Pantrass (Also Known As Pan Fries)
Written by Jessica Fischman
Photo courtesy of Jessica FischmanThis is another Indian-Jewish recipe that I absolutely I love! It’s a bit like an Indian style egg roll, but with a fun Jewish twist. When I was too young to help in the kitchen, I remember sitting and watching my mother cook for hours. I was always amazed at her willingness to dive in get her hands dirty. As I grew older, I became increasingly interested in cooking, and my mother began to let me help her out in the kitchen. Among the many skills I’ve learned from her, one of the most important lessons is that patience and vigilance can go a long way when cooking.
Items you may need:
Food processor
Frying pan (Preferably 6-9 inches)
Ingredients for Stuffing:
Stuffing (may be made with chicken,
beef, turkey, or made vegetarian)
With chicken:
Approx 1 lb ground chicken
1 tbsp oil (more if necessary)
2 onions sliced or chopped
Fresh ginger and garlic
1 tsp turmeric
A pinch of salt
A pinch of pepper (optional)
Coriander
Add oil to a pan, heat on medium-high fire. Then add the onions and fry until golden brown. Add the above spices, except the coriander, and fry. When well mixed, add the ground chicken and fry until browned and cooked on a medium heat. Add the coriander, mix it in and cook for a few minutes. It should take no more than half an hour in all. After the mixture is cooked, it can also be frozen for later use.
For the crepes I will be using wonton wraps that you can purchase at the market.
Ingredients for the crepes:
Water
2 cups plain flour
1 egg
1 tbsp oil
A pinch of salt
A pinch of pepper
Put all the above ingredients into a food processor and mix. Start with the water first then add the other ingredients. The mixture should be light, but not watery. If you need more water or flour to balance it out, add as needed. It will look frothy on the top. To fix this, just stir it around. Leave the mixture while you prepare the stuffing.
The crepes
You will need the 6-9 inch frying pan (if the pan is any bigger the pan fries will be too big)
A little oil in a bowl with a brush
A cutting board
(Skip the following steps if you bought premade wonton wraps).
Empty the contents of the liquidizer into a bowl. This makes it easier to work with. Take the smallest ladle to pour the mixture into the frying pan.
To start, brush the pan with the oil when the pan is hot enough. Add a little of the mixture (this is the tricky part) to the pan and try to make it as thin as possible (comes with experience). Then immediately, swish the mixture around the pan as quickly as possible, if there are any holes put a few drops of the mixture into the holes. Cook on one side for a few seconds until the crepe is firm then turn the crepe and cook for a few second on the other side, just so it should not be raw. Right away flip the less cooked side on to a board, this is the side you will fill with a tablespoon of the chicken mixture.
Once you fill the crepe with a tablespoon of the mixture, fold in the top half of the crepe then the two sides and then the bottom. Fold more if the crepe is too big. When you are done folding all the crepes, you are ready for the next step. You might need to brush the pan with oil after each crepe.
The last step of the preparation:
2 eggs
1/2 tsp oil
Breadcrumbs
To egg and crumb the pan fries put the eggs in an dish with a little of the oil and mix. The oil helps the breadcrumbs adhere to the eggs. Dip the pan fries in the egg and then roll it in the crumbs. At this point, premade rolls/pan fries can be frozen on a sheets of wax proof paper at least overnight and when firm can be placed in ziplock bags for future use. The premade rolls/pan fries will then have to be fried in a frying pan with a little oil for frying. The pan fries when fried should be brown.
A tip when frying anything – before you place your food on a cooling rack, line a tray with kitchen paper towels to reduce the mess from the excess oil.
These may even be eaten cold, though hot is the way to go!
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