sweet potato wraps

One might term this dish "weeknight" dosa.

One might think of flour tortillas as dosa's fat, balding cousin.















Subbing tortillas for the delicate, lacy crepes of which dosa are traditionally made is, without a doubt, cheating. I happen to know, however, that a similar shortcut is practiced by a certain Indian restaurant that sells fantastic samosas to my dad's store, which, on cold market Saturdays, are snatched off the shelves by noon. Customers clamor for the pockets of potatoes and curried peas, the deep fried tortilla crusts go unnoticed, if not adored.

Somehow, knowing this secret makes me feel less dirty.

Tortillas brushed with a cumin-infused roux will hardly offer the crisp crack of an authentic dosa. The tortillas were a little gummy, and lacking that satisfying give a properly browned crepe offers. But having neither fermented rice flour, nor any real knowledge of South Indian cooking, these wraps were a hearty, tasty weeknight substitute for a meal normally reserved for special occasions. [Like Christmas 2008. My dad doesn't know a christmas turkey from a christmas tagine, and so we ate rice cakes at Udupi Cafe in Cincinnati with the Indians and Jews on December 25th of last year].

Provided that you can stomach a little cultural inauthenticity, these wraps are complex, flavorful and fast.

masala sweet potato wraps

1 large sweet potato, cubed
2 large leeks
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. ginger
turmeric
mustard seeds, toasted
2 tortillas
a small bowl of water combined with 2 tbsp of flour, a bit of cumin, tumeric and mustard seeds, mixed to a thin paste

Parboil sweet potatoes for 5-7 minutes, or until tender. Heat oil in a pan, saute garlic and ginger, and when garlic sizzles, add leeks. Add in cooked sweet potatoes, and top with turmeric and mustard seeds. Set aside.

Brush tortillas with paste. Heat a large skillet with a good amount of oil until sizzles when a drop of water is added. Fry tortillas until they are browned on both sides. Spread with coconut chutney and add sweet potato filling.

lazy american coconut chutney

2 tbsp grated coconut, chopped fine
1 tbsp coconut milk
1 tsp mustard seeds, toasted and popped
dash curry powder
dash red pepper flakes
bit of salt

mix ingredients together until they are a thick paste, and spread on dosas before adding filling.

Home

spanish pine nuts
olive oil
walnuts
almonds
pistachios, turkish ground
red lentils
madagascar vanilla
hungarian paprika
tomato paste in a tube
local honey

quinoa

wild rice
black rice
za'atar
dill
dried chives
dried parsley
ak-mak crackers
dried shitakes
bulgur
semolina
dried cranberry beans
almond butter
ahweh
bay leaves
good mustard
mortar [to match my pestle]
capers
aleppo pepper
truffle oil

This grocery list has been the substance of my daydreams for the last 3 days.

This constitutes the list of goodies I hope to acquire my dads store on my trip home [my bus leaves in exactly 24 hours and I should be packing instead of blogging]. Anyway, I'm not trying to break his bank or anything, and a lot of this is insanely expensive, so if I end up with half of it, I'll be happy. I learned my lesson, and plan to pack nothing heavy or breakable [except the olive oil, which I may have to forgo]. No jars of tapenade exploding in the bottom of my suitcase in the middle of the Pittsburgh Greyhound station this time.

Next week I'll be blogging from my hometown of Cincinnati. If its a good trip, I'll have a lot to say. Findlay market, cooking with Rissa, Udipi, Graeters, and Aunt Cindy's grilled cheese and many more posts and possibility from porkopolis, coming soon.

Cincinnati Cornbread Bake

This one is a shoutout to my hometown. Both because the bean-y part of this cornbread bake is flavored with a spice mix that is distinctly cincinnati, and because of the hopelessly midwestern character the jiffy cornbread gives to this homely casserole.

Normally, I avoid baking. I don't like to be wedded to a recipe and I don't know enough about food chemistry to bake on the fly. Plus, our apartment is a little lopsided, so most things that come out of the oven are cracker-thin on one side and bloated and puffy on the other.

Jiffy cornbread hardly counts as baking, though. I made the mistake of reading the ingredients on the box. Don't do it, especially if you are a vegetarian.


Cincinnati Cornbread Bake

1 large onion, chopped
2 c. or 1 can black beans
1 c. corn kernels
2 cloves garlic
2tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cocoa
1tsp. cumin
1tsp. black pepper
dash Jamaican red pepper
salt
2 chopped tomatoes
queso blanco or other spanish cheese, grated
2 boxes jiffy corn muffin mix, prepared as directed
1/2 c. chopped chives

Pre-heat oven to 350. sautee onions until translucent , add black beans and corn and stir fry for a few minutes. Spread bean mixture in a casserole dish and top with cheese and tomatoes. Spoon the cornbread mix over the top of the dish. Pop in the oven for about 30 minutes until golden brown.