homemade samosas with mint coconut chutney

Monica and I found an awesome new hole-in-the-wall restaurant on Ford Rd near canton called "Indian Flavors".  It's all vegetarian and run by the cutest old man and his family.  So, I'm posting my recipe for homemade samosas and chutney to give you a taste of Indian flavors if you don't have time to make it to the restaurant.

Samosa dough
1/4 C canola oil
2/3 C water
2 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Whisk together the oil and water in a small bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Slowly stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until the dough is moistened and comes together in a ball. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 1 minute.  Wrap dough ball in plastic and let rest at room temp. for 1 hour.

Mix a couple tablespoon of cornstarch with enough water to make a thick paste for gluing the edges of the dough together later.

Samosa filling
3 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 white onion, diced
1 jalapeno or green chile, seeded & diced
1/3 C frozen green peas
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. coriander
2 T canola oil

Boil the cubed potatoes until soft, meanwhile, heat 2 T canola oil in a skillet and add all of the other ingredients.  Saute on medium high until very fragrant, then add the boiled potatoes and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes.  Remove from the heat and mash the potatoes a bit to really incorporate the spices and garlic.

Assembly & Finishing
Heat 3 Cups canola oil over medium heat in a heavy duty saucepot or cast iron skillet with high sides.
Lightly flour your work surface.
Roll out the dough by making a "snake" shape and cutting that into 8 equal pieces. then form a ball and roll out each into a circle. Put about 1/3 cup filling in the middle and brush the edges with cornstarch and water mixture.  
Fold three sides up to meet in the center and make a triangle shape. Make sure to seal all edges.

Pinch a bit of dough off and drop in the oil to see if it's hot enough before starting with the samosas, if it bubbles in the oil it's ready.

Fry each samosa until golden brown and keep warm on a sheet pan in the oven on 200F.

Coconut Mint Chutney
1 bunch mint
1/2 C shredded coconut
1/4 medium white onion, chopped
1 green chile or jalapeno, seeded
1 tsp. ground ginger
water
salt to taste

Put first 4 ingredients in blender on high and drizzle in water until desired a paste is formed, and water to desired thickness.  Add salt to taste & enjoy with your crispy homemade samosas!!!

put

Partnership with Green Things Farm

Our good friends, Nate and Jill Lada, over at Green Things Farm, and U of M Hillel are working together to bring a block of Community Supported Agriculture farm shares to students at Hillel.  Basically, how it works is you sign up through Hillel and pay for your share in advance, and then you pick up a big box of seasonal organic vegetables each week throughout the fall semester!  Sounds cool, right? Then you don't have to make any special trips to the farmers market and you support a local organic farm owned and operated by U of M Alum.   Please email me, Chef Emil, at fromthehearthfood@yahoo.com if you are interested in becoming a member and I will give you the details.

grilled or pan seared fish tacos

a healthier version of this classic west coast street food uses pan seared or grilled fish instead of fried fish.  makes about 6 tacos.

ingredients:
2 tilapia or whitefish filets, seasoned with the following spices:

1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne or chipotle powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp lime zest

1 T olive oil or canola oil

1 cup coleslaw mix (or shred your own cabbage & carrots) , mixed in a bowl with:
1 6 oz cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 lime, juiced
large pinch of sugar, salt, and black pepper

6 soft corn or flour tortillas (taco size)
fresh avocado slices
handful of cilantro, rough chopped
extra limes wedges

directions:
-heat 1 T oil over medium high heat in a large skillet on the stove or prepare grill by preheating and brush oil on fresh filets
-add filets to pan or grill, cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until easily flaked with a fork, transfer to serving plate
-heat your tortillas a bit by placing them in the pan or on the grill for about 15-20 seconds on each side
-divide the fish up between the tortillas and top with abundant amount of the slaw, avocado, and cilantro. serve with extra lime wedges.

emil's gazpacho

perfect summer food.

ingredients:

1 cucumber, seeded and finely chopped (I leave the skin on, but your can peel if you prefer)
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbs. fresh herbs, like parsley, green onions, chives, and cilantro, finely chopped
1 14-16oz can diced tomatoes with juice, pulse in a blender for a finer texture if preferred
1/4 tsp. chipotle powder or ground cayenne pepper
2 tbs ketchup
1 tbs. red wine vinegar or 2 tbs. old red wine
squirt of lemon or lime juice, to taste
fresh ground black pepper & sea salt, to taste



mix all ingredients thoroughly and chill in the refrigerator overnight to let the flavors meld

garnish with yogurt or creme fraiche mixed with a pinch of cumin and coriander or fresh avocado!

catch a buzz

i just want to announce that we have a revolutionary project in the works: 

hillel coffee cart!

if all goes well, we will be opening up in the fall and will have a short but sweet menu of brewed coffees, espresso drinks, tea and house made baked goods!

who's excited to support us as we venture into the competitive cappuccino market??

sign up with your email address on the lower left side of the blog to receive email updates about this project and other exciting food related news from u of m hillel cafe!

