Fatima's Fabulous Kitchen

I don't eat to live. I live to eat.

Recipes

Dosa with Coconut Chutney and Tomato Chili Chutney

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When most people think of Indian food, they think of tandoori and butter chicken, channa masala, naan, and puris – and while those are all delicious dishes, they are primarily considered North Indian food and are not exactly representative of Indian cuisine as a whole which is incredibly rich and diverse. That’s why this week, I wanted to show a recipe that is from the South of India, a recipe not only visually magnificent, but also an explosion of complex flavors –  The Dosa.

Dosa is a paper-thin, crispy crepe made of fermented rice and lentils and served with an assortment of sweet, savory, and spicy chutneys; I served mine with the classics – a coconut cilantro chutney and a tomato red chili chutney.

In order to get a beautiful and light batter, the process must begin a few days in advance. You start off by washing lentils and rice and letting them soak overnight. The ratio of lentils-to-rice can very greatly depending on who you ask. I use 1 cup channa daal, 2 cups urad daal, and 1 cup of white rice. This is the way my mom makes it and less starch and more lentils means that it’s super healthy and great for diabetic patients.

 

 

After soaking the lentils and rice, I grind it up in the food processor in several batches. I add a little bit of water to help bring the mixture together. You’ll know when it’s done when the texture is smooth (no major pieces) and thick.

After my batter is made, I pour it into a large pot with a wide bottom and let it sit covered in a warm place (usually in my oven turned off). I let it sit for about 24 hours – this ensures enough time for the fermentation process to occur. Once your batter has fermented, you’ll be left with a lovely thick and airy batter similar to pancake batter.

 

For the cilantro coconut chutney AKA the green chutney, I start off by frying some de-seeded serrano chilies in a little bit of oil along with some curry leaves. This step mellows out the harshness of the serrano while the curry leaves add a lovely aroma. I then add the chilies and curry leaves along with some onion, tamarind, cilantro, garlic, salt into my food processor along with some water until everything is well combined.

 

 

The tomato and red chilie chutney is also incredibly simple to make. I drop a tomato, onion, piece of ginger into a food processor until completely liquified. I then cook up the pureed mixture over the stove-top in a little bit of oil to get rid of the raw flavor. I finish it up by tempering the chutney with some mustard seeds, giving extra depth of flavor.

 

 

 

I also made a potato curry to go inside. This is the same recipe I use in my halwa puri recipe which you can visit here –  https://www.fatimasfabulouskitchen.com/2017/10/16/halwa-puri/

 

To make the actual dosa, you’ll need a hot griddle or wide flat circular pan. I drop a ladle-full into my pan and move my ladle around in a circular motion from the center to the periphery, trying to make the dosa as thin as possible. After a few minutes, the edges will start browning. That’s when you know it’s ready.

 

 

 

Go ahead and fold it over and serve it up in a nice big plate. And there you have it! A visual magnificent South-Indian classic that tastes heavenly!

 

 

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Dosa with Coconut Chutney and Tomato Chili Chutney

Servings 5

Ingredients

Dosa Batter

  • 1 cup urad daal
  • 1/2 cup chana daal
  • 1/2 cup white rice
  • 1/2-3/4 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Coconut Chutney AKA Green Chutney

  • 1 cup fresh coconut (diced into half-moons) *if you cannot find fresh coconut, you can substitute for dried coconut found in most indo-pak stores
  • 1/2 small onion (white or yellow)
  • 2 serrano chilies (chopped and de-seeded)
  • 2 tbsp curry leaves (about 8-10)
  • 2 tsp oil
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • 1 tbsp tamarind (if you are using concentrate, decrease amount to 1/2-1.5 tsp depending on brand, be sure to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

Tomato and Chili Chutney AKA Red Chutney

  • 2 tomatoes
  • 2 small red onions
  • 1 inch piece of ginger
  • 3 dried red chilies
  • 1 tsp oil
  • 1.5 tsp jaggery (may substitute with palm sugar, brown sugar, or regular white sugar)
  • 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 1 tsp oil (for mustard seeds)
  • 3/4 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

Potato curry (see halwa puri recipe! - https://www.fatimasfabulouskitchen.com/2017/10/16/halwa-puri/)

Instructions

Dosa

  1. Start off by making your dosa batter. You must start the process at least two days in advance in order to allow for proper fermentation. Rinse and wash your lentils and rice thoroughly and allow them to soak in a big bowl of cold water overnight or about 10-12 hours. (Do not add salt!)

