Ragada (Potato Cakes with Spicy Chickpea Sauce)

Serves 4.

Leftover Potential: The cakes may lose some of their crispness, but this makes a great lunch the next day.

Potato Cakes:

2 large potatoes, peeled, diced

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp garam masala

salt, as needed

1/3 cup bread crumbs

oil, as needed for frying

1. Place the potatoes in a medium pot. Cover with water by 2 inches, season with salt, and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20-30 minutes.

2. Drain the potatoes and transfer them to a large bowl. Mash them until mostly smooth.

3. Season the potatoes with spices and salt. Add the bread crumbs, and mix to combine.

4. Form the potato mixture into patties and set aside. In a large skillet, heat about 1/4″ of oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the cakes and saute until they are golden brown and crisp on the outside, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Ragada

2 Tbsp oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, minced

2 tsp ginger, minced

2 Tbsp red curry paste

2 Tbsp garam masala

2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

pinch cayenne pepper

1 cup crushed tomatoes

2 1/2 cups chickpeas, cooked (one 14 oz can works fine)

1/2 cup Greek Yogurt

2 Tbsp cilantro, roughly chopped

salt, to taste

1/2 cup red onions, minced

1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno, and ginger, and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.

2. Add the curry paste and spices, and stir until they are slightly toasted, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer until slightly reduced and thick, about 8-10 minutes.

3. Stir in the chickpeas, yogurt, and cilantro, and stir until heated through. Season with salt.

4. Place two potato cakes onto a plate, and cover with chickpea sauce. Garnish with raw red onions and cilantro to taste.

I love Indian food. So I was delighted when the September Daring Cook’s Challenge (my first challenge!) was announced as dosas, which I love. I also loved that Debyi, the host for this month’s challenge chose a recipe that’s vegan and gluten free! I have a friend who is a vegan and the key to making delicious treats she loves is making things that are naturally vegan – like these dosas!

However, since I make Indian food a lot…I thought maybe I could try something different. Using some of my favorite spices common to Indian food, I changed the remaining ingredients slightly to make a Central American – Indian fusion dosa. Sound ridiculous? I swear it’s so good. The corn flour made a deliciously tender and flavorful dosa. The filling has the same texture and some of the great, spicy flavors of the original chickpea filling. And the creamy and fresh cilantro sauce cools it all down.

The result was amazing – all Indian food is packed with flavor due to all the incredible spices, but in this dish they came through even more because they were’nt smothered behind an overly thick, fatty sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll never abandon my now-perfected Chicken Tikka Masala recipe, but this does provide an answer for all you Indian food junkies out there who are occasionally looking for a healthier option (you know who you are).

Indian Spiced Pork

Served 2.
Leftover Potential: Reheats smashingly, and the flavors intensify over time.

1 Tbsp oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp ginger, minced
salt, as needed
pepper, as needed
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp tumeric
2 tsp paprika
2 Tbsp garam masala
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1/3 cup Greek yogurt

1 Tbsp oil
1 pound lean pork
salt, as needed
pepper, as needed
garam masala, as needed to coat

1. In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until aromatic, about 1 minute.
2. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, tumeric, paprika, and garam masala. Cook until fragrant, toasty aromas emit from the spices. Add the tomato paste and stir until browned slightly, 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes and continue to cook until heated through. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the Greek yogurt.
4. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Season the pork with salt, pepper, and garam masalsa. Cook the pork until nicely browned on both sides, and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Toss in warm sauce to coat. Serve with rice (I used tasty brown rice cooked with garlic and chicken stock) and grilled scallions.

I believe I audibly gasped. NOT LIKE VALENTINO’S? What was wrong with this boy? It seemed to me we had just been there recently, and how could he have possibly changed his mind so quickly? He told me, quite matter-of-factly that he had disliked it for awhile, but continued to go because the family liked it. He said his tastes were changing as he got older. Well, since it was not my mother’s favorite restaurant either, we quickly moved on to bigger, better, and theoretically tastier things.

A few years later, we were spending a lot of time in a neighboring city, which, among other things, was home to an excellent Indian restaurant. I tasted the food once and was not a fan. I would pout and roll my eyes when my mother and brother suggested we go to India Palace. But, being outnumbered, I often lost. I longed for the days of Valentino’s and my generic, bland buffet choices back.

