ensure even browning.

For the salsa:

See the following recipe

For the cheese:

2 cups grated cheese 

(Note:  I used a pre-shredded mix of Italian cheeses including Parmesan and Asiago from Costco, but any good melting cheese will work:  Manchego, Cheddar, Asadero. etc.--see my article on Understanding Mexican Cheeses here)

Assembling the dish:

Pour enough salsa into a large baking dish to barely cover the bottom to prevent the tortillas from sticking.  Top with a layer of tortillas, tearing the tortillas into smaller pieces to fill in the gaps as in the photo.  Add a layer of roasted vegetables, being sure to peel the roasted garlic cloves.  Pour half of the remaining salsa evenly over the vegetables.  Sprinkle with half of the cheese.  Repeat with another layer of tortillas, vegetables, salsa, and cheese.  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until cheese is golden and sauce is bubbling around the edges.  

The out-of-focus, but delicious roasted vegetables

Note:  I roast a lot of vegetables because my family likes them.  Sometimes I flavor them with fresh or dried herbs, sometimes I just toss them in garlic-laced extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper, as I did here.

Salsa ingredients, after 10 minutes of roasting

Note:  When I was testing recipes as culinary producer for an American cooking show a couple of years ago, I wrote up this technique for a quick way to roast vegetables for salsa that makes for an easy clean up.  The head producer in New York nixxed that idea as being too unattractive for television.  Trust me, if you ever start roasting your veggies for salsa in this way, you'll never give it up.  Unattractive or not--it just yields rich and satisfying results.  And who wants to scrape their pans of the burned skin of charred tomatoes?

Roasted Tomato and Tomatillo Salsa

(Recipe by Victoria Challancin)

Note:  Because I wanted a creamy sauce, I added Mexican crema, or sour cream to this recipe.  If using as a dipping salsa for chips, simply omit this step.

3 plum tomatoes

8 golf-ball sized tomatillos, husked and rinsed

3 garlic cloves

2 small serrano chiles, or to taste (jalapeño chiles can be substituted)

1 medium white onion (you can also use a large slice of onion instead of a whole one as in the photo)

1/3 cup of fresh cilantro

1/2 cup Mexican crema, crème fraîche, or sour cream

Sea salt, to taste

Line a heavy skillet with aluminum foil.  Place the tomatoes, tomatillos, unpeeled garlic cloves, serrano chiles, and onion in the skillet.  Roast over medium-high heat, turning frequently, for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are charred all over.

When cool enough to handle, peel garlic and remove the stems from the chiles.  Place contents of the skillet in a blender with the cilantro, sour cream, and salt.  Blend until smooth.  Check and adjust seasoning, adding more salt and/or cilantro as preferred.

Enjoy!

A bit of salsa topped with a layer of fresh blue-corn tortillas--it's hard to go wrong with freshly made tortillas

The enchiladas, with one portion removed

A steaming pot of beans

Note:  This is a drier version of a typical Mexican pot of beans.  Instead of the usual epazote (see my article on epazote here), I used bay leaf; instead of lard or vegetable oil, I substituted olive oil. In Mexico, a bit pot of simply spiced, brothy beans are a daily staple in most homes, traditionally made in an earthenware pot called an olla.  Typically eaten with salsa and fresh tortillas, they can be a meal in themselves.  The version of beans I prepared to go with these enchiladas, is less soupy, but equally simple in its spicing.  It helps that these beans are locally grown organic beans from the most recent crop.

Mediterranean-Style Frijoles de Olla

(Recipe by Victoria Challancin)

1 pound dried pinto beans, or other dried bean of choice, soaked overnight in water

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

2 medium-sized bay leaves

Water to cover by three inches

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place the beans in a large, heavy pot and add enough water to cover beans by about three inches.  Turn heat to high.  Add the olive oil, onion, garlic, and bay leaves.  When the water begins to boi8l, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for an hour, checking occasionally to see if more water needs to be added.  Keep the beans covered by at least an inch of water.  Traditional recipes for these beans uses a lot of water, yielding a very soupy dish of beans.  I used less for this recipe, but it is optional.  Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.  Cook over low heat for an additional 30 minutes.

Add salt and pepper (pepper usually isn't added to Mexican-style beans).  Continue checking every 15 minutes or until beans are quite soft.

Enjoy!

A study in brown:  an unadorned plate

The last of the sunflowers, taken in October--just because they are pretty and make me smile

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

Recipes are meant to be shared, but please ask permission before using text or images.  Thanks!

Vegetarian Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Vegetarian Hungarian Mushroom Soup

by Victoria Challancin

Note to Readers:  Last week I got word from the terrific journalist/photographer team of Jeff Spurrier and Ann Summa that Jeff had mentioned me in reference to a blog post I did on hoja santa in a piece he did for the L.A. Times.  The link to Jeff's Article is here and the blog I wrote on the plant is here.  Great stuff!  Thank you, Jeff!

