Masala Potato Cake with Ginger Walnut Cilantro Pesto

oes without saying that good food has always held an important place in our lives. Now maybe its just me but I feel that the hands that make good food have gained the respect and have been given the due credit they deserve only in recent times. Thanks to popular media that stepped up to the plate and made not just food but also cooking fashionable. Even so this has happened only in recent times (you do remember those early 90's cooking shows don't you). Today there are entire television channels dedicated to food and present food in style. 

Credit also goes to some pioneers in this field. Growing up I always fancied cooking shows. I even have my little list of chefs that I have followed and like, some more than others. I have even blogged about several of the recipes from some of my most favorite chefs. One of the more recent additions to the list - and not just anywhere but very close if not the topmost on the list - is chef Vikas Khanna. He is one of those personalities whom I have very recently come to know and deeply admire. He is through and through a total inspiration right from the humility with which he speaks about even his biggest achievements, from the early days of his struggle to the peak of success which he is at right now to the passion with which he uses his ingredients in his food (you should watch him talk about spices, say some rare kind of pepper that he considers extra special, like a woman would about the newly acquired rock on her finger).
So here is a recipe that I adapted from one of his collections. Needless to say we all loved it.

Ingredients:
Red Potatoes ........................................... 1 lb, boiled peeled and grated
All purpose flour ....................................... 1/4 cup
Fine Semolina (sooji) .................................. 1 cup
Green Chilli ............................................. 2 - 4 or to taste, finely chopped
Onion ..................................................... 1 small, finely chopped
Roasted ground cumin ................................. 1 tsp
Cayenne pepper ........................................ 1 tsp
Fresh cilantro ........................................... 1/2 cup chopped
Turmeric ................................................. 1/4 tsp
Chaat masala ............................................ 1 tsp, optional
Salt ........................................................ to taste
Oil for frying

Method:
1. In a medium mixing bowl take the grated potatoes, all purpose flour, semolina, green chillies, cumin, cayenne, cilantro, chaat masala, turmeric and salt. Knead until smooth and mixed well.
2. Divide the mixture into 10 - 12 equal pieces. Take a portion and flatten it on your palm into a half inch thick cake.
3. Heat a fryer with oil on medium heat. Test the oil by dropping a small piece of the cake. If the oil is ready, the piece will float and begin to brown in five seconds. Gently drop the cakes in batches of 4 to 5 into the hot oil. Cook for five minutes while turning them to brown evenly.
4. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel. Serve hot topped with pesto.
For pesto-
Ingredients:
Cilantro ..................................... 2 cup, tightly packed
Walnuts ..................................... 1/2 cup, toasted and cooled
Fresh ginger ................................ 1 inch, peeled and coarsely chopped
Garlic ........................................ 2 cloves, coarsely chopped
Lemon juice ................................ 1 tsp
Salt and fresh ground pepper ........... to taste
Extra virgin olive oil ...................... 1/3 cup
Method:
1.In a food processor combine the walnut, cilantro, ginger and garlic with salt and pepper and pulse a few times until the nuts are finely chopped. With the machine running, add in the lemon juice and oil and blend until smooth. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Store in a jar. It can be refrigerated for up to two days.

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