Ashia’s Table: Family Recipes from India and Beyond, written by Ashia Ismail-Singer, features a wonderful variety of traditional and new Indian-based recipes paired with family memories and experiences. A few highlights include Simple Chicken Curry, Spinach Squares, Kofta with Eggs, Carrot Halva with Mascarpone, and Hyder Kheer. I will also be sharing her recipe for Samosas following the review.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Interlink Books in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Ashia Ismail-Singer
Ashia Ismail-Singer is a nurse, mother, home cook, and food writer. She spent her early childhood in Malawi, Africa and her teenage years in England. She is now based in New Zealand with her family.
This is her first cookbook. Ashia has also released a second book in New Zealand, Saffron Swirls & Cardamom Dust, with a focus on desserts and baking.
Ashia’s Table
Ashia’s Table (My Indian Kitchen in New Zealand) has been eight years in the making. Ashia put together this book as a way to bring together her family’s recipes and share them with others. She begins with a short history of her family and their influences on her cooking today.
She states, “My home-cooked dishes are uncomplicated, require only a few key spices, and are fresh, healthy, and easy to prepare. Mine is an immigrant’s cuisine of sorts, blending old traditions with new ones, creating food that spans generations, geography, and ethnicity.”
Chapters are divided according to course: Introduction, Pantry Essentials, Grazing & Bites, Light Lunches, The Main Event, On the Side, and A Touch of Sweetness. Beginners will appreciate the section on basic pantry essentials and their uses along with a couple foundation recipes to help build flavor.
The photography is provided by Manja Wachsmuth. Most of the recipes are accompanied by a full-page photo of the finished dish. There are also a handful of step-by-step photos to demonstrate techniques such as forming Naan and Roti. Along with the food photos, the front and back of the book are filled with beautiful family pictures.
Measurements are listed in US Customary and Metric. Titles are written in English or the original language. Each recipe includes a headnote with background information, personal stories, pairing ideas, serving size, and prep/cook time.
Samosas
Seeing the recipe for Samosas in Ashia’s Table was finally the push I needed to try to make these delicious treats at home. I am so glad I did! The flavors were fantastic and I love how easy they are to freeze for quick snacks later.
In this meat-based version, a spiced ground lamb (which I used), chicken, or beef filling is wrapped in a partially cooked and pliable pastry, then fried until golden. I paired the Samosas with Ashia’s tomato and cilantro chutney.
Take care when heating the pastry rounds in the pan. They should be partially cooked, but still pliable enough to fold over the filling without tearing.
To make the paste for closing each Samosa, slowly add just enough water to flour in a small bowl to create a thick, spreadable paste.
Freeze extras in a single layer on a tray before transferring to a freezer-safe bag. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before frying.
Other Dishes
I also made the Masala Omelet, Turmeric Rice, Jeero Snacks, and Masala Chaa.
The Masala Omelet was Chad’s favorite. It is packed with so much flavor! Onions, potatoes, scallions, bell peppers, and mushrooms are sautéed until softened, then eggs are poured into the pan and cooked until set. Ashia recommends pairing the omelet with roti or paratha and tomato chutney.
The Turmeric Rice was an easy side perfect for serving with curry. Basmati rice is simmered in salted water with turmeric to create the light yellow color and topped with golden, crispy onions.
The Jeero Snacks were a favorite with the kids. A basic dough is flavored with a hint of crushed cumin seeds (jeero) and lemon juice, cut into strips, and fried until golden. Serve with a sprinkle of additional cumin and salt.
Ashia’s Table ends with a couple of drink recipes and I especially loved this Masala Chaa. The tea comes together easily and is spiced with cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon. Ashia recommends serving the tea with Sakar Para (diamond-shaped deep fried pastry cookies).
Ashia’s Table is a great option for those interested in Indian cuisine. The recipes have been created with the home cook in mind and are as simple as possible while also focusing on the traditional flavors. The pages are packed with a variety of options from snacks for sharing and main dishes to sides, desserts, bread, and drinks.
Most of the ingredients can be found in larger American grocery stores. A few items that may require locating a South Asian market include chickpea flour, tamarind paste, paneer, pomegranate molasses, cardamom pods, saffron, cassava, chana dhal, silver leaf, and rose petals.
Samosas Recipe
Excerpt from Ashia’s Table
Samosas
Ingredients
Pastry:
- 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup (180 milliliters) warm water
Filling:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound (500 grams) ground lamb, chicken, or beef
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1-2 garlic cloves crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2-1 teaspoon Indian chili powder or cayenne optional
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) tomato pureé or passata
- 2 small onions finely diced
Assembly:
- 1/4 cup (30 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cold water plus more as required
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
To make the Pastry:
- Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl.
- Make a well in the middle, pour in the oil and water, then mix and knead until a soft dough is formed.
- Cover the dough and set aside for 20 minutes to rest.
- Once rested, divide the dough into 6 balls.
- On a floured surface, roll out each ball to a round about 9 inches (23 centimeters) in diameter, basically as thin as you can get without tearing it.
- Heat a dry, nonstick frying pan over medium heat and brown the rounds lightly on both sides. The dough needs to be handled without breaking, so it is essential you do not overcook it. Repeat and place on a plate. Wrap with a damp tea towel until the filling is prepared.
To prepare the filling:
- In a large pot, heat the oil and add all the filling ingredients, except the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
- Add the onions and cook for a further 10 minutes until translucent and the mixture has no liquid. Set aside.
To assemble:
- In a small bowl, mix the flour and water together to make a thick, spreadable paste.
- Cut the partially cooked pastry circles into quarters using a sharp knife.
- For each quarter, place a line of flour paste onto one of the straight edges and bring the opposite edge over, creating a cone shape. Fill the cone with filling mixture, then fold and paste the top edge over to make a tightly formed triangle.
- Place the samosas on a tray and freeze for 30 minutes.
- If you are cooking them on the day, pour the oil into a large Karahi (Indian wok) or frying pan to a depth of 2 inches (5 centimeters). Heat until the surface shimmers and a small piece of bread turns golden. Reduce the heat to medium and add the samosas in batches. Fry, turning them from time to time, until golden brown.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the samosas to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Serve.
Kacie Morgan
I did a samosa workshop once! They are quite easy to make, once you get the hang of how to wrap them up! Practice makes perfect.
Kate
Those samosas look so incredibly good that I’ve just looked up the book – sensational! Thanks so much.