Savory Mini Cheesecakes With Red Pepper-Tomatillo Chutney
- Cuisine: Indian
- Course: Appetizer
- Features: Fast, Make-Ahead Recipes
Summary:
Be careful when using fenugreek seeds: They add bitterness to a dish, so a little goes a long way. Also, they are not substitutes for fresh fenugreek or dried fenugreek leaves; the flavors and textures are miles apart.
This chutney is tangy and has a bit more liquid than most; it can be used for drinks and other Indian recipes. The spices called for are available at most Indian markets.
MAKE AHEAD: Only 3 tablespoons of the chutney is used in this recipe; the rest can be covered tightly and refrigerated for up to 1 week. The cheesecakes can be assembled up to 1 hour in advance.
Makes 30 pieces and 1 generous cup of chutney
Ingredients:
For the cheesecakes- 30 mini phyllo shells, such as Organic Mini Fillo Shells from the Fillo Factory
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (may substitute low-fat but not nonfat)
- 1 medium egg
- 5 tablespoons sour cream (may substitute low-fat but not nonfat)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 5 or 6 curry leaves
- Pinch asafetida
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (see headnote)
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon black onion (nigella) seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 4 whole dried red chili peppers
- 10 to 12 green tomatillos (papery skins removed), washed and cut into small dice (2 cups)
- 1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into small dice (1 cup)
- 1-inch piece ginger root (at least 2 teaspoons)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar (may substitute freshly squeezed lemon juice)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
For the cheesecakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet with nonstick cooking oil spray. Arrange the phyllo shells on the sheet.
Whisk together the cream cheese, egg and sour cream in a medium bowl until well combined. Drop 1 or 2 teaspoons of the mixture into each shell. Bake for 15 minutes or until the filling is firm and set. Transfer to a rack to cool to room temperature.
For the chutney: Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until the oil begins to shimmer.
Add the curry leaves, asafetida and the cumin, fenugreek, fennel, onion and mustard seeds. Stir to combine, and cook undisturbed for 1 minute. Add the dried chili peppers, tomatillos, bell pepper, ginger and sugar. Mix well.
Add the water and vinegar; increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 35 minutes, until the tomatillos and bell pepper are soft and the liquid is syrupy. Add the salt and stir to incorporate.
Remove from the heat. Discard the whole chili peppers, if desired. Transfer to a container; cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
When ready to serve, top each cheesecake with about 1/4 teaspoon of the chutney.
Recipe Source:
Adapted from "Modern Spice," by Monica Bhide (Simon and Schuster, 2009).
E-mail the Food Section with recipe questions.
(Jonathan Ernst for The Washington Post)
