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Calamari Pakora

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This week I decided to combine two of my favorite fried foods – pakora and fried calamari. Calamari dusted in flour, salt, and pepper and dipped in marinara is pretty heavenly as is but I thought we could up the volume a bit by dipping the squid rings into a flavorful pakora batter.

Instead of doing just AP flour, I did a 1:1 ratio of regular to rice flour. The rice flour helps the calamari be extra crispy. For my spice mix, I did a combination of kasuri methi, coriander, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, chilli powder. I also added in a good amount of yogurt which you find in most pakora recipes along with a few curry leaves. I also chopped up a few serrano chilies to fry up along with the calamari rings.

These fry up super-fast and pair amazingly with a South Indian-Style Tomato Chutney – (my substitution for the marinara). I didn’t include the chutney recipe here but I plan to in the future. In any case, it’s made up of roma tomatoes, fresh tamarind pulp, cumin, mustard seeds, and curry leaves.

This calamari dish is a seafood lover’s dream. It’s the perfect summer appetizer that screams fusion food truck and pop-up appetizer all over it.

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Calamari Pakora

An Indian version of fried calamari made with a pakora batter

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 lb calamari squid
  • 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 cup Rice Flour
  • 1/3 cup yogurt
  • 1 1/4 cup water (or more)
  • 1 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tsp chilli powder
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp kasuri methi
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp salt or to taste

Other Ingredients for the Fry

  • 2 jalapenos or serranos
  • 1/4 cup onion slices

Instructions

  1. Rinse your squid in cold water. Remove any dirt that may be lingering inside.

  2. Cut the squid into rings. Pat dry and set aside.

  3. Now start making the pakora batter. In a separate bowl, combine the AP flour, rice flour, and spices. Slowly mix in the yogurt and thin the batter out with some water. Start off with 3/4 cup and work your way up to 1 cup if needed. The batter should be the consistency of pancake batter.

  4. Now add in your calamari along with any other vegetable you'd like to fry up into the batter. Combine well.

  5. In a pot or pan, add at least an inch or so of oil for deep-frying. Once hot, add a handful of calamari at a time. Fry until golden brown. This should only take a minute or two.

  6. Remove with slotted spoon and onto a plate lined with paper towel. Serve the calamari with chutneys and hot sauces of your choice.

Tamarind Salmon

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Weeknight baked salmon is a go-to for most people because it’s incredibly healthy and even the non-fish lovers get on board. Therefore, I thought it was high-time that I did my own version.

For the marinade, I make a lovely spice rub with cumin, coriander, and fennel. I also add in a good amount of chilli powder for some heat along with some freshly grated garlic and ginger.

I then add in the star of the marinade – the tamarind and jaggery which bring about equal amount of acidity and sweetness and bring out those classic South Indian flavors.

In terms of cooking the salmon – there are multiple ways to do it and you don’t have to do it how I did it.

First I took the salmon and brined it in just some salt water for an hour. This helps keep the fish moist later. Instead of baking it at 425 F, I actually broiled it for a few minutes on each side. This is a great method if you are in a rush and don’t have any time to spare. The fish came out nice and caramelized while still remaining flaky and tender on the inside.

I served my big salmon fillet with some South-Indian style lemon rice but you can of course do whatever – quinoa, salad, fries – it will all be delicious.

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Tamarind Salmon

An easy weeknight broiled salmon recipe made with tamarind, jaggery, and spices.

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lb salmon fillet
  • 2 Tbsp oil
  • 3 tsp tamarind concentrate amount will vary based on brand
  • 2 tsp brown sugar or jaggery (gur)
  • 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste

Spices (to be grinded into spice rub)

  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1.5 tsp chilli powder or paprika

Instructions

  1. We will start off by brining the salmon. Fill a shallow dish with water that is big enough for your salmon fillets. Fill with water and dump a few tablespoons of salt. Drop in the fillets and let sit for about 30 minutes.

  2. Remove salmon from brining water, rinse salt off, and pat dry.

  3. Now make your marinade. Toast and grind up your spices. Add to the salmon along with the brown sugar, tamarind, ginger, garlic, and oil. Rub gently on both sides. (Keep in mind that some tamarind concentrates are more intense than others. I am using the Indian brand Laxmi here. If your tamarind is lighter, you might want to use more of it.)

