Spiced Potato Cake With Mint Raita Food

MIDDLE EASTERN SPICED POTATO CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Add the potatoes to a pot and cover with 6 cups water. Season well with salt. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat and cook the potatoes until easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 9 minutes. Drain and cool, about 10 minutes. Peel and set aside.
• Combine the granulated garlic, 4 teaspoons salt, the black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, fenugreek, turmeric and nutmeg in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
• Once cooled, crush the potatoes gently; the texture should be course and crumbly. Place into a bowl.
• Thoroughly combine the egg, scallions, 1/4 cup of the flour and the spice mix in a bowl. Add to the potatoes and stir to combine. Season the remaining flour with 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Form the potatoes into 2 1/2-ounce patties. Sprinkle the tops and bottoms with the seasoned flour.
• Set a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat and add 3 tablespoons oil. Once hot, fry the patties, in batches if necessary, on the first side until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and place into the oven until crispy on both sides and hot through, another 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
• To serve, arrange the patties on a serving dish. Garnish with cilantro and serve with lemon wedges.

TOMATO-MINT RAITA

Steps:

• Combine mint leaves, cilantro leaves, and green chile in a mini food processor. Pulse until blended, adding a bit of water to create a paste. Pour into a bowl and add dahi, mixing until fully incorporated.
• Cut tomatoes in half and remove the seeds. Dice tomatoes and add to dahi. Season with ground cumin and ground coriander. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

SPICED POTATO CAKE WITH MINT RAITA

Steps:

• Put half the potatoes in a large pan of cold water and bring to the boil. Add the remaining potatoes and simmer for 12 mins until just tender (boiling the potatoes like this will mean that some will be more cooked than others). Drain, then dice.
• Meanwhile, melt 85g/3oz of the butter in a large pan and fry the cumin, fennel and nigella seeds until they start to crackle. Stir in the ginger and onions, then cook for 10 mins, stirring frequently until the onions are tender.
• Stir in the turmeric, ground coriander and chillies, cook for a min, then add the potatoes and cook, turning them in the from the turmeric. Take off the heat. Chop half the coriander leaves and add to the potatoes, along with a heaped tsp salt, the peas and lime juice. Stir well and set aside.
• Melt the remaining butter. Line the base and sides of a greased 23cm clip-sided or loose-based cake tin with filo pastry, brushing each sheet generously with melted butter as you lay them, butter-side down, in the tin - build up several layers so that the pastry is an even thickness all over. Allow plenty of excess pastry to hang over the tin. Put the spinach in the microwave and cook according to the pack instructions. Squeeze out all the excess juice and season.
• Tip half the potato filling into the tin, pack down, then cover with the spinach. Top with the remaining filling, then fold over the excess pastry to cover the filling, brush with more butter and scatter with nigella seeds. You can now chill the pie overnight if you want to get ahead.
• To serve: Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Bake for 45-50 mins until golden and crispy. Meanwhile, tip the yogurt, coconut cream and remaining coriander into a food processor with the mint sauce and some seasoning, and whizz until smooth. Serve with a green salad tossed with chopped bananas coated in lime juice, finely chopped red onion and a handful of sugar-coated cashews.

SPICY THAI SHRIMP WITH MINT RAITA

Steps:

• Combine all raita ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
• Heat olive and sesame oils in a medium saucepan over high heat.
• Saute ginger and garlic about 45 seconds.
• Add shrimp and Chile paste, tossing to coat shrimp thoroughly.
• Cook shrimp evenly, about 3 minutes.
• Add lemon juice and stir.
• Serve raita with shrimp.
• Garnish with chives.