Catch a glimpse of the world and incorporate yourself into Iowa State’s multicultural campus with these international dishes.

Indian Samosa

Let’s take a trip to India with this delightful appetizer. With fresh vegetables and seasonings, you can’t help but indulge in such a delicious yet nutritious snack. Some flavors you may have never heard of, but with this culture such items like turmeric and masala are a tradition.

Ingredients

For Pastry:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons light olive oil

Pinch of salt

For Filling:

2 large potatoes (boiled)

1 onion, chopped

2 green chilies, very finely chopped

3 tablespoons light olive oil

1/2 teaspoon grated ginger

1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic

1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

Juice from 1/2 a lemon

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon masala

1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

Salt

Preparation

For Pastry: Mix together the flour, oil and salt. Add a small amount of water until the mixture becomes crumbly. Keep adding water and kneading the mixture until it becomes a soft moldable dough. Cover with a moist cloth and set aside for 20 minutes. Beat the dough on a work surface and knead again. Cover and set aside. For Filling: Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in medium saucepan. Add in ginger, garlic and green chilies. Stir fry for about a minute, add the onions and sauté until light brown. Add in the cilantro, lemon juice, turmeric, red chili powder, salt and masala. Saute for about two more minutes. Add in potatoes and saute again for another two minutes. Set aside and allow to cool. Divide the dough into 10 equal parts. Using a rolling pin, roll a piece of dough into a 5-inch oval. Cut into two halves and run a moist finger along the diameter. Roll the dough around finger to make a cone. Place a tablespoon of the filling into the cone and seal the third side using a moist finger. Deep fry the samosas in low fat olive oil, on low to medium heat until light brown. Serve with tomato sauce or any chutney you love.

Garlic Chicken Stir-fry over Brown Rice                

A popular dish in Asian cuisine is a stir-fry. With this inventive recipe from a fellow student, it’s amazing to see how healthy yet tasty a meal can actually be. The protein from the chicken with the grains from the brown rice on which it’s served gives you a little bit of every food group.

Recipe by: Justin Davis, sophomore in psychology

Ingredients

6 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 cup reduced sodium stir-fry sauce

Preparation

Chop the chicken breast into half inch cubes. Combine in small bowl with one-half cup of stir-fry sauce and garlic. Heat a frying pan, grease with light olive oil and toss in the mixed vegetables. When vegetables start to soften, add the chicken cooking for about two minutes. Add the rest of the stir-fry sauce and let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until chicken cooked completely through. Serve over brown rice and enjoy.

Cajeta Quesadillas with Fruit Salsa

Yum, yum, yum. These cajeta quesadillas all the way from Mexico sure can be a crowd-pleaser for fruit lovers everywhere. Dulce de leche isn’t an ingredient you see in many dishes, but this one would be incomplete without it. It combines every bit of fruit and honey for a sweet and light dessert after a delicious meal from across the country.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh pineapple

1/2 cup fresh blackberries

2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Oinch of salt

4 8-inch flour tortillas

2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

1/2 cup dulce de leche

1 large sliced banana

1/2 cup light whipping cream

Extra dulce de leche for drizzle

Preparation

For the fruit salsa, combine pineapple, blackberries, agave nectar, lime juice and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. For the quesadillas, lightly brush one side of each tortilla with the butter. Place the tortillas, butter side down, on a cutting board or waxed paper. Spread two tablespoons of the dulce de leche on half of each tortilla. Top with the sliced banana. Fold the tortilla and gently press down. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat for one minute, cook the quesadillas two at a time over medium heat for four to six minutes, or until light brown, turning only once. Transfer them to a cutting board and cut into wedges. In a small bowl, beat the whipping cream with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form. To serve, place quesadilla wedges on a serving plate. Top with whipped cream and the fruit salsa. Drizzle with an additional amount of dulce de leche and serve.