Spice Roasted Cornish Hen with Spiced Potato Momos and Veggie Patties

I want to start off by saying this meal was rough and eye opening. The day before I had to go to my hometown and without getting too into it, it was a horrible experience. So bad that I was still mentally and physically recovering from it the next day. Actually I'm still trying to get over it. Needless to say, I was not in a good mood but I wanted to continue with my little project so I forced myself into the kitchen.

I could not get into it and it wasn't until the end of the day that I realized just how therapeutic cooking is for me. Like I've said, I know my way around a kitchen. Even before this started, even before I became a Stay at Home Mom, I made dinner four to five days a week and I've always enjoyed it. Chopping up veggies is like meditation to me and in a weird way, it's how I relax. It's hard to do that when your mind is racing and it was not good.

The ingredients for Spice Roasted Cornish Hen

2 1 1/2-2 lb Cornish Hens

3 tbsps vegetable oil

1 1 inch stick cinnamon, halved

4 green cardamom pods, crushed. I just had cardamom seeds so I crushed them.

2 bay leave

6 whole cloves

2 large onions, finely chopped

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp minced fresh ginger

1 1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp ground tumeric

1 tsp Garam Masala

Preheat the oven to 350. Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity (I bought hens with those items already removed) and rinse in cold water. Keep refrigerated while making the sauce.

Heat the oil and when hot but not smoking, add the cinnamon, cardamom pods, bay leaves, and cloves; fry until they become aromatic. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, coriander, salt, cumin, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and tumeric; cook until the tomatoes are soft and juice evaporated. Stir in the garam masala and remove from heat.

Place the hens in a roasting pan, breast side up. Spoon the sauce into over and inside the hen. Roast uncovered, basting frequently, for 25-30 minutes. Well I guess my hens were still partially frozen because I had to roast those suckers for over an hour before they were done. First annoyance.

The Veggie Patties

1 1/2 lbs boiling potatoes

1 cup veggie oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp minced ginger

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp ginger, minced

5 cups finely chopped mixed veggies. I did a cup of yellow and green bell peppers, carrots, and peas.

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground tumeric

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp black pepper

4-5 green onions (white and pale green parts) finely chopped

1 cup finely chopped cilantro. Did not add this.

3-4 green chilies, chopped

2 tbsp lemon or lime juice

Combine the potatoes and water and boil until soft. I did this earlier in the day to save time. Heat two tablespoons of the oil and when hot, not smoking, add the cumin seeds and fry until fragrant. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, and fry until the onions are soft. Stir in the chopped veggies, coriander, cumin, salt, tumeric, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Mix well, reduce head, and cook until veggies are soft. Add the potatoes, mix well, and cook until liquid evaporates. Remove from heat, add cilantro, green onions, green chilies, lemon juice, and mix well. Let it cool to room temperature before continuing.

Heat two tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Scoop about three tablespoons of the mixture into a ball and then flatten into a patty. Place four to five patties in the oil and fry until browned on both sides.

My patties did not want to be patties and I followed the instructions except for the cilantro. I can't imagine cilantro was that vital. I was about six out of a ten on annoyance at this point so I just turned it into a stir fry.

Momo Wrappers

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for kneading

1/2 tsp salt (optional)

In a bowl, combine four and salt. Make a well in the center and add 3/4 to 1 cup of warm water, a little at a time, until mixture becomes a crumbly mess. Transfer to a floured surface and knead until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 5 to 6 minutes. If the dough is too stiff, add more water; if too wet, add more flour. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let it rest for thirty minutes.

When ready, roll out the dough and cut into 3 inch circles. Stuff with whatever you want. I made a mixture of mashed potatoes, cumin, tumeric, cinnamon, and onions. Steam them for ten minutes.

My momos were crap, too. Sorry, I'm getting grumpy just remembering it. Basically I was in the kitchen for over two hours and my entire meal didn't turn out the way it was supposed to. With the exception of the frozen birds, I don't know what I did wrong, but it did not help my mood. I was very frustrated and angry and I probably even cried a bit. I think part of it was the kitchen failure and part of it was whatever was on my mind but overall, not a good experience.

This recipe will still make my life story, though, but just for the revelation that I cook as a release but not everything can be released. Sometimes things just need to sit and fester and figure themselves out. Festering thoughts are the best!

Also, the veggie stir fry was good but the rest of the food was blah. I'm pretty sure my bad juju seeped itself into my food.