Samosas

Samosas are the Indian version of a fried pastry with a savory filling.   You can make these with a made-from-scratch dough, or use a Filo dough to save time.  A traditional Samosa is deep fried, but you can use less oil and pan fry, or even less and bake it in an oven.  Any method creates a tasty appetizer or side dish.  Serve warm with your choice of Indian chutney or dipping sauce.

PASTRY

  • 1cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

-or-

  • 1 thawed package of pre-made Filo dough or Puff Pastry sheets

    Filling

  • 2 large potatoes, cubed and boiled until fork tender
  • 1 med onion, chopped
  • 2 green chilies, very finely chopped (can use canned green chilies)
  • 1/2 cup peas (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger, grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic, crushed or minced
  • coriander seed
  • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped (can use dried cilantro)
  • 1/2 lemon, juice of
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder (optional, use less for less spicy)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Mix together the flour, oil and salt (this can be done in a food processor with a dough blade).
  2. Add a little water, until mixture becomes crumbly.
  3. Keep adding water, kneading the mixture till it becomes a soft pliable dough.
  4. Cover with a moist cloth and set aside for 20 minutes.
  5. Beat dough on a work surface and knead again.
  6. Cover and set aside.
  7. Divide dough into 10 equal portions.
  8. Use a rolling pin, roll a piece of dough into a 5″ oval
  9. Cut into 2 halves.

-OR-

Defrost Filo Dough or puff pastry sheets and open out onto floured surface.  Cut into 5″ squares and then in half to make triangles.

FILLING

  1. Heat 3 tbsp oil.
  2. Add ginger, garlic, green chillies and few coriander seeds.
  3. Stir fry for 1 minute, add onions and saute till light brown.
  4. Add cilantro (fresh coriander), lemon juice, turmeric, red chili, salt and garam masala.
  5. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
  6. Add potatoes.
  7. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
  8. Set aside and allow to cool.
  9. Run a moist finger along the edges of the dough.
  10. Roll around finger to make a cone, or pinch one edge of the triangle to form a pocket.
  11. Place a tablespoon of the filling into the cone.
  12. Seal the third side using a moist finger.
  13. Deep fry the samosas on low to medium heat until light brown.  Or pan fry in a small amount of oil.  Or spray with olive oil and bake at 325 degrees until golden brown.  You can also brush on almond milk instead of the olive oil.
  14. Serve with tomato sauce or any chutney you love.

Recipe for Indian Green Chutney

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro (leaves and tender stems)
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves (leaves and tender stems)
  • 3 green chilies.
  • ½ teaspoon black salt.
  • Juice of 2 limes.
  • ½ inch peeled fresh ginger.
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds.
  • ½ coriander seeds.
  1. Place about ⅓ of the cilantro and mint in the blender with the lime juice and process to a puree.
  2. Add the chilies, ginger, cumin and coriander and process into a smooth paste. This will take about 3 minutes and will need a combination of pulsing and blending actions to make sure that the spices are ground until smooth.
  3. Add in the remaining herbs in batches and continue grinding until smooth. The key is to try to get a relatively thick and pasty chutney and this cannot be accomplished by adding all the ingredients together at the same time.