Hari Nayak’s Modern Indian
At his new cafe Matt & Meera in Hoboken, NJ, noted chef Hari Nayak has Indianized American comfort foods with spices and ingredients. Here he shares his recipes for the Matt & Meera Lamb Burgers and masala chips, which are baked, not fried. Ah, the little bonuses in life!
Matt & Meera Lamb Burgers
These lamb burgers are inspired by the traditional lamb kebabs flavored with spices that I have eaten in Delhi, a capital city in northern India. I love the aromatic smell and complex flavor of Indian kebabs and the classic American grilled burger – and this is my way of incorporating the two! They are great topped with our signature chutneys Mint Chutney or Plum Tomato Chutney with Mustard Seeds , Masala Chips and served with a chilled glass of your favorite beer.
Prep time: 15 minutes plus 1 hour to rest the patties
Cook time: 15 minutes
Makes four 1/3-lb (150-g) burgers or sixteen 1½-oz (40-g) sliders
1½ lbs (750 g) ground lamb
3 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and pounded
3 teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted and pounded
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
4 tablespoons minced fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
2 fresh green chili peppers, minced
2 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
Oil, for brushing the burgers
For sliders: 16 small buns
For burgers: 4 hamburger buns
1. Place all of the ingredients, except for the oil and bread, in a large mixing bowl. Mix together well. With wet hands, mold the mixture into 4 equal-size patties or, to create sliders, 16 equal-size patties. Refrigerate the patties at least for 1 hour.
2. To cook the lamb patties on the stovetop: Preheat a grill pan over medium heat. Lightly brush the pan with oil or a nonstick pan spray. Cook the lamb patties for 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium doneness, brushing with oil to prevent sticking.
3. To grill the lamb patties: Preheat the grill to high. Lightly oil the grate with vegetable oil— pour oil onto a paper towel, then hold the towel with tongs to wipe the oil onto the grate. Place the lamb patties on the grill directly over the heat. Cook about 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium doneness, brushing with oil to prevent sticking, turning once.
4. While the meat is cooking, prepare the bread. For sliders, cut each of the naan breads into 6 wedges. Toast the naan wedges on the grill. Serve the sliders on top of the naan or between small buns; serve ¼-lb (125-g) burgers stuffed into the pita pockets or sandwiched between hamburger buns.
Tip
Do not press down on the patties with a spatula during cooking—this only squeezes out the juices and dries out the lamb.
Masala Spiced Baked Potato Chips
Serves 4
2 large russet potato (about 10 to 12 ounces)
2 tablespoon vegetable oil or melted butter
¼ teaspoon chaat masala, ¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon or to taste chili powder , ¼ teaspoon black pepper
10 curry leaves
Wash and dry the potato. Slice the potato skin on into 1/8th inch thick slices lengthwise using a mandolin or a large, sharp knife. Place the potato sticks on a kitchen towel, and gently pat dry.
In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter or oil spices and curry leaves. Add the potato slices to the bowl and toss well.
Baking – Pre heat oven to 400F. Place the seasoned potato slices on a non-stick baking sheet or a regular baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the potato slices so that they are in a single layer and don’t overlap. You may need to do this in batches. Make sure they are in a single layer; this is what makes them crisp! Bake for 10 minutes or till the chips are golden and crisp. Halfway through baking, check on the chips, and remove any pieces those are already crispy and golden. Rotate the baking sheet and continue baking.
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