I woke up to a total surprise today:  burst pipes!  After the warmest November I can remember in over 24 years here in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, it was 21 degrees when I checked the thermometer this morning.  Even if I hadn't checked, seeing the fried and blackened flowering vines, datura, orchid tree, and hoja santa plant told the story well enough.  What to do on such a day?  Make soup of course!  And Mexican ponche (see my recipe here), and a dish of Southern cornbread just because I needed comfort.

I had been thinking of making this soup anyway and had the ingredients on hand.  The extra cold weather just nudged me on.  I had earmarked this soup some time ago from the For the Love of Cooking blog (click here for Pam's interpretation of the original Moosewood Cookbook recipe).  It looked rather like a soupy version of how I make Mushroom Stroganoff, so I wanted to try it.  The fact that it was vegetarian just made it perfect for my husband as well.

This soup comes together quickly and easily.  I made some changes, of course, as should you to make it fit your taste.  I added garlic and used plain yogurt instead of sour cream, just because I had it in the fridge.  The vegetable broth I made from onion, lots of garlic, celery, carrot, orange bell pepper, and parsley.  I also garnished with more fresh dill, as I happen to love it.  I simplified the preparation a bit as well:  instead of removing the mushrooms and preparing a roux, I  simply incorporated the flour and butter into the mushroom mixture instead.  This is such an easy and satisfying soup to prepare.  Perfect for a chilly day.  And, Dear Reader, lest you start feeling sorry for me in all this cold, I just returned from a dog walk wearing short sleeves--the temperatures are over 70 again!

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

(My interpretation of Pam's interpretation of Moosewood's original recipe)

2 tablespoons extra-virgen olive oil

1 medium-large onion (I used a white onion)

2 large garlic cloves, finely minced

1 pound crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons fresh dill weed, finely chopped

A large pinch of red pepper flakes (optional--my addition) 

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk, 2% or whole (I used whole milk)

3 cups vegetable or chicken stock (I used vegetable), divided use

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt (I used plain yogurt)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Parsley or additional chopped fresh dill for garnish

Yogurt for garnish, optional

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onions and garlic.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Add the mushrooms, dill, red pepper flakes, paprika, soy sauce, and 1/2 cup of broth. Stir until well combined, then cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add the butter and stir until incorporated.  Sprinkle with flour, stir until completely absorbed.  Continue stirring the mixture, which should be thick, for 2 to 3 minutes to get rid of any raw flour taste.  Add the milk and remaining broth, stirring until well combined.  Cover with a lid and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Just before serving, add the lemon juice, sour cream or yogurt, and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve garnished with additional yogurt and a sprinkle of either parsley or fresh dill.

Enjoy!

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Mojigangas strolling around the Organic Market on a recent Saturday in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

©Victoria Challancin.  Recipes are meant to be shared, of course, but please ask permission before using text or images.

Recipe: An Easy Egg Curry

Recipe:  An Easy Egg Curry

by Victoria Challancin

Like a perfect storm the elements converged to create this dish:  A rare blustery San Miguel day, a hungry vegetarian husband, and the right ingredients on hand.  The result:  An easy egg curry, whipped up in no time, warming and lovely.

This flexible recipe should reflect your own tastes and preferences.  I learned to love this dish when I lived in Bahrain, where there is so much wonderful Indian food available, and have made it so often that I neither need nor use a recipe.  I suspect there is nothing truly authentic here.  Sometimes I toss in whole spices (cinnamon, cardamom pods, cloves), sometimes I use ground.  Sometimes I chop up fresh tomatoes into a paste, fry them with the spices, and add water instead of coconut milk.  Today I added a lot of turmeric, which lends its lovely yellow hue to the dish.  Other times I make it with very little, letting the red tomatoes shine through.  Usually, I add raisins or a few slivered dates to the curry;  in this version I simply tossed a handful of raisins into the basmati rice as it cooked.  Play with the flavors or use the recipe as I give it here.  It's easy to make, quick to prepare (do it while the rice cooks), and satisfying on a cold day.  Or on a hot one, now that I think of it.  Enjoy!

Recipe:  Egg Curry

by Victoria Challancin

8 hardboiled eggs, peeled and cut in half lengthwise

1 large onion, cut into chunks

4 large garlic cloves, peeled

1 3-inch piece peeled fresh ginger

1 to 3 serrano or jalapeño chiles, with or without seeds, stems removed (I used one due to my husband's preference)

3 Tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil (I used ghee)

1 Tablespoon ground coriander seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric

! pinch of ground cinnamon

1 can diced tomatoes with juice

1 can coconut milk

1/4 cup raisins or slivered dates

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

8 hardboiled eggs, peeled and cut in half lengthwise

Garnish:  2 to 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro (i.e. coriander leaves)

Place the onion, garlic, ginger, and chiles in the blender.  Purée.  Set aside.

