This is the season, as the wags have been saying, amusingly, when it is the duty of potatoes and onions to dress themselves in chickpea flour batter and dive into hot bubbling oil and come out as pakoras to liven our monsoon days. And crispy, deep-fried Kanda Bhaji, with a little bit of crushed walnuts, is one such delight.
The more Britishy Sweet Potato Tart, also goes well with chai, Earl Grey preferably, and pounding rain.
Recipes and photographs: Kind courtesy California Walnuts
Sweet Potato Tart
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For the crust
- 2 cups walnuts, ground
- ¼ cup grated cheese, preferably Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp or more melted butter
- 4-inch x 10-inch (10 cm x 25 cm) tart baking pan
For the filling
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup whipped cream, no sugar
- 2-3 strands fresh thyme
- Salt to taste, around ½ tsp
- ½ tsp black pepper powder
- ½ tsp jaiphal or ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup grated cheese, preferably Parmesan cheese
Method
- In a medium bowl, combine the ground walnuts, cheese and the butter.
Mix well with a fork.
Add more butter, around 1 tbsp, if the mixture is too dry.
Using the back of a spoon, press the walnut mixture into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the tart pan.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or, better, overnight.
- In another bowl, combine the whipped cream, fresh thyme, salt, pepper and the nutmeg.
Carefully fold the spices and thyme into the whipped cream.
- Place the thinly sliced sweet potatoes in yet another flat bowl.
Add a few tbsp of the whipped cream mixture and mix gently until well-combined.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Preheat an oven to 180°C.
- Take the walnut base out of the refrigerator and spread a layer of all of the marinated sweet potato on top of the crust.
Then add a layer of the remaining whipped cream mixture.
Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese on top.
Bake at 180°C for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the filling is golden and bubbly.
Take out of the oven and cool on a rack for 10 minutes.
Slice and serve warm.
Kanda Bhaji
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
- 1 cup thinly sliced onions
- ¼ cup walnuts, chopped roughly
- 1 tbsp crushed dhania or coriander seeds
- 1 chopped green chilly
- ½ cup besan or gram flour or chickpea flour
- Salt to taste, around 1 tsp
- Oil for deep frying the bhaji or pakora
Method
- In a bowl, mix the sliced onions with the salt, and allow it to marinate for a few minutes.
Then add the besan to the sweating onions.
Add the chopped walnuts, crushed coriander seeds and the chopped green chillies.
Mix well until the onions are coated with the besan.
- Heat the oil in a deep frying pan or kadhai over medium heat.
Drop heaping tablespoons of the onion-besan mixture into the hot oil and deep fry, flipping occasionally, until crisp and golden brown.
Drain and transfer the pakoras onto a paper towel or tissue-lined plate.
Serve hot with a green chutney or pickle.
Editor's Note: Make your own mint chutney. Use Lahu Kapduskar's recipe for Green Mint Chutney.
