Tapas style party, 2007

Close friends of ours are moving to India. Another couple just had a daughter and we hadn't had a chance to have them over. Our new gift, a book - Asian Tapas - was calling out to be used.
Menu-

• Chai with Vada pav - batata vada, tamarind chutney and garlic chutney, ciabatta bread. This is typical roadside eatery dish.
  
• Surali chya vadya/ Khandvi. Not quite roadside but a snack nevertheless.
  
• Yakitori beef with eggplant. (From the book, Asian Tapas)
  
• Dim sum- 3 kinds
  
• Kashmiri Shrimp kababs (From the book, Asian Tapas)
• For dessert, fruit cake topped with ice-cream. (From Safeway!)
  

Drinks-

• Saki
• White wine
• Juice

Preparations-

1. Yakitori beef with eggplant -
   

Ingredients-

• Kobe beef. We replaced it with US Choice Grade (Sirloin Steak). Cut into 3/4 inch cubes.
• Asian Eggplant cut into 3/4 inch pieces.
• Sesame oil.
• Olive oil:Butter :: 1:1
  

Marinade-

• Light soy sauce
• Dark soy sauce
• Ponzu sauce
• Sugar
• Freshly ground black pepper

Mix all above ingredients in 3:2:1:1 proportion + 1 tsp of pepper.

How to-
Marinate the beef for 4 hours minimum. Pan fry eggplant for 30 seconds on each side in sesame oil. Arrange alternate eggplant and beef pieces on a steel skewer(we used bamboo). Heat olive oil and butter mixture in a skillet over high heat. Place skewers in skillet and let sear for 10 seconds each side for rare and longer for medium rare. Serve while hot.



2. Vada pav(spicy potato poppers in a sandwich)-

Ingredients-

• Baked potatoes
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Salt
• Turmeric powder
• Lemon juice
• Cummin seeds
• Chili Pepper powder.
  

How to-
For aboutFor about 4-5 medium sized baked potatoes, use 1 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp cummin seeds, 1 tsp garlic and 1 tsp ginger. 2 tsp of chili powder, 1 tsp of lemon juice. Salt and sugar to taste. Mix crushed baked potatoes and above ingredients together. Divide into 15 parts and make flat round patties out of them. For the shell, mix 5 tbsp of garbanzo flour(besan) with water slowly, turmeric powder and paprika and salt. Coat patties with the 'besan' mix by immersing in the wet flour potion and then frying them on high heat in a deep utensil. Remove and place on tissues to absorb the extract the extra oil.

For the vada-pav(sandwich combination) - use fresh ciabatta bread, slice open, add garlic chutney on 1 side and tamarind chutney on the other. Insert vada in between, close the bread and chomp!

I practically had this for breakfast for all of my undergrad years!

Photos for tamarind chutney and garlic chutney follow. I will put these recipes up if there is any interest.





3. Surali chya vadya - Spicy Khandvi rolls
A recipe touted by both the Maharashtrians and the Gujratis to be theirs originally.






4. Shaomai- Credit for this go to our close friends.

"Small and Sophisticated" Thanksgiving Menu

Got the 'Small and Sophisticated' menu from epicurious.

COURSE I
Cranberry Kir Royale substituted this w/ apple cider.
Foie Gras-Stuffed Dates substituted this w/ light cream cheese stuffed dates w/ chives for topping.
Celery Bisque with Stilton Toasts


Table setting for our thanksgiving dinner - celery bisque w/ toast served, dish of stuffed dates on the side.


COURSE II
Recommended white wine - 2003 Far Niente Chardonnay, Napa Valley
Turkey Breast Roulade with Crimini, Porcini, and Pancetta Our turkey w/ the ties intact.

Recommended red wine - 2003 Joseph Drouhin Vosne-Romanée
Orange-Glazed Carrot Ribbons
Creamy Mashed Potatoes with Goat Cheese and Fresh Sage


Haricots Verts, Roasted Fennel, and Shallots - We dropped this.
Cranberry-Ginger Chutney - Was good!

COURSE III
Frozen Pumpkin Mousse with Walnut-Toffee Crunch - my best creation!

Menu for a tapas style game party.

It is the time of the year when everyone is having a penultimate
party before the year ends. I am having one next Friday and have
decided to make it tapas style borrowing from dishes I've tasted in
Indian/Spanish cuisine.

Tapas
- Samosa tarts - Indian origin
- Vegetables with aioli - Spanish origin
- Bite size pizzas on lavash bread - Dunno origin
- Paneer Pudina Tikkis - Indian Origin ( Page 51, Snacks under 10
minutes, Tarla Dalal)

Samosa tarts
- Baked red potatoes with skin on as I like it, green peas
- Ginger
- Turmeric for color
- Paprika for the color as well
- Green chilies
- Lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- Can add spinach for some more green look.

Mix mashed baked potatoes, cooked beans, spinach and rest of
spices. This will be the filling. I am going to make the phyllo dough
baskets 2-3 days in advance. Will serve the shells filled with sweet
tamarind chutney on top.

Vegetables with Aioli-
A dish that was an instant hit last time me and my husband were
treated to a quaint Spanish restaurant in San Diego. The dish's
original vegetable was asparagus.
- Bell peppers - 1 green, 1 yellow, 1 red
- Carrots - 2
- Aioli - store bought.

Cut peppers in vertical strips, carrots as well, about 1.5 inch
long, 0.5 inch thick. Spread out the veggies in a single layer on a
baking tray lined with foil in order to save clean up effort. Spray
oil on veggies, sprinkle only slight amount of salt as more of it
makes the veggies ooze too much water. Bake at 425F for few minutes,
turn once midway. Serve with generous amount of aioli. I don't bake
the vegetables completely so that they retain some crunch..that's the
way I love them.

Bite sized pizzas with lavash bread-
There is no end to what combinations one can do with this. The
toppings are unlimited. However, since I've used up carrots, peppers,
peas and potatoes and don't want to work with meat, here is what I am
left with-
- Lavash bread/chapatis/nan/any other thin flat bread
- Tomatoes, sliced
- Capers
- Olives, sliced as well
- Parsley
- 3in1 shredded cheese mix.(I also like feta cheese but don't know
how it takes baking, besides I want the top cheese layer to melt to
hold the other stacked veggies in place).

Use a pizza cutter to make 3 in x 3 in squares that are 2 layers
thick. Layer tomatoes, onions if you like, capers, parsley. Top with
cheese. Bake at 400F, keeping an eye to not burn. Use a foil as we are
not using any oil, some pizzas will stick.

If all the ingredients are ready, this is a dish that allows the
guests to help and get involved.

Paneer Pudina Tikkis
I've never had this dish before but the description looked 'jara
hatke' from standard Indian taste. The book calls for deep frying. I
am going to pan fry.
For 16 tikkis
- 3/4 cups of paneer, grated
- 4 tablespoons mint, finely chopped
- 3 green chillies, finely chopped
- 2-3 cups of cornflour(I am substituting it with flour).
- salt to taste
- oil for deep frying(I am using oil spray)
- chaat masaala for serving( I am going to use 1:1:1 mixture of
dhana pwdr:jeera pwdr:paprika + salt)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix well. Divide mixture in 16
equal portions, shape into a round flattened nugget. Deep fry over
medium flame until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper, Serve hot
with chaat masala.

I am going to microwave paneer so that it gets cooked before
grating, so that I may use crumbled paneer in the end as well! Am also
going to make the patties a day ahead. Will pan fry when guest arrive.
Serve with the 'dhaNa-jeeru' mixture.

Drinks
- Cosmopolitan/Screwdriver