Samosas

Name: Samosas
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Yield: 16 samosas
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 250 g plain flour; 0.5 tsp ajwain (carom) seeds, optional; 0.5 tsp salt, for the pastry; 4 tbsp vegetable oil, for the pastry; 90 ml cold water, about; 600 g floury potatoes, scrubbed; 2 tbsp vegetable oil, for the filling; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed; 15 g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated; 2 green chilies, finely chopped; 100 g frozen peas; 1 tsp garam masala; 1 tsp amchur (dried mango powder), or 1 tbsp lemon juice; 0.5 tsp chili powder; 1 tsp salt, for the filling; 15 g fresh coriander, chopped; 1.5 l vegetable oil, for deep frying; about 80 g is absorbed

2 h 20
Prep 50 min
Cook 1 h
16 samosas
hard

Start cooking

Crisp, blistered pastry cones filled with spiced potato and peas, fried slowly until deep golden and firm enough to hold their shape.

Method

1
Boil the potatoes whole in their skins until a knife slides in easily.
2
Meanwhile, mix the flour, ajwain and salt in a bowl, add 4 tbsp oil and rub it in until the mixture holds together when squeezed.
3
Add the water a little at a time and knead to a firm, stiff dough, much stiffer than bread dough. Cover and rest.
4
Drain the potatoes, peel them once cool enough to handle and break them into small chunks rather than mashing.
5
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the cumin and coriander seeds. Let them sizzle.
6
Add the ginger, green chilies and peas and stir until the peas are hot.
7
Add the potatoes, garam masala, amchur, chili powder and salt and toss until coated, without mashing. Stir in the coriander and let the filling cool completely.
8
Divide the dough into 8 balls. Roll each into an oval about 20 cm long and 2 mm thick, then cut it in half across the middle.
9
Wet the straight edge of one half, fold it into a cone and overlap the wet edge by 1 cm, pressing to seal.
10
Fill the cone with about 2 heaped tbsp of filling, wet the open edge, pinch it shut and press with a fork. Repeat with the rest.
11
Heat the frying oil to 150°C. The oil should be only moderately hot so the pastry cooks through and blisters slowly.
12
Fry 5 or 6 samosas at a time, turning now and then, until firm, evenly deep golden and crisp. Repeat with the rest.
13
Drain on a wire rack or kitchen paper and serve warm with tamarind or mint chutney.

Notes

A stiff dough and a moderate oil temperature give the classic blistered, crisp shell. Hot oil browns the pastry before it cooks and leaves it soft.
The filling must be cold before you fill the cones, or the pastry turns soggy.
Shaped samosas freeze well on a tray. Fry them from frozen, allowing a few extra minutes.

Equipment

Saucepan, Mixing bowl, Large frying pan, Rolling pin, Deep heavy pan or wok, Cooking thermometer, Slotted spoon

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