Chaat-inspired Yogurt Dip

One of my favorite indian dishes is the snack food chaat. I discovered it while traveling in India and constantly eating savory hot mushy dishes (delicious but after a month of it you begin to seek variety). There are all sorts of varieties of chaat, but my favorite is papri chaat, which combines little indian crackers, diced boiled potatoes, diced red onion, chick peas, yogurt, chutneys, and spices. I can get lazy at home (especially with a new baby around the house) and so I wanted to make up a way to get that chaat flavor, without all the prep work. Here's what I came up with:

Chaat-inspired Yogurt Dip

1 small tub of yogurt (five ounces or so)
3 tabelspoons mint chutney
3 tablespoons tamarind chutney
1 teaspoon chaat spice blend (this spice blend is what gives chaat its distinctive flavor - it includes an unusual ingredient called black salt that sort of tastes like sulfur. I wouldn't want to eat it straight, but combined with the other spices it adds a real zing)

Chips for dipping (I use namak para - the indian cumin flavored crackers -- fritos would work well too i think)

Mix all ingredients up sprinkle with chopped parsley or cilantro. Splash a little more of the mint and tamarind chutneys on the plate to fancy it up. Done!

Auntie Lauren's Sweet Potato Soup

So big changes in the Royal Bisquit household these days. We've had a new addition and now there's a baby bisquit hanging around. Mom and Dad are happy and exhausted, and the baby's aunt Lauren came by to help out and feed us lunch. She brought over a terrific sweet potato soup, and some grilled cheese and prosciutto sandwiches. The soup was so great we're sure it will be among the first things served to baby when he starts eating people food.

Auntie Lauren's Sweet Potato Soup

4lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 large cloves minced garlic
2 T minced ginger maybe more/less? Enough so when you’re stirring in the sweet potatoes, each cube has a few pieces of garlic and ginger stuck to it
1 T Olive oil
2 12oz cans low sodium chicken stock
Milk for thinning/taste
Salt and pepper
Yoghurt (optional)

Sauté garlic and ginger in olive oil on medium in large stock pot until warmed through, but not brown, about 30 seconds.

Add sweet potatoes, let sauté for a few minutes to brown up a little.

Add salt and pepper.

Add 1 and half/ three quarters cans of stock, enough to cover most of the potatoes.

Let boil on high heat for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Turn off heat, and using an immersion blender, puree the mixture until mostly smooth.

A blender can also be used.

"Cha Ca" Inspired Fish with Lentils

Here is a recipe inspired by a dish we had in Hanoi called "Cha Ca" fish which featured the local river fish flavored with turmeric and dill. It's a famous recipe there and you can get it in restaurants on "Cha Ca" street (named after the dish - not vice-versa). There it arrives steaming in a pot with a side of rice, but I made it over lentils.

"Cha Ca" Inspired Fish with Lentils

Fillets of firm white fish

Fresh Dill

Garlic

Ginger

Chicken Broth

Ground Turmeric

Split Lentils

In a tall sided pan add about 1.5 inches of chicken stock. Add 4 springs of fresh dill, a couple tables spoons of chopped or sliced ginger, four chopped clove of garlic, a tablespoon of tumeric and salt and pepper. Let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes so all the flavors meld.

Add your fish to the pan (it should be about half submerged in the liquid) and cook, covered, on lowest heat until cooked through.

Remove and keep warm.

Next, add your lentils to the poaching liquid (in a ratio of about 1/3 lentils to 1 liquid). Cover again and let cook until tender, maybe 15 minutes. You may have to add additional chicken stock if it gets too dry.

When done serve fish on top of lentils with chopped fresh dill on top. A green salad with a rice vinegar vinagrette was good on the side.