Samosas!

Remember that Mint Chutney I showed you a while ago? Today I am giving you something to dip in it. Samosas are Indian pastries with savory fillings. They can be baked or fried and are simply delicious!

There are so many different recipes for these lovely little things that it can be hard to decide on which to make. Do you want to make the pastry or use something premade? Which spices? Meat or no meat? So many tasty choices with these.

I decided to go with vegetable only and wonton wrappers, just for ease of preparation. They turned out perfect. Crisp on the outside and creamy delicious on the inside.

I made these as an appetizer for a few other dishes, but honestly, they would have been a delightful meal on their own. Perfect with Mint Chutney or Raita Sauce, which I will put on here soonish.

These were actually fun to make. I did use the Fry Daddy, but you could easily brush these with oil or spray and bake them.

Veggie Samosas

1  cup mashed potatoes (boxed or real)
1/4 cup cooked lentils
1 tablespoon minced fresh mint
2 teaspoon curry powder (add more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
10 or so wonton wrappers

Begin by preheating your deep fryer/oil or oven to 425°.
1. First, you need to combine the potatoes, lentils, mint, curry powder, butter, salt and cumin.
2. Now, gently fold in the peas.
3. Take each wonton wrapper and, working one at a time, moisten the edges with water and spoon about 1 tablespoon of the mixture onto the wonton wrapper. Fold it onto a triangle and press the edges together to seal.
4. Deep fry in small batches until they are brown and crisp, around 5 minutes or more, depending on your method of frying. If you are baking them, Spray with cooking spray or brush with oil and bake at 450° for about 15 minutes until they are also brown and crispy.

Now you can dip them in your favorite sauce (hint: Mint Chutney) and enjoy. The only problem is trying not to eat the whole batch!

Mint Chutney

Unless you eat Indian food, I bet you have never had mint chutney. I hadn't until we went to the wonderful India Palace in Cookeville, where it was one of the sauces/condiments available on the buffet. Wow! It is sooooo good. It goes incredibly well with not only Indian dishes, but with other dishes and meats like lamb or pork. To be honest, I'd eat this on almost anything!

Look at that green goodness. I'm drooling on my keyboard here. In fact, I need to go make some after I post this! This delectable condiment is super easy to make. No, seriously, it is VERY easy. Do you have a blender, food processor, or mini-chopper? Then you can make this in a snap.  And the smell... oh the smell as you are making it. You could float away on the fresh and amazing scent.

You owe it to yourself to give this a try, even if you are not making Indian cuisine to go with it.

Mint Chutney

• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons  lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 teaspoon  salt
• 1/8 teaspoon sugar
• 1 serrano or jalapeno chile, coarsely chopped
• 1 (1/2-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger

 Combine all of the ingredients in a blender, food processor, whatever you have to grind up food, and blend until smooth. That is it! You now have some awesome mint chutney to eat with everything.

Curried Rice

I have fallen in love, a deep true love that I know will last a lifetime....with Basmati rice. I have had it in Indian restaurants and adored it, but when I tried at home, fizzzzzle.  Well, let me tell you that has changed. The key to success with Basmati is all in the cooking process.  I had a rice cooker, yes, shameful. I thought it was the bee's knees. No, it has kept me chained to bland, non-fluffy rice!  I am going to show you how to make delicious, fluffy, Basmati rice and this technique works on jasmine and regular too. This is how you get the great, separate grains!  Oh and I will give you the best curried rice recipe ever while I'm at it!

Look at this delicious stuff.

Whatever recipe you have that calls for rice, here is how you need to prep your rice:

1. Cover rice with water and wash it. Yes. Wash it! Swish it around good with your hand and then drain the water off, refill it and do it again...total of 4 or 5 times. You can just drain most out, no need to go get the colander.
2. When your water is looking mostly clear after washing, fill it to cover well and let it soak for at least 30 minutes.
3. Finally, drain it well and use as usual for your recipe.

Now for the curried rice. I dream about this rice. In fact, I am cooking some this very moment. It is that good.

Ingredients

        1 medium onion, finely chopped
        3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
        3 tablespoons olive oil
        4 teaspoons curry powder
        2 cups long-grain white rice
        3 1/4 cups water
        2 teaspoons salt

1.  Cook onion and garlic in oil in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add curry powder and rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
2. Add water and salt and bring to a boil, then boil, uncovered, without stirring, until surface of rice is covered with steam holes and grains on top appear dry, about 8 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to as low as possible, then cover pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook 15 minutes more.
4. Remove pan from heat and let rice stand, covered, 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

That is it. You will roll around on the floor from the goodness.