Heat the ghee or oil in a large sauté pan.  Add the onion-garlic paste and fry for 5 minutes or until very fragrant and beginning to brown.

Add the dry spices, stir, and cook for one minute.  Add the tomatoes and coconut milk.  When the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes to blend the flavors and reduce the sauce slightly.

Add the raisins and garam masala; stir to blend.  Gently add the halved eggs, ladling the sauce over them, but being careful not to dislodge the yolks.  Allow to cook for 2 minutes to heat the eggs and allow the flavors to marry.

Serve with rice and/or Indian-style bread of choice.  

Note:  Lime pickle and a good chutney would round out this dish nicely!

Victoria Challancin

Flavors of the Sun International Cooking School

San Miguel de Allende, México

Recipe: Roasted Vegetable-Lentil Moussaka

Roasted Vegetable-Lentil Moussaka

by Victoria Challancin

Yesterday was blustery.  Not really cold, but just cold enough.  Windy.   A day for comfort food.  Thinking of my vegetarian Macedonian husband, I decided on a vegetarian moussaka.  

I've made many variations on this recipe over the years, but this one was particularly satisfying.  It begs for re-interpretation, as most casseroles do.  Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients as this comes together fairly quickly.

A layer of roasted vegetables over a layer of roasted eggplant slices

more layers...

 

 The yogurt topping with sesame and sunflower seeds

 

...and crumbled feta cheese  

[Note to San Miguel readers:  the cheese is artisan feta made and sold by Luna de Queso, across from the Telmex office on Ancha de San Antonio]

 

The finished dish

Roasted Vegetable-Lentil Moussaka

by Victoria Challancin

For the Lentils:

2 cups lentils, cleaned

4 cups water

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled, cut in half

1 onion, peeled and cut in half horizontally

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For the Eggplants:

2 medium eggplants, about 1/4-inch slices

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon dried, crumbled oregano, preferably Greek

1 garlic clove, peeled and pressed or minced

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Vegetables:

4 small zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch diagonal slices (about 2 cups)

1 large onion, cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch half-moons

2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch strips

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, peeled and pressed or minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, dill, or oregano

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Tomatoes:

One 14.5oz can chopped tomatoes or 5 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

Pinch of cinnamon

For the Topping:

1 1/2 cups Greek-style thick yogurt

1/2 cup plain yogurt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Pinch of ground allspice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

White pepper to taste

3–4  tablespoons sesame seeds and sunflower seeds mixed (optional)

3oz feta cheese, crumbled

Place lentils, water, garlic, and onion in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat, cover, and cook until tender.  Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper toward the end of the cooking time.  Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425F/ 220C. Place the eggplant slices in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil, chopped garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.  Toss gently to coat the eggplant slices.  Place on a cooking sheet in one layer.

Roast for 20 minutes. With a spatula, turn eggplant slices to brown the other side.  Continue roasting for 20 minutes, or until tender. Set aside.

Place the zucchini, onion, bell peppers, olive oil, garlic, herb, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Toss gently to coat vegetables with oil and spices.  Spread the vegetables on a cookie sheet.  Roast for 20 minutes, stir gently, and roast for another 15 minutes or until vegetables are roasted but still somewhat firm.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, place the tomatoes in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with a good pinch of cinnamon.  Mix gently.  Add about 3 cups of the cooked lentils [save remaining lentils for a salad] and the cooked vegetable mixture.  Toss gently to mix well.

Grease a large baking dish with olive oil.  Place a layer of roasted eggplant slices on the bottom of the dish.  Top with a layer of the lentils and vegetables, using half. Make another layer of eggplant slices and top with the remaining lentil-vegetable mixture.

To prepare the topping:

Reduce oven temperature to 350F/180C. With a whisk beat the yogurts, eggs, paprika, allspice, parsley, and white pepper together in a medium bowl, Spread over the vegetables and sprinkle with sesame and sunflower seeds.  Crumble the feta cheese over the top. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Let stand at least 5 minutes before serving.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

 

What would I change?
Basically, nothing.  This dish is perfect as casual comfort food just as it is.  I used diced fresh tomatoes, but if I had had a can or, here in Mexico, a carton of diced tomatoes with their juice, I might have used them. As for the seeds on the top...I always add them to casseroles.  Nothing to do with authenticity.  Everything to do with fiber and texture.  Of course they are optional.  Pine nuts would be nice on top as a substitute.

Enjoy!