February 22, 2019February 22, 2019 4min readBy Ann Ittoop
Add some Southern comfort to your weekend menu with these loaded mashed potato balls with chili honey sour cream! This recipe could be enjoyed as a regular bowl of mashed potatoes (minus the egg and AP flour), but where’s the fun in that?
I decided to go gourmet and bite-size and whipped up these Loaded Mashed Potato Balls with Chili Honey Sour Cream. The process might look overwhelming at first, but I hope you give it a shot. If you follow me on Instagram, you know I’m a believer in the process of cooking and pouring love into each dish. That sometimes comes in the form of a quick, minimal ingredient dish or it sometimes requires a few more steps and time. Either way, getting lost in the process can be magical.
But, of course, if you’re not feeling magical about being in the kitchen for about an hour, I get it. Make this a group effort! Invite your friends over and let everyone have a part in what’s going to be a scrumptious, potato-filled experience. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
Olive Oil, 2 tbsp
Shallots, 2, minced
Garlic Cloves, 4, minced
Golden Potatoes, 5, boiled, peeled
Bacon, thick-cut, 2 slices, cooked and finely chopped
Saute. In a small frying pan on medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add in the shallots and garlic. Fry until soft and lightly golden. Set aside.
Mash and Mix. In a large mixing bowl, add in the golden potatoes along with the sautéed shallots and garlic, bacon, goat cheese, unsalted butter, chives, black pepper, salt, cumin, egg, and AP flour. Lightly mash the potatoes leaving it slightly chunky (do not overdo it and make it creamy or it will taste more like risotto balls). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Chilling the mix makes it easier to form the ball shape.
Roll and Coat. In a shallow plate or bowl, mix together the breading ingredients. Now, using an ice cream scoop with scraper/wiper, scoop up the mashed potato mixture into your hand and form into a round ball. Roll the ball into the breading mix and then place on a plate or baking sheet.
Fry. In a frying pan on medium-high heat, add enough vegetable oil so that it’s 1-2” deep. Once the oil is hot, use your hands or tongs to gently place the balls into the oil. Once the edges turn a light golden brown, turn the balls over to cook the other side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer from the pan to a plate lined with paper towels.
Drizzle. In a small bowl, mix together the chili honey sour cream ingredients. Spoon this mixture into a squeeze bottle with a pointed tip. Assemble the mashed potato balls on your serving plate. Drizzle a light amount of the cream over the balls in a zigzag shape. Garnish with a few diced chives. Done!
Notes:
You can use any type of potato. I prefer golden yellow potatoes because they are lightly sweet.
You can use red onions instead of shallots.
Any cheese can be subbed in. For this batch, I used a honey goat cheese.
For frying oil, you can also fry in canola or peanut oil.
I know the question of baking these will come up. You could bake these at 400 degrees for about 12-15 minutes, but keep in mind the texture will be slightly different and the coating will not darken as much as with frying.
January 3, 2023January 10, 2023 3min readBy Subrina Singh
Curried Chicken with Roti Parata or Roti, popular Middle Eastern/Indian cuisine
It is officially that time of year—the holiday season. There’s nothing like Christmas and New Year’s in the West Indies. Between the pepperpot in Guyana and the palm trees decorated in lights in Trinidad, the home food, warm weather and laid-back ambiance makes us wish we could escape the cold and head back to the Caribbean. Most of us, however, cannot “take holiday” and find ourselves hungry for fresh dhal puri and doubles. But, thanks to these Indo-Caribbean food bloggers, we can bring the motherland to our kitchens.
From Diwali mithai specialties to curry chicken, Matthew is creating a name for himself as a young Guyanese food blogger. He makes a great effort to incorporate Hindu holidays and traditions on his Instagram account, in conjunction with the customary foods and sweets associated with these religious events. However, his expertise does not end there, with new and alternative recipes for classic dishes such as curry chicken and bhara, Matthew takes center stage sharing both traditional Guyanese dishes as well as specific religious dishes made for festivals. His most popular YouTube video, with 1.4 million views, features his grandmother and focuses on the best tips to make the softest Guyanese paratha roti. In addition, his YouTube account is home to many videos offering guidance to Indo Caribbean cooking. Find recipes at @mattews.guyanese.cooking
Natasha Laggan of Trini Cooking with Natasha is wildly popular throughout the Caribbean and the U.S. With humble beginnings, Natasha credits her love of food to her family’s business. She speaks of the nostalgia home food provides her as she reminisces memories of her grandmother’s cooking and helping her mother make sandwiches early in the morning. Featured by Forbes, Natasha grew her Facebook following quickly throughout the pandemic by posting old YouTube videos. Today, she has more than 1 million followers on Facebook and over 200K followers on YouTube. She uses her passion for cooking and Trinidadian culture to bring easy-to-follow recipes to viewers. Her following has now reached the West Indian diaspora globally as she has also become a brand ambassador to two well-known food companies. Follow the food expert @trinicookingwithnatasha.
With over 100K followers on YouTube, Ria is quite the expert when it comes to making roti. Her dhal puri, sada roti and paratha roti tutorials have over 1M views! However, her expertise does not stop there. Of the 180 YouTube tutorials, her recipes vary from curry to other Trinidadian favorites like macaroni pie and pigtail soup. Just scrolling through her YouTube page makes your mouth water. From doubles to classic Trinidad bakes like pound cake and sweet bread, she provides precision and anecdotal commentary while guiding you through the familiarity of home food. Check out Ria’s page at @cookingwithria.
Known as Chef Devan, Devan Rajkumar embraces his Guyanese Canadian heritage by creating recipes combining flavors of both the East and West Indies. His love of food has allowed him to expand his role to judge in a popular Canadian cooking show: Food Network Canada’s Fire Masters. His cooking often blends the flavors of multiple cultures but also creates the classic recipes of his motherland. With a multitude of interests, Chef Dev uses his social media platform to connect with followers by sharing various aspects of his life that go beyond cooking. His most recent YouTube video provides a trailer for an upcoming video “Tastes Guyana” which shows him exploring Guyana from the inside, specifically deep parts of the inner country. To learn more about Chef Devan follow @chefdevan.
Reshmi is the chef behind the growing blog, Taste of Trinbago. A Trinidadian native who now resides in Texas, she uses her love of food and Trinidadian culture to share hacks, tips and easy recipes with West Indians throughout the globe. She finds a way to simplify traditional West Indian meals, that we once watched our elders make with curiosity. From holiday specialties like black cake to Diwali delicacies, Reshmi has brought vegetarian and non-veg recipes to followers in an extremely accessible way. She even posts recipe cards on her IG highlights for followers who may need written instructions. Her IG profile is a mix of various West Indian foods while also sharing bits of her life and even her secrets to baby food. Follow her @tasteoftrinbago.
These are just five Indo Caribbean food bloggers sharing their secrets to easy cooking. The once very daunting recipes and food instructions our parents gave have been simplified by most of these bloggers through video, voice over and modernized recipes. We no longer have to estimate a “dash, pinch or tuk” of any masala. We are just days away from Christmas and this is the perfect time to find the best-suited recipe to make that paratha for Santa.
But, of course, if you’re not feeling magical about being in the kitchen for about an hour, I get it. Make this a group effort! Invite your friends over and let everyone have a part in what’s going to be a scrumptious, potato-filled experience. Enjoy!
