beef and potato samosas

on a trip to india

i was slightly obsessed with street food

i had convinced myself

i would find authenticity and flavor

only imagined

what i hadn't considered

was

how difficult it would be

to convince others

to stop the car

and

dig in 

one afternoon

while sitting in the hotel bar

overlooking the taj mahal

i inquired if the kitchen could fix us a few snacks

typical of what locals might eat

surprisingly

they couldn't accommodate

unless

we took the meal 

in our room

you see

my request of samosa, pakora and the like

wasn't upmarket enough for the hotel

if we ate it in secret

they would fix it

fine.

by.

me.

lounging on our hotel room balcony

watching the sun set over the taj

while sipping cocktails

is a treat

doing it while

enjoying a loaded platter of savory treats

with

spicy chutneys

is an experience i won't soon forget

 

beef and potato samosas

(printable recipe)

(while the samosas served did not contain beef, i find it a great addition)

1 lb ground beef (max 15% fat)

1 1/2 cup russet or yukon gold potatoes--peeled and cubed

3 Tbs vegetable oil

1 cup onion--finely chopped

1 tsp garlic--finely minced

1 tsp ginger--peeled and finely minced

1 tsp thai bird chili--finely minced

juice of half a lime

2 Tbs fresh cilantro--finely chopped

square wonton wrappers (small for appetizer size)*

oil for frying

MASALA

1 Tbs whole coriander seed--toasted and ground

1 tsp whole cumin seed--toasted and ground

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp turmeric

small pinch cinnamon

1 tsp kosher salt

Boil potatoes in salted water. Mash and set aside. Saute onion in vegetable oil until golden.  Add ginger, garlic, and chili.  Stir for about 3 minutes.  Add Masala and continue to stir.  Add ground beef and continue to cook until no longer pink. Let cool. Stir in lime juice, cilantro and mashed potato.

Make a cone with the wonton wrapper, sealing sides with water.  Again using water to seal, close the cone and set on a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper and dusted with cornstarch.  You may refrigerate for several hours at this point, or freeze for future use.

Heat oil in  heavy bottom pot to 350F.  Drop samosas in a few at a time, careful not to crowd the pan.  Cook until nicely browned.  Serve warm or room temperature with raita and a variety of chutney.

*you may make your own samosa wrappers, as i do on occasion when i want larger portions...but i find the wontons, while not authentic, perfectly delicious and very convenient.

Samosa Wrappers

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp kosher salt

1/3-1 cup water

sift flour, add salt.  add water a little at a time and mix until you have a soft, but not sticky dough.  cover and let sit for about 30 minutes.  divide dough into 6 portions.  flatten each portion into a disk.  roll each disk to a 6" circle.  cover and let rest about 15 minutes.  roll each circle further into a 12" circle.  heat a griddle and toast each circle slightly (but do not fully dry out).  cut each circle into quarters.  fashion each quarter into a cone and fill.  use water or egg wash to seal the edges and close the wrapper over the filling.  fry in 350F oil until golden brown.

Tuesday Night Supper Club--Tortilla Española

Guest Blogger Alert!

We once again have a guest blogger for our Tuesday Night Supper Club.  I am so excited to introduce you to Lois. Lois and I "met" on foodbuzz.com  She is a fabulous and inventive cook, who has wonderful stories to go with her recipes.  I have made many of her recipes and have loved them all.  Tortilla Espanola is a favorite of mine as well. I never thought to make it a "cocktail appetizer" before, but I am definitely going to now.  Another simple and easy dinner solution for the busy family.

If you want to see more of her recipes and learn more about her exciting life, please visit Lois at Food is My Love Language

My husband was stationed in Spain during our Air Force days, and we fell in love with Spanish food.  I would often order tortilla when dining out.  It's a staple on Spanish menus. 
We were served a small bite of tortilla with roasted green pepper at a tasca in Segovia.  The combination of flavors is fantastic and one we've continued to put together!

I was thrilled to find a recipe and learn the proper technique for making tortilla when we returned to the states.  This Spanish favorite, a potato and onion omelet bares no similarity to Mexican tortillas, except that they are both round and somewhat flat.

I usually serve it in wedges for dinner (or breakfast) or 1-inch squares for an appetizer. Serve with roasted peppers or salsa. The simple ingredients make this the perfect dish to prepare when the cupboard is bare.

Ingredients
Adapted from The Foods & Wines of Spain

1 c. olive oil
4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8 inch slices
coarse salt
1 large onion, thinly sliced
6 - 8 large eggs

Directions

This technique takes some practice, be sure to read through it before beginning.


Heat the oil in a skillet, add the potato slices one at a time. Alternate layers of potato with layers of onion, salt the layers lightly. Cook over medium heat, turning to potatoes frequently, until tender but not brown.

While the potatoes are cooking, beat 6 eggs in a large bowl, salt lightly. Remove potatoes from the oil and drain. (Keep the oil, you'll need 3 T. for remainder of this recipe; it picks up a great flavor from the potatoes and onion so you may want the rest for future use.)

Add the potato mixture to the beaten eggs, pressing them down so they are completely covered in egg. Add additional beaten eggs if necessary. Let the mixture sit 15 minutes

Wash the skillet, it's imperative that the pan be spotless (and dry) before the next step.

Heat 2 T. of the reserved oil in the skillet over high heat until very hot. Add the potato and egg mixture, spreading it evenly in the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-high and shake the pan to prevent sticking. When the mixture begins to brown, invert a plate of the same size (or slightly larger) over the skillet. Holding the plate in place, flip the skillet and the plate, putting the tortilla onto the plate; add 1 T. of reserved oil to the pan, slide the tortilla back into the skillet to brown the other side. (If the pan wasn't hot enough, some pieces may have stuck to the bottom. Scrap them off and fit them back into place. They'll reattach as you continue to flip the tortilla.)

Lower the heat to medium. Flip the tortilla 4 or 5 more times (this helps with the shape), cooking for a bit on each side, 8 - 10 minutes in total. Spaniards like their tortilla to be a little juicy inside; I prefer my eggs cooked all the way through. Adjust cooking time accordingly. Transfer to a platter and serve hot or at room temperature.

EAT UP!

I am always looking for guest bloggers. Please email me at christy@luciagrace(dot)net

Be sure and let us know if you try this recipe! You can find Lois at http://foodlovelanguage.blogspot.com/

Chorizo Hash

i like my breakfast to taste like lunch

and

i think i might possibly have a slight potato addiction

so 

when i think about hash

i get glassy-eyed

because 

it is quite possibly

the perfect breakfast food

the best part is

it is so versatile

and yummy 

with any and all types of meat

and here's what else

it is a good hangover food

which i know

doesn't apply to you

or me

but you might know someone

who

 has maybe once or twice

overindulged

Chorizo Hash
(printable recipe)

2 medium russet potatoes--small cube

3 links chorizo--chopped or crumbled

1/2 large onion--finely diced

3 scallions--chopped

1 tsp garlic powder

olive oil

salt and pepper

plop cubed potatoes into a bowl of cold water for at least 5 minutes.  Drain and thoroughly dry.  In a large skillet, brown the onion and chorizo.  Toss the potatoes in a bit of olive oil, then drop into the pan with the chorizo.  Saute until the potatoes are cooked through and begin to brown. Just as the potatoes are starting to brown, toss in the scallions, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve as a side dish or top with a fried egg (or even a chicken breast) for a complete meal.