  2. The next day, drain the water and grind your lentils and rice in a blender or food processor with water. In order to make it easier on your machine, do it in multiple batches. Add enough water (a few tbsp at a time) to allow for easy grinding. If you add too much water, your dosa batter will be too watery. You want it to be relatively thick - the consistency of banana bread. The texture will be a little sandy but should not feel heavy and gritty; if so whiz it through your machine a second time.

  3. Pour your batter into a pot with a wide bottom and high-sides. Cover with a lid and let sit in a warm place with no drafts for  24-48 hrs.

  4. When your dosa batter is ready, it will be light and airy. That's when you know the fermentation process has occurred. Go ahead and add in your salt and combine well.

  5. Warm up a non-stick griddle or a wide-circular pan. Once hot, lower the heat to medium-low.

  6. Take a ladle-full of dosa batter and add it to your pan. Spread around multiple times from center to periphery in a circular fashion. (This step takes practice, so don't fret if your dosa doesn't come out perfectly the first time!)

  7. Drop a few teaspoons of oil all around the dosa. Allow the edges to turn brown. This will take a few minutes.

  8. Using a non-metal spatula, gently remove the dosa from the pan. The underside should be lightly brown and crispy. Remove the dosa and fold over. Your dosa is ready to be served!

Coconut Chutney AKA Green Chutney

  1.  Start off by sauteeing your diced and de-seeded serrano in a little bit of oil along with your curry leaves.

  2. Once lightly browned, turn off the stove and add to your food processor along with the rest of your ingredients - tamarind, cilantro, garlic, onion, salt. (I am using fresh coconut, but if you can't find any nor want to go through the trouble of cutting open a coconut, then you can find prepared diced coconut at your indo-pak store. I am also using fresh tamarind from the block. You may substitute with tamarind concentrate, just make sure to add less and taste to adjust.) Whiz it all up with a few tbsp of water until everything is well combined.

Tomato Chili Chutney AKA Red Chutney

  1.  Wash out your processor from the previous chutney, and add in a tomato, onion, dried red chilies, and ginger. Whiz up with a few tbsp of water until it becomes a fine puree. Add to a small pot with a little bit of oil. Cook on medium high-heat, until it thickens.

  2. Add in your jaggery and salt into the chutney. (If you cannot find jaggery, you may substitute with any other type of sugar - palm, brown, or white.) Taste and adjust sugar and salt.

  3. In a small pan, add a little bit of oil and add in your mustard seeds. Once you hear them pop, remove pan from heat and add the mustard seeds directly into the red chutney. Your chutney is now ready.

Seafood Boil with Tandoori Sauce

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If you’ve ever been to The Angry Crab®, The Boiling Crab®, The Broiler®, or any other seafood broil restaurant then you know exactly what this recipe is all about.

I can’t tell you how much I enjoy digging into a big bag of seafood filled with juicy shrimp, meaty crab legs, and soft and sweet mussels coated in a buttery, garlicy, fiery sauce and dipped in lime juice.

I figured I had to try and make it at home. And let me tell ya’, it’s actually pretty easy!

I start off by creating a super flavorful stock using Zatarain’s® Shrimp and Crab and Crawfish Boil seasoning (it is a large packet of assorted spices in cheesecloth that you simply drop into the water), ginger slices, and boillion stock cubes. The point is to infuse flavor into the water– so feel free to add in whatever you have in your pantry – bay leaves, peppercorns, garlic, onions…etc.

For the seafood, I used a mixture of langoustines, shrimp, and mussels. But you can of course use whatever you like. (If you are using crab legs, make sure to steam them instead of boiling!)

