Bengali-Style Crunchy Potatoes

A reader recently noted that judging by my entries here, I don't cook with potatoes very often. It's not that I don't enjoy potatoes, but in general, I consume carbohydrate packed foods like pasta and potatoes in moderation. My reader's observation got me thinking about the versatility of such foods however, and I quickly recalled one of my favorite spicy potato recipes made with panch phoran, a spice mixture of fenugreek, nigella, mustard, cumin and fennel seeds (also known as panch phoron, panch puran, panchpuran, punch puram, punchpuram, and Bengali five-spice). If you don't happen to have any panch phoran on hand, it's easy to make your own and it keeps in a sealed jar for a good many months.

Depending on the size of your pan and the quantity of potatoes you use, it might be necessary to fry the potatoes in two batches to ensure they brown evenly. Simply set the first batch of potatoes aside while you fry up the second batch and then return all of the potatoes to the pan before adding the spice mixture and lemon juice.

Crunchy Potatoes, Bengali-Style

4 - 5 large potatoes, chopped into cube-sized chunks
3 - 4 tablespoons of ghee, or a mixture of butter and oil
2 tablespoons of panch phoron
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger
3 - 4 fresh chilies, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
juice from one small lemon
1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley or coriander

Boil or steam the potatoes until they are almost tender.

In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Stir and fry the panch phora until it is fragrant. Add the garlic, ginger, chillies and ground spices to the pan and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the contents of the pan to a small bowl and set aside.

Next add the potatoes to the pan, adding more oil if necessary to prevent sticking, and gently fry the potatoes until they are golden brown and crisp - about 10 - 15 minutes. To finish off, add the spice mixture to the cooked potatoes, along with the lemon juice and salt and pepper. Just before serving, sprinkle with fresh parsley or coriander. Serves 4 - 6 people.

Moist chocolate cake

Before the cake, some info: many of you have been asking me about my vacation – thanks, guys!
I went to Paris, Berlin, Rome and London and it was fantastic. Although Rome was incredibly beautiful, the city I liked the most was Berlin. The people are warm, the food was delicious. I would certainly come back one day!

If you are interested in taking a look at my “adventures in Europe”, some of

Whole Wheat Olive Oil Biscuits

I paid a visit to my Dad this past weekend, and as usual, I took advantage of the opportunity to transform some food in his spacious and cook-friendly kitchen. It was a collaborative effort on this occasion, with Dad providing the chili and me, a spicy Indian potato dish, along with some quick and easy biscuits. Though they are filling and made with whole wheat flour, these biscuits are surprising delicate, with a melt in your mouth quality that is not to be resisted. Serve warm with a pat of butter.

Whole Wheat Olive Oil Biscuits

1 cup of unbleached white flour
1 cup of whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
pinch of salt
1/4 cup of butter, chilled
1/4 cup of olive oil
3/4 cup of milk or yogurt
handful of raisins, currants, cranberries, cherries, chopped nuts, fresh or dried berries or any other additions you would like

Grease a large baking sheet with butter or oil.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the oil and butter and cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or a knife and fork until only small pieces are visible. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

Add the milk or yogurt, and stir gently until the dough holds together. If you are adding any fruit, raisins, berries or other additions, stir them in with the milk. Gently shape the dough into 2 inch rounds approximately 1 inch thick and transfer to the baking sheet. Bake in a preheated over for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Makes 8 - 10 biscuits.

Tempeh Cutlets

As I've noted before, tempeh is a traditional Indonesian fermented soybean product that's not only an excellent source of protein and vitamin B12 for vegetarians but also a very malleable, versatile and easy-to-use staple for cooking. But as with most soy products made in the West, the product you see in stores is not always made in processes that deliver the benefits that they're supposed to. In the case of tempeh, modern hygienic standards actually inhibit the growth of beneficial cultures that otherwise remove through fermentation the enzyme inhibitors and phytates that block the absorption of essential minerals and proteins in soybeans. Make sure to find tempeh that's been properly innoculated with Rhizopus culture — if you live in Ontario, I recommend the tempeh products from the Noble Bean.

I had just bought a package of tempeh the other week when I happened to come across a recipe for tempeh cutlets at Dhivya Karthik's Culinary Bazaar that looked too tempting to ignore. And I'm glad I didn't. After I added a few coriander and fennel seeds to the recipe and brushed the cutlets with a little tamari sauce to boot, I found them to be absolutely delicious and a great way to serve up a light lunch or supper. Although very tasty just on their own, they'd also go great with your favourite sauce or chutney, as Dhivya advises, so I made up a simple Roasted Toor Dal and Coconut Chutney to pour over them. Mmm…

So here's Dhivya's recipe with a few little modifications of my own:

Tempeh cutlets

1 lemongrass stalk, outer leaves removed, and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 scallions, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, chopped
1-inch piece fresh ginger, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
juice of 1 small lemon
12 ounces tempeh, crumbled
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
tamari sauce
olive oil

In a food processor or blender, grind the lemongrass, garlic, scallions, onion, jalapeños, ginger, coriander leaves and seeds, fennel seeds, and lemon juice into a coarse paste. Add the tempeh and grate until combined.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the flour, sugar, salt and pepper.

