Recipes
Cilantro-Flecked Corn Fritters with Chile-Mint Sauce
Recipe by Manish Upadhyay and Peggy Markel
These delicate and slightly sweet fritters from Devi Garh palace-hotel are deliciously flecked with cilantro leaves and held together simply by the starch in the corn. A dusting of flour just before they’re pan-fried gives them a light, crisp crust. For a richer flavor, cook the fritters in unsalted butter instead of vegetable oil.
Active: 40 minutes, Total TIme: 1 hour
Servings: makes sixteen 2-inch fritters
4 medium ears of corn, shucked, or 2 1/2 cups frozen corn
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for pan-frying
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons whole cilantro leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 packed cup mint leaves
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
1/4 cup water
All-purpose flour, for dusting
Chat masala (optional), for sprinkling
In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the ears of corn over moderately high heat just until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and, when cool enough to handle, cut the kernels off the cobs; you should have 2 1/2 cups. If you’re using frozen corn, boil it for 2 minutes, then drain.
In a medium skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the ginger and two-thirds of the garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the corn and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and puree. Scrape into a bowl. Stir in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Form into 2-inch patties and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°. In a mini food processor, combine the mint leaves, chile, water and the remaining garlic and process to a coarse puree. Season with salt.
In a large, nonstick skillet, heat 1/4 inch of oil until shimmering. Dust the fritters with flour and tap off the excess. Add half of the fritters to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat until browned and crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Drain the fritters on paper towels. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you fry the remaining fritters. Arrange the fritters on a platter. Sprinkle with chat masala, top with a small dollop of the chile-mint sauce and serve right away.
Make Ahead: The uncooked corn patties and chile-mint sauce can be covered and refrigerated overnight.
Yogurt-Marinated Lamb Kebabs With Lemon Butter
Recipe by Mota Khar and Peggy Markel
The majority of Indians are vegetarian. But Rajasthani royals loved hunting, and their cooks would have used venison for these fabulous kebabs, marinating the meat in yogurt to mellow the gamey flavor. Peggy Markel learned the recipe at Shahpura Bagh, a royal summer residence transformed into a country guesthouse.
At Shahpura Bagh, a luxurious guesthouse in the Rajasthani countryside, chefs marinate lamb in yogurt to make it exceptionally tender, then give it an extra burst of tangy flavor with a basting of lemon butter just before serving.
Active: 25 minutes; Total TIme: 45 minutes plus overnight marinating
Servings: 4 to 6
2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
1 1/2 cups water
2 pounds trimmed boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons pure chile powder, such as ancho
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt
Six 1-by-2-inch strips of lemon peel
3 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
In a large bowl, whisk 1 cup of the yogurt with the water. Add the lamb cubes, toss to coat and refrigerate overnight.
Light a grill. Drain the lamb and pat dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 1 cup of yogurt with the chile powder, turmeric, garlic, cayenne and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the lamb, toss to coat and let stand for 10 to 20 minutes.
On each of 6 metal skewers, thread a piece of the lemon peel. Thread the lamb cubes onto the skewers and season with salt. In a small bowl, combine the ghee with the lemon juice.
Grill the skewers over moderately high heat, turning, until starting to char all over, about 3 minutes. Continue to grill, turning and basting with the ghee and lemon juice, until medium-rare, about 4 minutes longer. Serve the lamb on or off the skewers.
Serve with basmati rice.
Wine: These tangy and intensely flavorful lamb kebabs need a bottle of red wine that can stand up to their robust flavor, such as a red from France’s Southern Rhône – a classic accompaniment for lamb. The Côtes-du-Rhône is the largest appellation in that region, producing affordable wines such as the earthy 2006 La Ferme de Gicon and the berry-rich 2006 M. Chapoutier Belleruche Rouge.
Spinach Simmered in Yogurt
Recipe by Soban Singh Bedla and Vijay Bedla and Peggy Markel
At Bedla House, a homestay in Udaipur, husband-and-wife owners Vijay and Soban Singh Bedla invite guests into their kitchen to watch them cook. Peggy Markel loved the way Soban grabbed spices without stopping to measure quantities, adding just the right amount of coriander and turmeric to this wonderfully rich spinach dish simmered in yogurt.
Total Time: 25 minutes. Servings: 4
1 pound baby spinach, rinsed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 small dried red chiles
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
Salt
Heat a large skillet. Add one-third of the baby spinach and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until wilted. Transfer the spinach to a colander. Repeat with the remaining spinach in 2 batches. Press all of the excess water out of the spinach and coarsely chop it.
Heat the vegetable oil in the same skillet. Add the minced garlic and chiles and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the ground coriander and turmeric and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the chopped spinach and yogurt and cook over low heat, stirring, until the yogurt just begins to separate, 3 minutes. Season with salt and serve with steamed basmati rice.
Make Ahead: The cooked spinach can be covered and refrigerated overnight. Reheat gently before serving.
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