 

 

I like to keep my shrimp head-on and shell-on. I find that doing so retains the most flavor. I also find it somewhat oddly satisfying to peel every shrimp as I go. If you’re not a fan, you can of course opt to buying shrimp without the heads.  

 

Alongside my seafood, I boiled some corn and potatoes – both traditional in a Louisiana style boil. You can of course make some Cajun fries on the side as well, that would be absolutely delicious!

 

Being brown, I had to put some sort of Indian twist to this recipe. And so for the sauce, I created a sauce that had cajun elements but more of a tandoori masala flavor. I melted some butter in a pot along with some garlic and added in an array of spices – chili powder, turmeric, paprika, garama masala, onion powder, cumin, coriander, fennel powder, dried methi, amchur powder. (You can find all these spices at your local indo-pak grocery store or the South Asian section of most stores. You can also substitute with pre-made tandoori masala and adjust to taste.)

I then stirred in some yogurt (as is traditional in tandoori masala) and lime juice, giving it brightness and  acidity.

And there you have it! Serve this in either plastic clear bags or on a serving platter with lime wedges on the side. This is a real fun and messy yet absolutely delicious dinner to make for friends!

 

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Seafood Boil with Tandoori Sauce

Ingredients

Seafood Boil

  • 4 lbs shrimp and/or mussels (I used 3 lbs shrimp/langoustine and 1 lb mussels)
  • 3-4 ears of corn
  • 5-6 small red potatoes (you can also make fries on the side instead!)
  • 1 Zatarain's New Orleans Style Shrimp and Crawfish Boil (may substitute with 1 cup of spices tied in cheesecloth)
  • 2-3 boiullian stock cubes (veggie or chicken)
  • 1 piece ginger

Tandoori-Cajun Sauce

  • 2 bulbs garlic (~24 cloves)
  • 2 1/2 sticks butter
  • 1 tbsp yogurt
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 3 tsp chili powder (to taste)
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 3/4 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 3/4 tsp cumin
  • 3/4 tsp coriander
  • 3/4 tsp fennel powder
  • 3/4 tsp ginger powder
  • 1/4 tsp amchur powder (also known as dried mango powder) *optional
  • 3/4 tsp dried methi leaves
  • 3/4-1 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • juice of lime (to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp sugar

Instructions

  1. Clean your seafood. Wash grit and dirt away thoroughly. For mussels throw away any that are open or cracked.

  2. In a large pot of water add Zatarain's Shrimp and Crawfish and Crab Boil seasoning package, piece of ginger (cut into thick slices), and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil. (If you cannot find Zatarain's seasoning packet, don't stress. Take a handful of spices - black peppercorns, bay leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, old bay seasoning -  whatever you have in your pantry, and tie into a cheesecloth. The point is that you want to infuse the water with lots of flavor.)

  3. Add in your potatoes and corn. Remove when potatoes are fork-tender.

  4. Once the water starts boiling and the flavors have been infused, add in your seafood. If using different seafoods, add each type separately. Shrimp will only take two-three minutes to cook. You will know when they are done when they curl up and turn pink. Mussels also only take a few minutes - the shells will open up when they are done.

  5. Serve on a platter or in plastic bags combined with sauce.

Tandoori Sauce

  1. In a small pot, add in butter and garlic. Allow the butter to melt and the garlic to cook.

  2. Turn the heat on low and add in spices. Mix well and turn off the heat. (Be careful - if you leave the spices on the heat for too long, they will burn!)

  3. Stir in the yogurt and serve right away with seafood.

Shredded Lamb Sandwiches

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My pulled lamb sandwiches are an assembly of meaty and cheesy goodness consisting of shredded lamb spiced and cooked in classic Indian flavors yet packaged in such a classically American way.