Jerusalem: A Cookbook

Tilly Shames, U M Hillel's executive director, surprised me with a gift of this highly praised cookbook "Jerusalem" by Yottam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi which explores the rich and diverse cuisine of their birthplace.  Weaving in cultural and religious differences, the book is visually stunning and a gloriously complex history of east meets west.  Inviting you to delve into their family traditions and the markets of Jerusalem, the flavors of the city are simply prepared with a timeless reverence.  

stuffed eggplant with lamb and pinenuts

If you are missing the dishes you tried in the old city, buy this book and try making them on your own.  Rare ingredients and spices might be found at one of these Ann Arbor area markets: 

Aladdin's 

3188 Packard Rd, Ann Arbor

(734) 971-2150

Jerusalem International Market 

1713 Plymouth Rd, Ann Arbor (734) 668-7773

Grilled Sweet Corn with Lime-Chili Coconut Mayo (pareve)

A really great mexican street food inspired side for your summer bbq or potluck.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
4 ears corn
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup canned coconut milk
1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves
1 lime, juiced
Salt, to taste
Red chili powder, to taste
2 limes cut into wedges, for garnish

Directions
Remove the husks of the corn but leave the core attached at the end so you have something to hold onto. Grill the corn on a hot grill or cast iron griddle pan until slightly charred. Turn it so it gets cooked evenly all over. Mix the mayonnaise, coconut milk, and cilantro together. While the corn is still warm slather with mayonnaise mix. Squeeze lime juice over the corn and season with salt & chili powder and serve with extra lime wedges.

lunch menu 1/16/13

Still working out some kinks on our new website... so here's today's menu:

matza ball soup or black bean & vegetable soup
house salad, small caesar salad, or fresh fruit plate

deli: turkey, turkey pastrami, sliced chicken, tuna salad, chicken salad, or egg salad
chicken caesar salad with romaine, croutons, lemon, and housemade dressing
bbq beef sandwich with coleslaw, chips, and a pickle
beef burger with roasted mushrooms, red pepper spread, and baby spinach with coleslaw, chips, and a pickle
cornmeal encrusted chicken sandwich with avocado & spicy cilantro mayo with coleslaw, chips, and a pickle
pan seared fish cakes with lemon aioli & vegetable couscous salad
vegetarian tofu bi bim bop with jasmine rice, fried egg, fresh veggies, and spicy red pepper & sesame sauce

ATTN:

Please go to michiganhillel.org for our daily menus!

lunch menu 1/10/13

matza ball soup or creamy potato & pea soup

house salad, small caesar salad, or fresh fruit plate

deli: turkey, corned beef, turkey pastrami, chicken salad, tuna salad, or egg salad

chicken caesar salad with croutons, romaine, housemade dressing, and lemon wedge

barbeque veal sandwich with chips, coleslaw and a pickle

salmon burger with basil and red pepper spread, chips, coleslaw and a pickle

rosemary lamb stuffed squash with rice pilaf and green beans

pecan encrusted chicken breast with rice pilaf and green beans

dinner menu 1/9/13

first course:

matza ball soup or creamy potato pea soup

house salad or small caesar salad

main course:

salmon filet with maple sesame glaze or pecan encrusted chicken with rice pilaf and green beans

southwest orzo with chicken and ground beef, tomatoes, poblanos, black beans, cilantro, and cajun spices

barbeque spiced rubbed veal roast with roasted sweet potatoes & apples

rosemary lamb stuffed squash with white beans & mushrooms

dessert: chocolate mousse pie, chocolate chip spice cookies, or carrot cake with maple glaze

new website!

please visit michiganhillel.org to view our daily menu posts!

dinner menu 1/8/13

matza ball soup or creamy celery soup
house salad or small caesar salad

pecan encrusted chicken breast or maple sesame salmon with rice pilaf and green beans

southwest orzo with chicken & ground beef, cilantro, tomato, poblanos, and cajun spices

rosemary braised lamb with mushrooms & onions, roasted redskins and green peas

vegetarian tofu & broccoli with ginger garlic sauce over rice noodles

desserts- chocolate mousse pie, peanut butter pretzel truffles, chocolate chip spice cookies

lunch menu 1/8/13

matza ball soup
creamy celery soup
house salad or small caesar salad
fresh fruit plate

turkey, turkey pastrami, corned beef, or pastrami
tuna salad, chicken salad, or egg salad
chicken caesar salad with romaine, croutons, lemon, and house made dressing
salmon cakes with mediterranean salad and lemon orzo
beef burger with choice of bun, condiments, chips, slaw and a pickle

welcome back!

hillel cafe will reopen on tuesday, january 8th, 2013, for regular lunch and dinner hours! see you then!