  4. You can pan-fry, bake, grill, or air-fry the fish. Timing will depend on how big and thick your fillets are. For a smaller 1/4 lb fillet, I cooked my salmon at 380 F for about 8 minutes in the air-fryer. If you are worried about accidentally over-cooking in the air-fryer, start with a shorter time and check on it. If salmon has turned opaque, it's ready. You do not need to flip the salmon on the other side in the air-fryer.

  5. The fish should be flaky and tender! Serve with roasted potatoes or lemon rice and/or favorite chutneys.

Vegetarian Ashak (Afghan Dumplings)

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I’d like to make a disclaimer that this is not an authentic recipe – I am not Afghani, just an afghan-food lover. I hope you guys enjoy my version of this cherished dish!

leeks, scallions, and dill filling

Ashak and mantou are two of my favorite dishes to order at the Afghan restaurant. Not only are these dumplings beautiful in presentation but they are so lovely and comforting to eat – thus making them the perfect centerpiece on your iftar table.

Mantou dumplings are typically filled with ground lamb or beef and topped with a tomato and lentil sauce as well as some extra-virgin olive oil, garlic-yogurt, and dried mint. Ashak are filled with leeks and topped with a tomato-meat sauce. Both are different yet equally delicious!

I wanted to make a vegetarian version for my non-meat eating friends as well as some of us who want to cut down on the red-meat this Ramadan.

Vegetarian sauce: tomato, eggplant, roasted pepper and lentils
Mantou

Instead of ground beef or lamb, I simply added some finely chopped eggplant and roasted bell pepper to the tomato and lentil sauce giving it a sweet and flavorful taste.

For the filling I did a mix of leeks, scallions, and dill but you can do any combination of either.

I also decided to make the dough from scratch but please by all means save yourself the trouble and get yourself a one-dollar pack of wonton wrappers!

A lot of classic Ramadan foods, while delicious, are usually quite heavy. Ashak is a light version that will make your waistline and you happy.

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Vegetarian Ashak

A vegetarian version of the classic Afghan dish Ashak – a dumpling filled with leeks and topped with a tomato-lentil sauce.

Ingredients

  • 20-25 wonton wrappers may also use fresh dough

Dumpling Filling

  • 3 leeks (may add or substitute with scallions)
  • 1/4 cup dill optional, may simply substitute with more leeks/scallions
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Sauce

  • 2 roma tomatoes
  • 1 cup eggplant (diced)
  • 3/4 cup onion
  • 1 roasted bell pepper optional
  • 2 Tbsp parsley
  • 3-4 garlic cloves
  • 1.5 tsp chana daal
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • salt to taste

Yogurt Sauce

  • 2/3 cup yogurt
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 tsp dried mint

Instructions

Dumpling Filling

  1. Wash your leeks, scallions, and dills really well. Add to a food processor and chop until fine.

  2. In a pot or pan, add some extra virgin olive oil. Lightly sautee leek-mixture until soft and transculescent. Make sure to add salt and pepper. Set aside.

Vegetarian Tomato and Lentil Sauce

  1. Soak your channa daal (split pea lentils at least an hour before in some water). Note – if you have forgotten this step or don't have this ingredient, no worries. You can opt to leave it out all together.

  2. Chop up all your veggies- eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, roasted bell pepper.

  3. In a pan, add some olive oil. Sautee you eggplants and onions. Once translucent, add in your chopped tomatoes, lentils, and spices. Season with salt as you go. Add a cup of water, bring to a boil then a low simmer. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Garlic Yogurt Sauce

  1. Finely grate or mince the clove of garlic into the yogurt sauce. Add the dried mint. Combine and set aside.

Assembly

  1. Either using fresh dough or store-bought wonton wrappers, add a small amount of filling to the center of your wrapper. Press the corners together. Seal with water + cornstarch to prevent them from opening.

  2. If using fresh dough – boil and cook like ravioli. If using wonton wrappers, feel free to steam the dumplings until translucent.

  3. In your serving dish, add a layer of yogurt, then your dumplings, then your tomato-lentil sauce, and finally your yogurt sauce. Top with a few tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and paprika. Your ashak is ready to serve!