One of the things that I have been really enjoying in having a home base is the kitchen that has everything I want and use. Although all the places we were housed in during our assignments had all the essentials and sometimes more, the things weren't things I chose, so having a kitchen where everything is mine has given me a great pleasure, and I've been spending a lot of time in the kitchen. I like posting new recipes I try and like as a good way to archive and save them in my blog, where I know where to find them in the future, and since I signed up for March Madness (blogging every day), I suspect you guys will be seeing a lot of recipe posts.
During Great Lent (when I give up meat, fish, dairy and eggs), I turn to the Indian cuisine a lot for hardy and delicious recipes. Since a big part of India eats no meat, fish or egg for religious purposes and cheese is not authentic to their cuisine, it is normally easy for me to find satisfying vegan recipes. In this recipe, I went to Goa, India's smallest state, for a creamy, delicious and hot potato soup. I found the recipe in Every Day Soup book by Anne Sheaby, and the book suggested serving the soup with spiced pea samosas (which are traditionally fried in India, but the Middle-eastern version--normally stuffed with meat--bakes them, so I used the Indian stuffing but baked them for a healthier approach). The samosas were spicy, delicious and extremely fulfilling. I definitely would be using this recipe again.
Goan Potato Soup
2 Tbsp. sunflower oil
2 Tsp. black mustard seeds
1 large onion, chopped
1 chili, seeded and chopped (green or red)
1/2 Tsp. ground turmeric
1/4 Tsp. cayenne pepper
2lb potatoes, cut into cubes (I left them unpeeled, but you can peel them if you wish)
4 fresh curry leaves*
3 cups water
8 oz. spinach leaves (tear if large)
1 14 oz. can coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste
Handful of fresh cilantro leaves
*There is really no substitute for curry leaves that I found. I asked a few Indian co-workers and they are not aware of any substitute for curry leaves either. Hopefully you are lucky enough to live near and Indian grocery store where they have fresh curry leaves. I love using curry leaves for taste and health benefits, I actually buy a handful when I go to the Indian grocery store and use them in many dishes.
Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the mustard seeds, cover and cook until they begin to pop. Add the onion and chili and cook for five to six minutes, until softened. Stir in the turmeric, cayenne, potatoes, curry leaves and water. Cover and cook over a low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are soft. Add the spinach leaves and cook for five minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and cook for another five minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add the cilantro leaves before ladling the soup into bowls.
Spiced Pea Samosas
For the Dough
2.5 cups all purpose flour (I actually used wheat flour I had on hand)
1/4 Tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sunflower oil
2/3 cup warm water
For the Filling
2 Tbsp. sunflower oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1.5 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
1 chili, seeded and finely chopped
3 Tbsp. water
12 oz. cooked potatoes, finely diced (I bakes a potato in the microwave)
1.5 Tsp. ground coriander
1 Tsp. garam masala (in the spices aisle in some stores like Whole Foods or the Indian store)
1.5 Tsp. ground cumin
1/4 Tsp. cayenne pepper
2 Tsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
Mix the flour and salt in a bowl and make a well in the middle. Add the oil and water gradually and mix the flour to make a soft dough. Knead briefly on a floured surface and wrap the dough in clear plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
To make the filling, heat the oil in a frying pan and add the onion. Cook for six minutes until golden and add the peas, ginger, chili and water. Cover and simmer for five to six minutes. Add the potatoes, spices and lemon juice and cook over low heat for two to three minutes. Stir in the cilantro and leave to cool.
Heat oven to 375 F.
Divide the dough into eight. On a floured surface, roll out one piece into a 7-inch round. Traditionally, the round piece is then cut in half and rolled into a triangle. But I left the whole round piece intact,placed about three or four tablespoons of the filling and then folded the edges together. I used a fork to press the edges shut.Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Place the samosas on a non-stick baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the dough is cooked.
Comments (15)
I love recipe posts so keep them coming. I love Indian food and flavors, and this soup sounds wonderful. I'm impressed that you made samosas from scratch!
http://newurbanbalance.com/index.html
I stumbled across this blog recently and made the Lentil Sloppy Joes last night. They were easy and delicious and would work for Great Lent, I think.
Posted by Annie | March 2, 2010 8:41 AM
Posted on March 2, 2010 08:41
Annie, making the samosas from scratch was not hard at all, the dough was pretty easy to handle, I thought,
That recipe looks really good, and it work great for Lent. I have all the ingredients on hand too. I wonder if it would work in the slow cooker? I am going to try slow cooking it tonight , since we are going to yoga this evening, and I don't want to have dinner too early, or wait until after yoga to prepare dinner. Normally on these yoga nights I set up my slow cooker before we leave to yoga class, and come home to a ready meal, I think this would work (thinking out loud here).
Posted by Candi | March 2, 2010 12:13 PM
Posted on March 2, 2010 12:13
sounds delicious. I love indian food
Posted by angie | March 2, 2010 12:46 PM
Posted on March 2, 2010 12:46
I really like Indian flavours too. I wonder if samosas can be found ready made in my grocery store...I don't fare very well making anything that resembles pastry or dough!
Posted by Anne | March 2, 2010 1:12 PM
Posted on March 2, 2010 13:12
Anne, I imagine they would have ready made samosas, although I've never really looked personally.
Posted by Candi | March 2, 2010 2:32 PM
Posted on March 2, 2010 14:32
Those samosas look yummy. I'll be giving your recipe a go soon, but I have a feeling my final product wont be as nice looking as yours!
Posted by maya | March 2, 2010 5:14 PM
Posted on March 2, 2010 17:14
Candi, I love coming back on a regular basis to read your posts. You are such an adventurous cook and all your things sound so interesting and inviting. Also enjoying all your photos of places you have been. Glad you are blogging in the March Madness!
Posted by Barb Cabot | March 2, 2010 7:01 PM
Posted on March 2, 2010 19:01
No Indian Markets nearby. Will have to try the Spice Shop which is nearby and has a wide variety of spices.This looks really good!
Posted by sheri | March 2, 2010 9:04 PM
Posted on March 2, 2010 21:04
Looks like a great soup, really warm and flavourful!
Posted by sandrac | March 2, 2010 9:39 PM
Posted on March 2, 2010 21:39
I love samosas! I don't make them but I buy them at Whole Foods.
The soup looks delicious. I've never heard of curry leaves before.
Posted by Maria I. | March 2, 2010 9:52 PM
Posted on March 2, 2010 21:52
The soup sounds wonderful. I love Goan food.
Posted by Marta | March 2, 2010 11:23 PM
Posted on March 2, 2010 23:23
Glad you liked the sloppy joes! I really liked them a lot and will definitely make them again. Did you cook the lentils before you put it all in the slow cooker?
There are some other bean recips on that blog that I want to try. :)
Posted by Annie | March 4, 2010 9:33 AM
Posted on March 4, 2010 09:33
Annie, actually I just sauteed the onion and garlic, then dumped everything including the uncooked lentils in the slow cooker and set it on high for two hours. My slow cooker doesn't let much water escape so I actually only used two cups of water instead of the four. (Oh and I added some finely diced celery). It was very easy to prepare and turned out delicious, not to mention very healthy. We thank you for the recommendation.
Posted by Candi | March 4, 2010 10:35 AM
Posted on March 4, 2010 10:35
Can't get much easier than that! Celery is a good addition too. So glad you liked it!
Posted by Annie | March 5, 2010 10:10 AM
Posted on March 5, 2010 10:10
This looks wonderful! Bookmarking to make.
Posted by amy | March 8, 2010 8:26 PM
Posted on March 8, 2010 20:26