Summer Squashes with Panch Phoron

Summer squashes are one of my favorite summertime delights. So pretty and colorful, they are irresistible during summer! Though there are many, zucchini and yellow squashes seem to be the most common varieties. I have been trying out various recipes using them, and this one turned out awesome.

This is an adaptation of Bengali style Summer Squash from Tigers & Strawberries. This recipe uses panch phoron. I am not comfortable yet to explain panch phoron as this is my first time using it. You may read about it here & here. The name panch phoron sounded intriguing when I first read about it a few months ago. When I saw the recipe and the ingredients, it seemed even more interesting as I had all the panch (five) ingredients ready in my pantry. As many of you might already know, the panch ingredients are mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, and nigella seeds. Mix them in equal amounts and there you have it, panch phoron!

This is the simplest of all Indian spice mixes I have ever seen, I guess. You don't have to roast or grind the ingredients! You may mix the seeds in bigger quantities and save it in an airtight container for easiness.

To cook summer squashes with panch phoron:

Heat up 1 ½ tbsp oil in a frying pan.

Add ½ tsp each of mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, and nigella seeds. Cook for a minute, or until the mustard seeds splutter.

Now add one medium onion(thick slices), and fry until light brown.

Add crushed garlic(1 tsp), crushed ginger(1 tsp), and slit green chillies(1 or 2). Cook for a couple of minutes.

Add a pinch of turmeric powder.

Add sliced squash. (I used one yellow squash and one zucchini squash, cut into half moon shape).

Add salt, and one tomato cut into long slices (discard the seeds.)

Fry on a medium high heat until the squash pieces are cooked. Stir occasionally. This takes around 5 to 7 minutes. You may increase the frying time until the squash pieces turn light brown.

Add chopped green onions (about 2 tbsp), and remove from the stove.

Serve it as a side dish.

Baked Samosas (Samosa Pies with Peas & Potato Filling!)

I had always thought of Samosas as India’s own snack. But I was quite surprised to learn that they are not only India’s favorite, but a common snack in the neighboring countries as well. This must be one of the very popular Asian snacks liked by the whole world.

Samosa is a triangular shaped pastry with a spicy vegetable filling, usually peas and potatoes, but meat or fish also can be used. A typical Samosa is deep fried in a lot of oil. Here I have used pie crust like pastry for making the outer covering of the samosa, and I have baked it instead of frying.

To make the samosa covering, mix 1 ½ cups of flour(plus salt to taste) with 4 tbsp butter and mix it together using hands or a food processor until the mixture resembles like corn meal. Then add ice cold water one tbsp at a time and keep on mixing until it forms a stiff dough, about 4-6 tbsp water will be sufficient. Do not add too much water. Cover it with a plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator while you prepare the stuffing.

For the potato-peas filling, start out by heating up a large woke or shallow frying pan, and add 2 tbsp of oil.

Add 1 medium sized onion (chopped), and cook until light golden brown.

Add 1 tsp minced ginger, 1 finely chopped green chilli, and 1 tsp minced garlic(optional).

Add a cup of frozen green peas and fry until the water from the peas evaporates. Add one finely chopped carrot along with the peas if you wish. It is optional.

Crush 1 tsp of coriander seeds, 1 dried red chilli, and 1 tsp of cumin seeds together in a mortar and pestle and add to the wok. Alternatively, you may add coriander powder, cumin powder, and chilli powder or crushed red pepper flakes.

Add potatoes(boiled, peeled and cubed), about 2-3 cups.

Add a tsp of garam masala powder and salt to taste.

Add lemon juice(juice from a half big lemon).

Stir and cook for about 3-5 minutes.

Turn off the stove and let it cool.

Prepare egg wash by mixing one egg with 1 tbsp water.

Take out the dough from the refrigerator and knead again. Roll it into small chapathis and cut them in half. Stuff each half with about 1 tbsp filling (or more depending on the size of your pastry) and roll it in to a triangle shape. Seal the edges with water or egg wash.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the samosas. Brush egg wash over samosas. Bake it at 400 degree F for about 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve warm with tamarind dipping sauce.

This is my entry for Ode to Potato hosted by Sia of Monsoon Spice & The Potato Fe(a)st hosted by DK's Culinary Bazaar.

The real Samosa Pie!

Chemmeen/Prawn Biriyani

Big prawns – 1 lbs

Chilli powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Salt – to taste

Clean and de-vein the prawns. Marinate with the other three ingredients and let stand for at least 30 minutes.

Basmati Rice – 2 cups

Bay leaves – 1

Cardamom – 3

Cloves – 3

Salt – to taste

Lemon juice – ½ tsp

Wash the rice, soak for 15-20 minutes, and drain. Bring 3 ½ cups of water to a boil. Add the whole spices, salt, and lemon juice. Add rice and bring it to another boil. Partially cover with a lid and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes until all the water is absorbed. Turn off the stove and cover completely with the lid. Let it rest for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, you can open the pan and separate the rice grains with a fork.

Onions – 3 medium sized(finely chopped)

Garlic – 8-10 cloves

Ginger – 1 small piece

Green chillies – 4 (take more or less to suit your needs0

(Finely chop the above three ingredients, or process in the food processor.)

Coriander powder – 2 tsp

Biriyani masala – 1 tsp (recipe follows)

Tomato – 1 (chopped)

Juice of a lemon

Chopped cilantro & mint leaves – ¼ cup each

Ghee/Cooking oil – ¼ cup

For garnishing:

Thinly sliced onions – 1

Cashew nuts – ¼ cup

Raisins – ¼ cup

Heat oil/ghee in a large, heavy bottomed pot. Add cashew nuts and raisins and fry until golden brown. Remove to a container lined with paper towel. Now fry the thinly sliced onions until golden color. Remove, and keep it with the cashews and raisins. Add the shrimps and fry for 3-5 minutes. Remove from the oil and keep aside.

Add finely chopped onion to the same oil and cook until translucent. Add ginger, garlic and green chillies, and cook until the raw smell disappears. Do not let it brown. Add coriander powder and the biriyani masala. (To make a quick biriyani masala, in a dry grinder, powder a small piece of nutmeg, a small piece of star anise, ¼ tsp shah jeera, 2 tsp white poppy seeds, and 1 tsp of fennel seeds. Or use mallugirl’s recipe.)

Add tomatos and lemon juice. You can add a little water if there is not enough gravy. But if you use juicy tomatoes, there will be enough gravy.

Cook until the tomatoes are soft and add the fried prawns. Bring the gravy to a boil and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add chopped cilantro and mint leaves. Stir well and cook for one more minute. Taste for salt. Masala is ready!

You can layer the rice with prawn masala, or just transfer half of the rice to the masala and mix. Add rest of the rice on top. Cover it tightly and bake in a preheated 300 degree F oven for about 20-30 minutes. Turn off the oven after this time, but let the biriyani sit in the oven for another 30 minutes.

Garnish with fried onions, cashews, and raisins. Serve hot with pickles, pappadam, salads, raita, or chutney.

This is my entry for RCI Kerala hosted by Jyothsna of Curry Bazar.