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Kurkuri Bhindi (Indian Fried Okra)

I absolutely love Indian Food. The amount of spices alone is enough to win me over. I was inspired to make this dish after attending the Diwali Festival at our local community center. This recipe basically tastes like amped up French Fries in the best way. There is such a depth of flavor. A lot of the Kurkuri Bhindi Recipes call for Cumin, but I’ve omitted it because I just don’t like the flavor. A lot of the recipes also use Chickpea Flour. I used regular All Purpose Flour and it works beautifully, but you could be a bit more authentic and use Chickpea Flour if you’d like.

Kurkuri Bhindi

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By Liz Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 Minutes

A crispy, flavorful side dish to serve with any meal.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Okra
  • 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder
  • 1 tsp Chaat Masala Powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 3 tbsp All Purpose Flour or Chickpea Flour
  • 1 tbsp Corn Flour
  • Canola Oil for frying
  • 1 Lemon
  • Extra Salt

Instructions

1

Cut the the tops off the Okra and then slice them horizontally into quarters. Some of the seeds will fall out, that's fine!

2

Add Red Chilli powder, Turmeric Powder, Garam Masala Powder, Chaat Masala Powder and Salt in a bowl and toss all of the spices with the Okra strips until it is all distributed evenly.

3

Let it rest for 10-12 minutes, the Okra will create a little bit of water.

4

After letting it rest, add the Flour and Corn Flour to the bowl and toss it all together so all of the pieces are coated in the flours evenly.

5

In a large saucepan, pour in oil until the bottom of the pain is covered and is 1 inch deep, heat the oil on a medium high heat.

6

Test the oil by dropping in a small piece of Okra, if it immediately sizzles it's ready. If it splatters everywhere, it's a bit too hot.

7

Grab about 1/3 of the Okra and put it in the oil. Spread the Okra out a little in the pan so they have room to cook. Let them cook for 2-3 minutes in the oil until they look golden brown and crispy.

8

Take them out and place them on a plate lined with paper towel to drain the oil.

9

Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top, add a pinch of salt and serve while still hot.

Cutting the Okra in quarters horizontally:

Adding the spices:

Frying the Okra:

Sides

Old Bay Lemon Fries

These fries cross the Greek Islands with the Louisiana Bayou.  The Greek always squeeze fresh lemon juice on their fried potatoes, and to be honest, I’m not sure why everyone doesn’t do this because it’s just delicious. I top my lemony fries off with a generous sprinkle of the classic Old Bay seasoning and the result is a salty, tangy, crunchy batch of french fries that you will have trouble sharing.

Old Bay Lemon Fries

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By Liz Serves: 6
Prep Time: 2 hours Cooking Time: 15 Minutes

A full proof way to make delicious homemade fries that will taste better than anything you've had in any restaurant.

Ingredients

  • 3 Russet Potatoes
  • 2 cups of Peanut Oil
  • Old Bay Seasoning
  • 2 Lemons

Instructions

1

Wash 3 Russet potatoes and cut into sticks.

2

Toss raw potato sticks in a big bowl or pot of cold water, let them soak for 2 hours, this helps to get some of the starch out of the potatoes and makes for a better fry.

3

Strain all of the water out and dry the potato sticks completely with paper towels.

4

Pour peanut oil into a wide and deep saucepan, make sure the sides are high.

5

Heat up oil by turning the burner onto a medium heat, don't crank the burner too high.

6

Once the oil is hot enough (it should seriously sizzle but not splat if you drop one potato stick in to test it), put the potato sticks into the oil in batches, don't crowd them too much.

7

Wait about 3-4 minutes until the potatoes are soft but still white and also a little floppy, take them out and place them on a plate that's covered in a paper towel.

8

Now crank up the heat on the oil to medium high.

9

Put the potato sticks back in the oil in batches, and take them out once you see that they are all golden brown.

10

Please the golden brown fries onto a clean paper towel and IMMEDIATELY squeeze fresh lemon juice all over them and generously sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning.

11

Serve them warm.

Cutting the fries:

Soaking them in the cold water:

Drying them off:

After the first fry, white and floppy:

Second, high heat fry:

The final product:

Sides

Zucchini Fritters with Yogurt Sauce

This is the recipe that can turn any staunch non-vegetable eater into green machine. Serving them with the tangy yogurt sauce adds a delightful tangy balance.

Zucchini Fritters with Yogurt Sauce

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By Liz Serves: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes

I use shallots in my zucchini fritters because they help give a more mild onion-y flavor. The parmesan cheese also helps to give another savory dimension. Frying in a cast iron pan give them ultimate flavor and crispness.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium-large sized Zucchinis
  • 2 Shallots, peeled
  • 2 large Eggs
  • 1/2 cup Unbleached All Purpose Flour
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground Pepper
  • Canola Oil for frying
  • YOGURT SAUCE
  • 1 cup of 0% Fat Greek Yogurt (FAGE is best)
  • Juice of one Lemon
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Pepper

Instructions

1

Shredding the zucchini in a food processor using the grating blade is the best, fastest and easiest way, but you can also grate by hand, using a grater.

2

Slice the zucchini in half, lengthwise and feed them into the food processor.

3

Then feed each shallot in one at a time.

4

Next, dump the entire bowl of shredded zucchini and shallot into the center of a thin kitchen towel and gather the towel up around the shredded veggies and squeeze as much of the water out as you can.

5

Dump all of the wrung-out veggies into a bowl.

6

Add the eggs, flour, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

7

Stir everything together until incorporated.

8

Preheat oven to 200 degrees and place a sheet pan with a cooling rack on top, in the oven together.

9

Pour canola oil into a cast iron skillet, just enough to cover the bottom and put on a medium to medium high heat.

10

Test oil heat by dropping a little zucchini shred in the oil, if it sizzles madly, its ready (if it splats and spurts and goes insane, its a little too hot).

11

Once oil is ready, grab a clump of the zucchini mixture in your hand (enough to cover 3/4 of your palm) and gently place in the oil. Repeat this depending on how big your pan is, mine could only fit 2 comfortably.

12

Flatten them out a bit with a spatula, they should look about 4 inches in diameter.

13

Let cook for about 2 minutes and then flip over (they should be golden brown)

14

Cook an additional 2 minutes on the other side and then flip again and let cook for 1 more minute.

15

Place finished fritters on top of the cooling rack in the 200 degree oven to stay warm. The cooling rack allows the dry heat to get underneath the fritter and keep them all crisp while they wait for their friends.

16

Continue this until you have made all of the fritters.

17

To make the yogurt sauce, mix yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper together in a bowl.

18

Take the fritters out of the oven and serve warm with a dollop of yogurt sauce.

Yogurt Sauce:

Everything in the bowl:

Frying in the cast iron pan:

Sides

Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a delicious french country vegetarian dish made from summer vegetables.  Because of of the comfort and warmth of this dish, it makes a lovely winter dish as well. It can be served on it’s own or as a delicious side dish.

 

 

 

 

Ratatouille

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By Liz Serves: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 90 minutes

I've taken a traditional ratatouille and added potatoes. Ratatouille can be sliced and diced in a variety of ways, but making it with the vegetables in thinly sliced rounds makes it as appealing to the eye as it is to your mouth.

Ingredients

  • VEGETABLES
  • 2 Russet Potatoes
  • 2 Eggplants
  • 2 Zucchinis
  • 2 Yellow Squashes
  • 3 small Tomatoes (you can also use plum tomatoes)
  • TOMATO SAUCE
  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 sweet Onion, diced
  • 6 cloves Garlic, finely diced
  • 1 Red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 Green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 can (28 oz) of San Marzano crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup of dry White Wine (like Sauvignon Blanc)
  • 10 leaves fresh Basil julienned (fancy for sliced into long strips)
  • 2 teaspoons Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Pepper
  • HERB DRESSING
  • 1 tablespoon Thyme Leaves (fresh)
  • 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Pepper

Instructions

1

Slice the eggplant, zucchini, squash, potato and tomatoes into thin rounds and then line them up on a sheet pan in rows

2

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees

3

Now you are ready to make the tomato sauce, with the burner on Medium High, start by pouring the 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a dutch oven type saucepan (you need a big one for this because you want a lot of surface area to lay down the vegetables)

4

Add the onion, garlic, and bell peppers and saute them until fully soft (about 8-10 minutes)

5

Pour in the can of crushed tomatoes, the white wine and add the basil and stir all together, let that simmer for about 5 minutes

6

Take the saucepan off the heat

7

Now take your sliced vegetables and place them on top of the sauce, in a circle following the edge of the saucepan. Alternate eggplant, zucchini, squash, potato, tomato and then again and again. One you complete that circle, start a new smaller circle in the middle, and on and on until you have covered all of the sauce with the vegetables

8

Season the vegetables by drizzling the herb dressing over the top, evenly distributing it across all of the vegetables

9

Cover the saucepan with the lid or some aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes

10

Uncover, then bake for another 15 minutes

11

Serve family style out of the pan or serve vegetables on each plate, keeping them in the same pattern from the pan by scooping one serving up all together

 

 

Sides

Tomato Pie

I categorized this under sides, but it truly can be main event as well.  I often make this to bring to summer pot luck bbq’s and it always goes in flash.

 

Tomato Pie

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By Liz Serves: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes

This is a delightfully simple dish to make that is stunningly gorgeous and equally delicious.

Ingredients

  • 1 Pie Crust for a 9 inch Pie Dish (either make my recipe or use a frozen prepared one)
  • 4 Tomatoes, preferably yellow and red, sliced
  • 1 cup of Yellow Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half
  • 1 cup of Red Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half
  • 3 cloves of Garlic, minced
  • 1 cup of Bread Crumbs (I use the plain store-bought breadcrumbs)
  • 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup sherdded Pecorino cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh Basil Leaves, julienned (fancy for cut into thin strips)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

2

Line a 9 inch pie pan with pie crust (either make your own or use a store bought crust)

3

Prick the crust all over with a fork and bake until JUST lightly browned (about 10 minutes)

4

While the pie crust is cooking you can throw all the sliced tomatoes in a mixing bowl.

5

Add salt, pepper, garlic and basil on top of tomatoes and then stir so that everything is evenly distributed over the tomatoes. Then let the tomatoes/spice mixture sit for about 10 minutes

6

Remove the crust and set aside but leave the oven on

7

In a new bowl, combine the cheeses and bread crumbs, now you have 2 bowls of goodness to layer into your pie crust

8

Start by making a thin layer of the bread crumb and cheese mixture in the bottom of the pie crust so it just covers the pie crust and you can't see it anymore

9

Next, make a layer of the tomato mixture on top. It's best to you some sort of slotted spoon for this as you don't want all that liquid to melt the pie crust

10

Make another bread crumb/cheese layer, and then another tomato layer, finishing with the bread crumb and cheese mixture on the top

11

Bake the pie for about 25 minutes

12

It's most delicious served warm