For the pulled lamb I fall back on my killer talava ghost recipe. Talava ghost translates in hindi as fried meat and this lamb is nothing short of succulent and juicy. I start off by marinating boneless lamb pieces in chili powder, turmeric, salt, and quite a bit of garlic. I find the easiest and quickest way to cook the lamb is in a pressure cooker – but if you don’t have one you can of course use a crock-pot, or regular pot (it will just take longer).

I then caramelize some onions and add in the shredded meat along with some fennel powder, garam masala, and nutmeg. The fennel powder gives such a wonderful out-of-this world flavor and the onions add an underlying sweetness.

Sandwiches are incredibly versatile – so feel free to put whatever you want in them.

I opted for making something similar to a chimichurri sauce which usually consists of cilantro, parsley, garlic, and olive oil. I decided to also add some roasted serrano chilies into the chimichurri which worked wonderfully in the sandwich and gave some serious salsa vibes.

I also found these cute ancient orange peppers at the supermarket. I grilled them over the stovetop, then after they cooled – peeled off the charred bits and cut them into slices. They are colorful and sweet and balance out the meatiness of the sandwich. (If you can’t find them, you can of course use orange, yellow, or red bell peppers.)

I also decided to slow-roast the tomatoes – roasting them accentuates the flavor and is an especially great technique to utilize when you find grocery store tomatoes bland.

Okay if your mouth isn’t watering already, did I forget to mention that this sandwich is technically a grilled cheese

Oh yes. I added a few slices of mozzarella in each sandwich.

Seriously, what could be more satisfying than cutting and pulling apart layered stacks of bread oozing with cheese?

Other condiments that would work wonderfully in this sandwich are tomato chutney, mayonnaise/aioli, spicy giardiniera…mix and match whatever you fancy!

And there you have it! A fabulous meaty sandwich that will make you die and come back to life!

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Pulled Lamb Sandwiches

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  • 10-12 slices sandwich bread

Lamb

  • 1.5 lbs boneless lamb pieces
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • 3/4 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 6 garlic cloves (chopped)
  • 1/2 large onion (or 1 medium onion)
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp fennel powder
  • 1/4 tsp garam masala
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 3-4 tbsp oil

Sandwich Toppings (feel free to substitute with whatever you like)

  • 10-12 slices mozzarella/pepperjack cheese
  • 2 bell peppers (to be sliced and roasted)
  • 3 tomatoes (to be sliced and roasted)
  • 1/4 cup cilantro

Other Condiments

  • mayonnaise
  • achaar
  • giardiniera

Instructions

Shredded Lamb

  1. In a bowl, marinate your lamb. Add the turmeric, chili powder, salt, and chopped garlic and combine. Let sit for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

  2. In the meantime, dice your onion.

  3. In your instant pot or pressure cooker, add in your oil on medium-high heat. Then add your onions and allow them to brown.

  4. Now add in your lamb with about 3/4 cup of water. Cover the lid tightly and cook for about 20-30 minutes or so. (***Cooking time may vary depending on your pressure cooker and how big your pieces of meat are.)

  5. Open the instant pot or pressure cooker. If there is water remaining, put the pressure cooker back on the stove and evaporate (if using instant pot, press sautee button). If the meat is still thick and not shredded, put the lid back on and let it cook for some more time.

  6. Add in the fennel powder, garam masala, and nutmeg. Then add in your shredded meat. Combine and cook for a few minutes. Add in a squeeze or two of lime juice.

Sandwich Toppings

  1. Oven-roasted tomatoes: Slice up your tomatoes. On a baking tray, add a little bit olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Roast them in the oven at 300 F for about an hour or until lightly browned.

  2. Roasted bell peppers: You can roast them either in the oven under the broiler (500 F) or on your grill pan until charred. Remove the black skin.

Assembly

  1. Take a slice of bread and spread a thin layer of achaar and/or mayo on both slices. Now add your cheese slices to both slices of bread. Now add your pulled lamb, followed by your roasted peppers, roasted tomatoes, and cilantro. Top with the other slice of bread.

  2. In your grill pan, cook sandwich until cheese has melted and both sides have nicely browned. If you don't have a panini maker, you can press down with a plate or spatula.