Indian Appetizers

[Monica Bhide]

I have been asked to bring a few Indian inspired appetizers to a friend's Thanksgiving party tomorrow night. So far I have -- Bread Rolls stuffed with spiced potatoes, Tapioca Fritters and Potato Pomegrante Chaat... looking for other suggestions.. they are vegetarians....

[rstarobi]

Maybe to fit the theme, some sort of corn utthampam? With a cranberry chutney perhaps..

[Suvir Saran]

Maybe to fit the theme, some sort of corn utthampam?  With a cranberry chutney perhaps..

And how do you make these Rstarobi? They sound delicious!

[tigerwoman]

You already have alot of potato things but we make a cheaters masala dosai using a whole wheat tortilla, mashed potatoes and coconut cilantro chutney (that we assimilated based on the Hampton Chutney Company's Cilantro Chutney).

Could do other types of Dosai this way too

What about curried egg in a wonton cup (cut wonton sheets to size spray with oil or pam and press into mini tartlet molds.

Again the wonton cups could be used as a vehicle for other savoury things.

Another thing that comes to mind is rice pilau stuffed mushroom with cashews and almonds. - you could add dried cranberry here if you wanted the thanksgiving connection.

We made a asian vegetarian stuffed mushroom once with sticky rice and fermented black beans with a touch of basil - it was very tasty and reheated well.

[Suvir Saran]

All of this is making me Hungry!

[Suvir Saran]

Grilled Chile-Cheese Toasts

Fresh spices and jalapeños add a twist to these open-faced grilled cheese sandwiches. Serve them with a mixed green salad for a satisfying lunch.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 pound whole milk mozzarella, shredded

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 medium tomato, finely chopped and drained on paper towels

2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Twelve 1/2-inch-thick slices hearty whole wheat bread

Steps

1. Preheat the broiler. In a large bowl, mash together all of the ingredients except the bread.

2. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast them until lightly browned. Let cool slightly, then turn the toasts over and spread the mozzarella cheese mixture on top. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until melted and lightly browned. Serve hot.

-- Stephanie Lyness and Suvir Saran

Food & Wine Magazine

Recipe from thread on Cheese in Indian cooking

[Suvir Saran]

Spicy Bread and Tomato Salad

This refreshing salad is unique in a couple of ways: It's made with whole wheat bread, which adds nuttiness, and it's got a warm, spice-infused dressing. Use a hearty bakery loaf rather than packaged sandwich bread.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

12 thick slices whole wheat bread, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 15 cups)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 large onion, halved crosswise and sliced

2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped

Salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/3 cup plain whole milk yogurt, stirred until smooth

2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped

1 medium European cucumber, peeled and cut into small dice

Juice of 1/2 lime

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Spread the diced bread out on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast for 6 to 7 minutes, or until dry on the outside. Remove from the oven.

2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet. Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add the onion and jalapeños, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened but not browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in the cayenne pepper and the yogurt. Add the toasted bread and stir gently to coat with the dressing. Stir in the tomatoes, cover and cook until the bread is softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Gently stir in the cucumber and lime juice and season with salt. Spoon the salad onto individual plates and serve.

-- Stephanie Lyness and Suvir Saran

Food & Wine Magazine

Bread in Indian cooking thread

[Suvir Saran]

WARM POTATO SALAD

Aloo Chaat

Serves 4

This is Delhi street food at its best. You’d buy it from a vendor selling made-to-order snacks (“chaats”) from a cart stocked with a variety of prepared foods that he tosses together at the whim of the customer. It would be plated on a large, dried leaf with a toothpick as a utensil. According to your specification, the vendor would add more or less of one of the chutneys, more or less spice and hot chili.

I often serve aloo chaat at parties as one of several appetizers. It also makes a good lunch, with an egg; if you find yourself eating it that way, count on serving only two from this recipe. Traditionally this is made with “chaat masala”, a rather complex spice mixture, but I’ve simplified the recipe by omitting it and adjusting the quantities of chutneys to compensate.

1 1/2 pounds (about 4) red boiling potatoes

3 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons Green Chutney (page 000)

2 tablespoons Tamarind Chutney (page 000)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 fresh, hot green chili, chopped (optional)

1 teaspoon ground toasted cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon garam masala (page 000)

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Simmer the potatoes in water to cover until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Chill, then peel and cut into 1-inch cubes.

2. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and cook, covered, turning the potatoes with a spatula every 3 or 4 minutes, until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

3. Put the potatoes in a bowl with all of the remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Serve hot or at room temperature.

I have posted this recipe in the Thanksgiving thread as well. But this seems like a more appropriate thread for it to be.

[tigerwoman]

Grilled Chile-Cheese Toasts

Fresh spices and jalapeños add a twist to these open-faced grilled cheese sandwiches.

Hey - this is a prime example of something else that could be converted into a quesidilla.

[Suvir Saran]

Grilled Chile-Cheese Toasts

Fresh spices and jalapeños add a twist to these open-faced grilled cheese sandwiches.

Hey - this is a prime example of something else that could be converted into a quesidilla.

Absolutely!

In fact many of those that have eaten Quesadillas in my kitchen seem to think they are sublime made by me. And I really do nothing special. Just some pico de gallo, some guacamole, some cheese and fresh tortillas.

And now this idea you give.... yummmm...

[rstarobi]

And how do you make these Rstarobi? They sound delicious!

Actually Suvir, I was hoping someone else would come up with a recipe! I'm decent at the conceptual aspects of cooking, but I'm still working on the fundamentals of actually making things.

[Suvir Saran]

And how do you make these Rstarobi? They sound delicious!

