JALAPENO AND CHEDDAR CHIMIS

This dish is inspired from an appetizer I had a while back in a Mexican restaurant. It was so delicious that it was all we spoke about for a week! So, I just had to find a way to recreate it at home. Of course, mine is fused with some Indian flavors and I also tried to make it less cheesy and spicier than the original. You will be quite surprised how easy and quick it is to make and yet it tastes delectable!

Ingredients
8 Jalapenos, finely chopped ( 3 with seeds, 5 seeds removed)
1/2 cup cilantro, very finely chopped
2 tbsp chives, finely chopped
3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend ( Monterey jack + cheddar cheese + queso quesadilla + asadero) - you can use any Mexican blend you can find  or use just plain cheddar.
Egg Roll Wrappers (available at most grocery stores)
Oil for deep frying

Method
In a bowl mix all the ingredients together; chopped jalapenos, chopped cilantro, chives, and all the cheese. This is the filling.
 
Position the egg roll wrapper diagonally (shaped like a diamond).  Place some of the filling in the center and wrap it according to the wrapper instructions given. Use a bit of water to stick the flaps. It is quite tricky to write down the knack of wrapping a wonton, so I thought it will be useful to make a video of it. Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRE_J3UcSIU
Once you have all of them rolled, heat the oil in a pan to high heat for 4-5 minutes and turn it to medium-low heat. Add the prepared chimis one by one, deep fry till golden brown and serve. I personally don’t like to overpower the flavors of this with any condiments, but ketchup is a good option if you really want some.

 EGG CURRY, my South Indian version
Here is a recipe which is a great way of using eggs in South Indian food. The combination of onions, curry leaves and hot chillies are intoxicating! It is also a fairly easy-to- make dish, with ingredients I’m sure we all have in our pantry.

Ingredients needed:

To make into a paste:
1 large onion, red or yellow, roughly chopped
2 branches ( approx 20) curry leaves
5 dried red chillies
1 inch piece ginger, sliced
3 Indian green chillies ( if you like it really spicy, use 5 and if you are using Serrano or jalapeno peppers instead, then definitely use 5)
5 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Asafoetida powder ( aka Perungayam or Hing)
For the Curry:
5 hard boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 large potato, sliced in wedges
1 cup frozen peas
1-1/2 cups coconut milk
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp curry leaves, finely chopped

Now let’s have some fun making it!
To make the Paste:
Heat 1 tbsp butter in a pan and fry all the paste ingredients; the cumin seeds, red chillies, green chillies, curry leaves, asafoetida, garlic and ginger for about a minute. Add the onions in and fry on medium-high heat until they turn translucent and light brown. Add this mixture into a blender, add 1/2 tsp salt and grind to a paste using needed coconut milk (about 1/2 cup). Make the paste smooth (pourable consistency) and set aside.

To make the curry:
Heat the remaining 3 tbsps butter in a pan and add mustard seeds. As soon as it starts spluttering add coriander powder and turmeric powder. Fry for a few seconds, stirring continuously. Now add the potato wedges and stir well to coat them with the spice mix. Add some salt and fry on medium-high for a few minutes, until it turns golden brown. It doesn’t matter if it’s still not fully cooked.

Now pour the ground paste to the potatoes in the pan and mix again. Let this cook for about 5 minutes on medium-high heat. At this point, pour in the remaining cup of coconut milk and let it simmer for another 10 minutes. Add about 1/2 cup of water to make it more gravy-like and add the frozen peas. Let this mixture cook for another 10 minutes. Simmer the sauce till the potatoes are cooked and the gravy has become thick. If it seems too thick, add the needed water to thin it out and add salt to taste (if needed).
Gently immerse the halved boiled eggs in the sauce. Make sure the eggs are fully coated and immersed in the gravy. Simmer the eggs in the sauce for 10 minutes. Sprinkle more chopped curry leaves on top and serve with hot rice or idiyappam.

If you are not going to serve the curry immediately add the eggs in just before you are ready to serve.
I use the rice sticks from my local Indian store and it makes for fantastic idiyappam. Fill a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the rice sticks in and shut off the heat. Let it soak in the boiling water for 5-8 minutes. Drain and dry thoroughly and serve with the curry.
Although it’s not the traditional way, as we all know sometimes life gets hectic and for me the store-bought idiyappam is as close to home as it can get 

Supriya Raman:

 Intricate, understated, subtle yet great differences in the ingredients, cooking style, taste and smell is the true spirit of Indian food. I’m a foodie passionate about exploring food in all its glory, cuisines and delights. The look, smell, texture and taste inspire me. I take it upon myself to disprove the common misconceptions and stereotypes about vegetarian and Indian food.

 I also enjoy creating fusion between all international flavors as it gives a reason for the melding of different people from around the world, especially in the US. Some other passions in my life are music, (Illaiyaraaja’s compositions touch my heart), shoes and watches (“Too many” is mathematical impossibility) and pets (love my cat Sushi a.k.a. Sushila). 

 For more visit  ode2food.wordpress.com

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