Then, one day around the time I turned 13 or 14, some friends called to invite me to dinner. They were going to India Palace. Ugh. I went anyway, since I couldn’t pout or roll my eyes over the phone. At the dinner, my friends ordered and array of dishes, and I tried each one. The first thing I tasted was Butter Chicken, an Americanized creamy, mildly spicy chicken dish which was even more delicious when eaten with Naan, a fluffy flatbread. It became my food of choice when my mother and brother would suggest India Palace – an excellent beginner Indian food.

“How could you change your mind so quickly?” my brother teased.
“I guess my tastes are changing as I get older,” I said, and dipped my naan into my bowl, sopping up the delicious sauce.

Butter Chicken with Cilantro-Garlic Naan


Served 2.
Leftover Potential: Reheats very well. The naan never lasts in my house, but it would keep too if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and reheated in a saute pan. Made 2 meals after the initial dinner.


Butter Chicken
1 lb chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp ginger, minced
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oil


2 Tbsp oil
2 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp Garam Masala
1 Tbsp ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
2 tsp chili powder
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups peas
salt, as needed


1/4 cup cream
1 handful of cashews
cilantro, roughly chopped, to taste


1. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, garlic, ginger, yogurt, chili powder, and oil. Toss well to coat completely. Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate and allow to marinate for 2-4 hours.
2. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium low heat. Add the spices and cook for a few seconds, until fragrant. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the bell peppers and cook until beginning to soften. Season with chili powder.
3. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer until reduced slightly and the mixture is a little thicker, about 8-10 minutes. Add the peas and season with salt.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread the marinated chicken onto a lightly greased baking sheet and roast in the oven until beginning to brown. Toss the chicken to turn and continue roasting until evenly browned and cooked through.
5. Add the warm chicken to the sauce and toss to coat. Finish the sauce with cream, cashews, cilantro, and any other additional seasonings as desired. Serve immediately with warm naan.


Cilantro-Garlic Naan
1 lb AP flour
pinch salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1 package yeast
3/4 cup water, warm
1/3 cup yogurt
oil, for brushing
salt, as needed, for garnish


1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, garlic, cilantro, and yeast. Add the water and yogurt slowly and mix to combine.
2. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead by hand until smooth, about 3 minutes. Divide the dough into six equal pieces and roll out to a 1/4″ thick. Use flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to the counter.
3. Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat. Brush the rolled out dough with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and cook until browned lightly on each side, 1-2 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Served 3, plus leftovers
Leftover Potential: Naan never lasts long enough to become leftovers, but the rice and the chicken reheat easily, and can be mixed together for easy storage in the fridge. Made 2 more meals after the initial dinner.

For the marinade:
1 cup yogurt
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp ginger, finely minced
1 1/2 pounds chicken, cut into cubes

bamboo skewers, for grilling*

For the sauce:
1 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 jalapeno, seeds removed, finely minced
2 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp Garam Masala**
2 tsp salt, or more to taste
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream

cilantro, for garnish

1. Prepare the marinade by mixing all ingredients but the chicken together in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and allow to marinate for at least one hour in the refrigerator.
2. Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes.
3. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sweat until translucent. Then add the garlic and the jalapeno, and cook until aromatic.
4. Add the cilantro, cumin, paprika, garam masala, and salt. Stir to combine.
5. Add the tomatoes, and simmer over medium low heat until heated through and good flavor has developed.
6. Add the heavy cream and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.
7. Remove chicken from the refrigerator and thread cubes onto the skewers. Grill, turning occasionally, until cooked through, about 8-9 minutes.
8. Remove chicken from skewers and add to sauce. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice and naan.

* Chicken can also be cooked in a large saute pan without the skewers, or broiled in the oven.
** You can make your own Garam Masala or use a purchased spice blend.

For the Spiced Rice:
1 tsp oil
1 clove garlic, minced finely
1/2 cup short grain white rice
1 cup chicken stock, or more as needed
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin

1. In a small pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic.
2. Add the rice, and then the chicken stock. Season with turmeric and cumin. Allow to simmer until the rice has absorbed the liquid completely. As more as needed. Serve with Chicken Tikka Masala.

For the Naan: