Indian: Aloo Tikkis & Curried Carrot Soup

Dinner tonight was a labor-intensive meal. Gracias Mari :) We spent hours in the kitchen preparing everything from scratch. We made cilantro chutney and even doctored the Whole Foods Organic Ketchup with extra seasoning. I wanted to make sure all the flavors were just right. And I am happy to report, dinner was a flavor explosion!

For the aloo tikkis, I used the recipe from ShowMeTheCurry.com. Mari and I watched the video before getting started:

Aloo Tikkis

Potatoes – 2 large, boiled & peeled
Dried Fenugreek Leaves – 1 Tbsp (aka Kasoori Methi)
Roasted Peanuts – 2 Tbsp, roughly crushed
1/4 c. peas
Salt – to taste
Roasted Cumin Powder – 1/2 tsp
Chaat Masala – 1 tsp
Dried Mango Powder – 1/4 tsp (aka Amchur)
Cilantro – 2 Tbsp, finely chopped
Bread Crumbs – as needed for coating tikkis
Oil – for pan frying

1. Using a grater, grate boiled potatoes (big shred). Potatoes can also be mashed using potato masher.
2. Add Peas, Peanuts, Cilantro, Green Chilies and Dried Fenugreek Leaves. Mix gently.
3. Add Salt, Chaat Masala, Roasted Cumin Powder and Dried Mango Powder. Mix well.
4. Apply a little Oil to your hands and take a portion of the potato mixture into your hands. Roll it into a ball and flatten it out gently. Tikkis can be rolled small for appetizers or larger for veggie burgers.
5. Roll out all of the tikkis.
6. Pour out some bread crumbs on a flat plate and dip and roll the tikkis to coat completely.

7. Heat a little oil in a non-stick skillet on medium heat and shallow fry the tikkis until they are crispy and brown. Both sides should be browned.
8. Serve hot with cilantro chutney and ketchup.

Cilantro Chutney

2 bunches of cilantro, washed & dried

2" piece of ginger, peeled & grated

1 small green bell pepper, deseeded & roughly chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, deseeded

1/2 t. sugar (or sweetener of your choice)

juice of 1 small lime

1 T. sesame seeds

1/2 t. sea salt

Blend all of the ingredients into a smooth consistency. May be stored in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to a week.

Curried Carrot Soup

1 T. olive oil

1 medium onion , chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 pounds carrots, scrubbed but unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds

1 T. Madras-style curry powder

1 t. ground ginger

5 c. veggie broth

1 c. coconut milk

1 t. Spike seasoning

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
• Add the onion, celery, & garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden, about 5 minutes.
• Add the carrots and stir well. Stir in the curry powder and ginger and cook, stirring almost constantly, for 30 seconds.
• Add the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and partially cover the pot. Simmer until the carrots are very tender, about 30 minutes.
• In batches, transfer the soup to a blender, process until smooth and pour the puréed soup into a large bowl. (If you have an immersible hand blender, you can purée the soup right in the pot.) Return the puréed soup to the pot.
• Stir in the coconut milk and stir over low heat just until the soup is very hot; do not simmer. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Dinner is served :D

Butter lettuce salad topped w/cucumbers, grape tomatoes, & yellow bell pepper

Aloo tikkis w/spicy ketchup & cilantro chutney and Curried Carrot Soup