Pour ¼-inch of olive oil into a large cast-iron frying pan and heat over medium heat. Meanwhile, rub a little oil into your hands and shape the tempeh mixture into patties. When the oil is hot, place the patties in the pan and fry until the bottoms are golden-brown, about 6 - 8 minutes. Before turning, brush a little tamari sauce on each patty and wait a minute. Fry the other side, brushing a little more tamari sauce on each patty, for 2 - 3 minutes.

Remove to a plate and drain the excess oil with paper towel.

Serve hot. Makes about 10 3-inch hamburger-sized patties.

Roasted Toor Dal & Coconut Chutney

Coconut or dal chutneys are popular accompaniments to rice dishes in the southern regions of India, and this very simple toovar nariyal chatni slightly adapted from Yamuna Devi's Lord Krishna's Cuisine has both for the best of both worlds. Very fragrant with a mellow aroma of roasted nuts, you'll want to taste it even before it's finished. Toor dal, also seen as toovar dal, is easily available at any Indian grocery store but ordinary yellow split peas can be substituted for just as delicious a chutney.

Roasted toor dal & coconut chutney

1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/4 cup toor dal
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded dried coconut
2 jalapeño peppers, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup warm water

Heat the sesame oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. When hot, toss in the black mustard seeds and fry until they begin to sputter. Add the toor dal and fry, stirring often, for a minute or two until the color darkens a shade or two. Add the coconut and continue to fry for another 2 minutes until the mixture darkens and becomes very fragrant. Remove from heat.

Place the mixture in a food processor and pulse repeatedly to chop the dal and process into almost a moist powder. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth or slightly chunky, as desired.

Transfer to a bowl, cover and set aside for at least 2 hours to thicken before serving. Serve at room temperature, ladled over hot rice if desired. Makes about a cup and a half of chutney that can be refrigerated, covered, for 1 - 2 days.

Staple Corner: Kamut Porridge and Chopped Dates

It's no secret these days that whole grains are essential to a proper and well-balanced diet, but it's important not to get pulled in by the whole grains marketing of commercially packaged foods like breads, granolas, cereals and snacks — as I've noted before, the quality and processing of grains in mass production methods negates most of their benefits.

Fortunately, making a top quality whole grain breakfast porridge is almost as fast and easy as toasting a bagel or pouring a bowl of boxed cereal, and a lot tastier and more economical. Oat or wheat porridges are most common in this part of the world, but almost any grain can be made into porridge, including rice, quinoa, millet and rye.

One of my favourite grains for breakfast porridge is kamut, an ancient type of wheat believed to have originated in ancient Egypt and only recently cultivated again in modern times after the discovery of a few seeds in the tomb of King Tutankhamen. Rolled kamut flakes can now be found in most health food stores. Compared to most wheat, kamut is richer in protein, magnesium, zinc, B vitamins and vitamin E, and unsaturated fatty acids, and is more easily digestible and generally tolerated by people with gluten sensitivities.

Kamut porridge is a great way to start the day with a high energy food, and its natural nutty flavour is very appealing even by itself. Like any grain porridge, it goes well with any kind of nut, seed or fruit, but I find that the flavour of kamut goes especially nicely with the sweetness of dried dates, which also provides your breakfast with a great source of fibre and potassium.

Kamut porridge and chopped dates

1 cup rolled kamut flakes
2 cups water
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
dash of vanilla
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped

Soak kamut flakes in water overnight in a small saucepan. In the morning, stir in the salt and bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until most of the water is absorbed.

Stir in the vanilla and chopped dates. As always, whole grains should always be eaten with good fatty dairy products to provide the catalyst for mineral absorption, so serve with a pat of butter or a dollop of cream, and a little brown sugar or maple syrup if desired. Serves two.

Nigerian Red Kidney Bean Stew

I was wondering what to make the other day for dinner and I came across a recipe for Nigerian Red Kidney Bean Stew with a Peanut Sauce. This stew reminded me of the Nigerian Baked Beans I posted here shortly after Lisa's Kitchen went live in the blogosphere. Both recipes include peanut butter and both are adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian, a cookbook that I have been exploring more and more of late as I look for new creations to try and share.


The original recipe calls for smooth peanut butter, but like I do with the baked beans, I use natural crunchy peanut butter. If desired, add a cup of corn when you add the tomato mixture to the pot of beans. Serve with rice and a vegetable dish.

Nigerian Red Kidney Bean Stew with a Peanut Sauce

1 1/2 cups of dried red kidney beans or a combination of dried kidney beans and pinto beans
3 tablespoons of sesame oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 jalapeno peppers, finely diced
1 - 2 red cayenne peppers, finely diced
2 teaspoons of ground cumin
1 cup of tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
juice from one small lemon
3 tablespoons of peanut butter
2 teaspoons of sea salt

Soak the beans in water overnight. Drain the soaking liquid, and cook the beans in a large pot in 5 cups of water for about an hour or until the beans are tender. Do not drain.

Heat the oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and peppers. Stir and fry for about 5 minutes. Add the cumin, stir, then add the tomato sauce, cayenne, lemon juice and 1/2 cup of water. Stir to blend, bring to a simmer and then turn the heat to low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

While the tomato mixture is simmering, put the peanut butter in a small bowl. Slowly add about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid from the beans, mixing as you add the water. Stir the peanut butter mixture into the cooked beans, along with the salt.

When the tomato mixture is finished cooking, pour it into the cooked beans and stir. Bring to simmer, cover, and gently cook for 10 - 15 minutes.