Joe Bonamassa and Roy's Birthday With Great Friends

         Last night PBS Channel 8 aired the New York concert by Joe Bonamassa. I had invited a few friends over to watch, and as a little celebration for Roy's birthday the next day. Big guy turned 73...wow, that's amazing. Oh well, better older than not, eh???
        So in preparation for some great music, laughter, and fun with friends, I wanted to prepare things that were easy to eat and scrumptious. I think I came up with a great selection!
        First, I  Stuffed Mushrooms with a combination of goat cheese, Herbs de Provence, chives, and the finely chopped stems from the mushrooms. Delicious! 
         Next, I took the small red, yellow and orange sweet peppers and stuffed them with stuffing for Stuffed Bell Peppers. Little and in their own shell, they were great with a little marinara sauce on top. Made extra and will put extra sauce and the little delights over fettuccini for dinner tomorrow night! 
        So then I wanted something delicious, and international.  Ah ha....Bolani and Samosas came to mind!  For the samosas I used wonton skins, large ones cut in half to form little strips. I made different fillings:  mushroom, green onion, garlic, onion; sambal beef--ground beef with Panch Phoran, onion, garlic, sambal powder, grated carrot; and chicken samosas with small diced cooked chicken breast, avocado, salsa, and extra chili flakes for a bite. 
       Bolani is a new one for me and it was fabulous. An Afghanistan dish, but somewhat like Roti or other stuffed breads served around the world, it is comfort food on steroids!  I love stuffed breads, even though I'm gluten intolerant I sometimes eat it and suffer....it's good enough to suffer for and these two versions are nothing short of phenomenal!!  And served with a little yogurt with crushed mint and grated cucumber in it takes it to an entirely new deliciousness.

Panch Phoran

1 T. Cumin Seeds

1T. fennel seeds

1 T. Nigella Seeds (find on the internet)

1 T. Fenugreek Seeds (also internet is the easiest place to find)

1 T. black or brown mustard seeds

Mix together and store in air tight container.

 

Potato and Scallion Bolani

Ingredients:

Dough:

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup water room temperature

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. olive oil

Stuffing:

1 lb. russet potatoes (about 2 medium-size potatoes)

1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro

1/2 cup finely chopped Scallions white and green parts

¼ cup plus 2 tbsp. olive oil

1 ½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

Instructions: Mix the flour & salt in a bowl.  Add the water & teaspoon of oil & mix the dough together, kneading it a little until it forms a ball.  If the dough is too dry, add little more water. Once the dough is formed, knead it for 10 minutes on a lightly floured cutting board.  Put the dough back in the bowl, cover with a cloth & let it rest for one hour.

In the meantime, boil the potatoes until soft in the center when pierced with a small knife.  Remove from the water & when cool, slip the skins off the potatoes.  Put the potatoes, cilantro, scallions, 2 tbsp. of the olive oil, salt & pepper in a bowl & mash together with your hands or a potato masher until thoroughly combined.  Some lumps are ok.

(Okay, here’s where I upped the ante on this recipe---put some oil and Panch Phoran (Benagali Five Spice) into a skillet. Heat until the seeds begin to pop, then add the potatoes and other ingredients. When mixed well, add turmeric to taste and color…it’s a wonderful warm succulent spice that adds so much to the potatoes. Recipe for Panch Phoran is in the index here.)

Take a small amount of dough the size of a small apple & roll into a smooth ball.  Spread some flour on the wood board & roll out the dough using a rolling pin.  Continue to flatten the dough until it takes a round shape, as thin as a tortilla, & about 10-12 inches across. Spread ¼ cup of potato mixture on one side of the dough, leaving a 1/4 inch border around the rim.  Fold the other half over & press the dough together with your finger to form a seal.

Heat the remaining ¼ cup of oil in a medium-size sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Brown the Bolani, two at a time, until golden on both sides.  The Bolani should sizzle when they hit the pan.   Lay cooked Bolani on a paper towel. Add more oil to your pan if your oil starts to reduce. Can be kept warm in the oven, covered with foil.

To keep down the fat content, instead of frying, brush with a small amount of oil and bake in 400 degree over for 10-15 minutes, watching for perfect brown crunchy crust. Cut into pie-shaped pieces and service with chutneys for dipping.

Or try this delicious variation…any yellow winter squash can be used, not just pumpkin.

Pumpkin Bolani

For the pumpkin filling
1/2 of a 15oz can of pumpkin purée
1/2 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
2 Tbsp finely diced onion
1/4 tsp (I used 1/2 tsp) minced Jalapeño or Serrano Chili pepper
1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp ground coriander

¼ t. grated nutmeg
Fresh ground black pepper

1. Make the dough the same as in the first recipe. Complete and let rest.

2. In the meantime, prepare your ingredients for the pumpkin filling. Mix together all of the ingredients either in a bowl, or in a food processor to ensure that they are fully blended.

3. Once the dough has rested for an hour, prepare per instructions for Potato Scallion Bolani. Flour a large, wooden cutting board and roll out the dough into a flat disc with a rolling pin. It should be about 10 inches in diameter and as thin as you can make it. Spread 2-3 Tbsp of the pumpkin mixture on one half of the dough circle, leaving a small border around the edge and the other half empty. Fold over the dough and press it together to form a seal. Repeat for the remaining 3 balls.

4. Heat about ¼ cup of oil in a 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. Make sure that the pan is just hot enough so that the bolani will sizzle when it hits the pan. Brown the bolani about 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. They can either be served immediately, or for a party, you can slice them into appetizer slices and serve them a little warmer than room temperature.