KITCHEN TABLE

DESI WITH AN AMRIKAN TWIST

Amrikan, Khushbu Shah reminds readers, is how desis say American! In her book Amrikan (Norton, $47) she shares recipes from the diaspora, of how Indian food has evolved in America.

BREAKFAST CEREAL CHEVVDO

Image credit: Amrikan by Khushbu Shah.

4 cups puffed rice cereal

2 cups cornflakes

2 cups Rice Chex

2 cups Froot Loops

2 cups Kix

½ cup neutral oil

½ cup Spanish peanuts

½ cup cashew pieces

½ cup dried curry leaves (optional)

2 teaspoons white sesame seeds

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder

1 cup black raisins

½ cup sugar

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the peanuts and cook, stirring constantly until they are gently browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low, add the cashews, and stir for about 1 min until they are toasted. Add the curry leaves (if using) and sesame seeds and stir until well combined. Turn the heat down to a simmer and add the salt, turmeric, and chili powder. Pour in the cereal mix, turn the heat up to medium, and let the cereal toast for 5 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. The cereal should smell quite nutty at this point. Turn off the heat. Add the raisins, then sprinkle the sugar over the raisins and cereal. Stir until the mix is well combined, then quickly transfer the snack mix to an airtight storage container so the sugar doesn’t burn. Let cool before sealing

MASALA VEGGIE BURGERS

Image credit: Amrikan by Khushbu Shah.

3 small red potatoes, boiled and peeled

1 medium sweet potato, boiled and peeled

1 (15-ounce) can black beans,  drained and rinsed

2 carrots, peeled and grated

¼ cup frozen corn kernels

¾ cup frozen green peas

3 tablespoons oats (not steel-cut)

1 tablespoon garlic paste or 3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon garam masala

2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chill powder

2 teaspoons sugar

1½ teaspoons salt

Neutral oil for cooking

Sliced cheddar cheese or cheese of your choice (optional)

For assembly:

Butter, for griddling

5 to 6 burger buns

¼ cup tamarind chutney

¼ cup ketchup

Lettuce

Tomato slices

Red or white onion slices

In a medium bowl, mash the red potatoes, sweet potato and black beans until mostly smooth. The mixture should be easy to mold into patties with your hands. Fold in the carrots, corn, peas, oats, garlic, garam masala, chilli powder, sugar, and salt and mix until well combined. With your hands form the mixture into 10 or 12 patties that are 3 to 4 inches in diameter, depending on the size of bun. If the mixture feels a little too wet or is struggling to bind together, add more oats.

Heat a bit of oil in a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Place 2 to 4 patties in the pan. Cook until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes, then flip and cook on the other side for another 3 minutes or so. The outside of the burgers should be somewhat crispy while the interior remains soft. Transfer to a plate and repeat until all the burgers are cooked. If you want melty cheese on your burgers, add a slice on top of each patty, add a splash of water to the pan, and cover for about 30 seconds.

Wipe out the pan before using it to griddle the buns. Butter the burger buns generously and cook, buttered sides down, over medium heat until crispy.

In a small bowl, mix together the tamarind chutney and ketchup. Spread the mixture across the griddled sides of each bun. Place a patty on each bottom bun, top with lettuce, tomato, and onion and then the top buns.

BADAM DOODH

Image credit: Amrikan by Khushbu Shah.

1 tablespoon water

2½ cups whole milk

2 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon saffron threads

3 tablespoons blanched sliced almonds

1 tablespoon crushed pistachios

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

Heat a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Pour in the water and let it quickly warm up, about 15 seconds (this helps the milk to not stick) Then add the milk and bring to a gentle simmer

While the milk is simmering, in a small bowl microwave the saffron strands for 15 seconds – this helps dry it out. Crumble the saffron between your fingers until it is a powder. This method lets you use less saffron but still get the same beautiful colour and flavour. Add the saffron to the milk and stir. Add the almonds, pistachios, and cardamom. Turn the heat up to high and let the milk boil for about 3 minutes, until it starts to slightly thicken. Serve hot or cold over ice.

Amrikan by Khushbu Shah is published by Norton, $47.