A couple weeks ago, at the end of a busy week, Brad and I decided to go for a long walk with Callie the dog. The main goal of this walk was to make it to the new Indian restaurant that had opened over the summer, grab some take out and bottle of wine, then head home for a lazy evening of unwinding, no dirty dishes, and a movie. This was the best plan ever. The food was amazing and the no dishes part was bliss. Indian food is something I never expected to get turned on to in Tokyo, Japan, but there you have it.

About a week and a half ago I had another craving for Indian food, but this time I wanted it homemade. And I didn’t just want curry. I wanted samosas. It turns out samosas are not necessarily difficult to make. They do take some time though. This is not a bad thing, but useful to know before beginning the process at 7pm when you typically eat dinner at 7:30pm. Let’s just say that 9pm rolled around and we had just finished setting the table for dinner. Oh well.

My recipe is based on Andrea Nguyen’s recipe in her book, Asian Dumplings. I made some slight changes, such as using whole wheat flour in the recipe for the dough and omitting the peas and coriander (simply because I didn’t have them on hand). At first, I was concerned that they wouldn’t fry correctly and the dough would not be the right consistency. Fortunately, I was wrong. They were flaky yet sturdy enough to support the sweet potato filling. I whipped up a little plain yogurt (i.e. poured the yogurt into a small bowl) and used it as a tangy dip for the steaming hot dumplings.

Take out is good, but so is knowing that you can make it just as good on your own.

*Check out RestaurantWare.com if you’d like catering supplies like these bamboo plates and flatware of your own!Enter coupon code “tokyoterrace” and receive 10% off! In this post, you see Bamboo Tong (large) .

Sweet Potato Samosas (adapted from Asian Dumplings by Andrea Nguyen)

Makes 12 Samosas

10 ounces diced sweet potato (I used Japanese sweet potato, but any variety will be fine)

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons curry powder

1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Pastry Dough (recipe below)

Vegetable oil (for deep-frying)

1. Cut the potatoes into even-sized pieces and place in a pot of cold water. The water should cover the potatoes completely. Place the pot over high heat until it begins to boil. Allow to boil until the potatoes are done, between 15 and 30 minutes depending on the variety of potato you are using. Test with a fork for doneness. Drain the potatoes when they are cooked and transfer to a bowl to cool.

2. When the potatoes are cool, carefully peel them then cut them into 1/4 inch pieces. Set aside.

3. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium/large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, ginger, and curry powder. Stir over the heat until the onions are beginning to soften. Add the potatoes and stir with the onions until well-coated. When the potatoes begin to brown, remove them from the heat. Add the lemon juice and salt and allow them to cool.

4. Meanwhile, make the dough. (See recipe below)

5. When the dough is ready, place it on a lightly floured surface and roll it into a 6 inch long log. Cut it into 6 equal pieces and set them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment.

6. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll into a circle that is approximately 4-5 inches in diameter. Cut the circle in half so you have two half-moons. Place them back on the cookie sheet and continue with the remaining pieces.

7. To assemble the samosas, take one of the half moons and bring the flat edge together so you form a cone shape. Fill the cone with about a tablespoon or two of the sweet potato filling. Create a seam at the top of the cone, sealing the filling inside, by simply pressing the dough together with your fingers. Continue until all the samosas are assembled.

8. In a heavy bottomed pan filled with about 3 inches of vegetable oil, heat the oil until it reaches about 220 degrees F. Working in batches, fry the samosas until the dough turns a light brown. Carefully remove and place on pieces of a brown paper bag to soak up the oil. Serve immediately with plain yogurt or chutney.

Whole Wheat Dough (adapted from Asian Dumplings by Andrea Nguyen)

1/2 cup white flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1/4 cup water

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Add the butter and use your fingers to break it into small pea-sized chunks. Here is a great tip from Andrea Nguyen for this step: “…pick up some flour and shortening {butter} and quickly rub it between your hands in a gentle sliding motion from the heel of your hand to your fingertips. Work over the bowl so that the mixture falls back into the bowl. Continue picking up and rubbing more of the mixture until you no longer see lumps of shortening.”

2. Add the water a little bit at a time, working it into the flour mixture with your hands. When the dough begins to come together after all the water is incorporated, press it together into a ball.

3. Place the dough on a work surface (you won’t need to add extra flour) and knead the dough until it becomes smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set aside for at least half an hour before continuing.

Instead of making a traditional Osechi this year, I decided to take the same foods that are frequently eaten at the New Year in Japan and make alternative dishes instead, like Lotus Root Chips and this Chestnut and Sweet Potato Soup.

Chestnuts, despite the name, are less like a nut and more like a starch. The texture is similar to that of a cooked potato, but a bit less grainy. The flavor is gentle and when roasted has a slightly smoky-sweet flavor. While seasonal fresh chestnuts are my favorite, the vacuum-packed variety are just fine for the purposes of making this soup. (I have tried roasting and peeling my own chestnuts but have yet to master the process. I will try again next year when chestnuts are back in season to get more practice!)

For this soup, I’ve combined chestnuts with Japanese sweet potatoes (satsumaimo) to create a creamy, comforting soup that is perfect for post-holiday light meals. With just a small amount of cream to tie the soup together, this soup is hearty without being overly rich. And the best part? It only takes 30 minutes to make! I know. That’s pretty sweet.

Japanese Chestnut and Sweet Potato Soup
Makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 lb. Japanese sweet potatoes, washed, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes (or other variety of sweet potato)
1 cup vacuum packed chestnuts, roughly chopped
1/2 large yellow onion (or 1 medium/small) chopped
6 cups chicken stock/broth
2 tablespoons Japanese Whiskey (you can use other types of whiskey, but I’ve only used Japanese. Sherry is also an option)
1 tablespoon honey
salt and white pepper to taste
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped flat leave parsley, for garnish

In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook until soft. Add the potatoes and increase heat to medium high. Cook the potatoes for about 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly to make sure nothing burns. Add the chestnuts and stir into the potato/onion mixture. Pour the chicken stock into the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes until the potatoes and chestnuts are fork tender. Use an immersion blender to combine the ingredients (or work carefully in batches with a regular blender) until creamy. Stir in the whiskey and honey and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the cream, salt and pepper. Ladle into 4 serving bowls and garnish with the parsley. Serve immediately.