Actually Suvir, I was hoping someone else would come up with a recipe! I'm decent at the conceptual aspects of cooking, but I'm still working on the fundamentals of actually making things.

Now you have the recipe...

What else would you need?

Post and I am sure there are many here that will help eagerly.

[Suvir Saran]

And how do you make these Rstarobi? They sound delicious!

Actually Suvir, I was hoping someone else would come up with a recipe! I'm decent at the conceptual aspects of cooking, but I'm still working on the fundamentals of actually making things.

And... what happened?

[rstarobi]

Sorry about the delay, long weekend - I ended up making an Aloo Chaat (largely from Julie Sahnie's recipe book) which went very nicely with the Hummus, Baba Ghanouj and other dips that we had for dinner. It turned out to be spiced well, but I undercooked the potatoes slightly, giving them more crunch than I wanted. From Monica's advice, I added pomegranate seeds to the mix, which my mother (admittedly a devoted pomegranate junky) thought was a great addition.

It was especially fascinating to use asafetida and black salt for the first time and see how they interacted with the other spices to form a pleasant flavor out of conflicting smells that were sometimes unpleasant.

[jtraceynj]

Suvir, a friend asked me:

"What do you use when it calls for a "fresh hot green chili" as almost every recipe does? I use a small amount of jalapeno because that's all I can find, but Madhur Jaffrey says that's wrong!"

Can you help?

[Suvir Saran]

Suvir, a friend asked me:

"What do you use when it calls for a "fresh hot green chili" as almost every recipe does?  I use a small amount of jalapeno because that's all I can find, but Madhur Jaffrey says that's wrong!"

Can you help?

[Monica Bhide]

Sorry about the delay, long weekend - I ended up making an Aloo Chaat (largely from Julie Sahnie's recipe book) which went very nicely with the Hummus, Baba Ghanouj and other dips that we had for dinner.  It turned out to be spiced well, but I undercooked the potatoes slightly, giving them more crunch than I wanted.  From Monica's advice, I added pomegranate seeds to the mix, which my mother (admittedly a devoted pomegranate junky) thought was a great addition. 

It was especially fascinating to use asafetida and black salt for the first time and see how they interacted with the other spices to form a pleasant flavor out of conflicting smells that were sometimes unpleasant.

I am so glad you enjoyed the pomegrante seeds. Seems like folks in the West are taking a lot of notice of this humble food (recently, I have noticed many articles on it). I am such a huge fan. You mentioned your mom loves them, what special dishes does she make with them?

[rstarobi]

I am so glad you enjoyed the pomegrante seeds. Seems like folks in the West are taking a lot of notice of this humble food (recently, I have noticed many articles on it). I am such a huge fan. You mentioned your mom loves them, what special dishes does she make with them?

My mom doesn't really cook anymore (she did much more when I was young), but instead prefers to halve the pomegranates and eat the seeds by themselves, a habit I've taken on from her. This was the first dish I've ever cooked using them in any way (though by the success of this one, not the last).

[Monica Bhide]

I have been asked to bring a few Indian inspired appetizers to a friend's Thanksgiving party tomorrow night. So far I have -- Bread Rolls stuffed with spiced potatoes, Tapioca Fritters and Potato Pomegrante Chaat... looking for other suggestions.. they are vegetarians....

Also made, deep fried paneer topped with a tomato chutney and lentil wafers or papad stuffed with a mouthwatering peanuty salad

[Suvir Saran]

I have been asked to bring a few Indian inspired appetizers to a friend's Thanksgiving party tomorrow night. So far I have -- Bread Rolls stuffed with spiced potatoes, Tapioca Fritters and Potato Pomegrante Chaat... looking for other suggestions.. they are vegetarians....

Also made, deep fried paneer topped with a tomato chutney and lentil wafers or papad stuffed with a mouthwatering peanuty salad

Pictures or recipes please..

Or both...

These sound delicious.

[Monica Bhide]

I can certainly do recipes, the tomato chutney, I make is similar to your Suvir, I then spread the chutney on a gorgeous crytal plate and place tiny cubes of paneer in concentric circles in top of the chuntey. Once the paneer was deep fried, I tossed it lightly in a touch of chaat masala and toasted ground cumin seeds...just a touch so as not to over power the taste of the chuteny.

THe papad recipe could not be simpler. Lightly wet the papads, roll them and then deep fry them.. I did them in the shape of a horn. Place them on a place and then place the salad towards the mouth of the papad so that they appear to be in cornucopia (sp?). It is a delightful appetizer for the holidays. THe salad consisted of: diced tomatoes, onions, cucumber, cilatro, a touch of lemon juice, salt and a healthy dose of crushed peanuts. A variation would be to temper the salad with ghee and cumin seeds.. if you like. A tip here is the dice all the veges as small as you can get them.... Depending on the taste of the crowd, I also add chaat masala to the salad sometimes, gives it s anice kick. THe papad I used are aloo and mirchi papad (potatoes and red chilie), they fry to a nice deep red color and give the dish a very festive look

[Monica Bhide]

I am so glad you enjoyed the pomegrante seeds. Seems like folks in the West are taking a lot of notice of this humble food (recently, I have noticed many articles on it). I am such a huge fan. You mentioned your mom loves them, what special dishes does she make with them?

My mom doesn't really cook anymore (she did much more when I was young), but instead prefers to halve the pomegranates and eat the seeds by themselves, a habit I've taken on from her. This was the first dish I've ever cooked using them in any way (though by the success of this one, not the last).

One more thing, I thought your mom might enjoy is chicken marinated in pomegrante juice, broiled or grilled and then diced and served on baby greens!

Enjoy