A common Indian street food, samosas are delicious
bubbly pastries filled with a savory filling (in this
case, cardamom, potatoes, and peas). A classic vegetarian
treat, these are always welcome at a hors d'oeuvres
buffet and will be gobbled up by vegetarians and carnivores
alike. Serve plain, or alongside your favorite chutney
(Tamarind
Chutney is traditional). Although a big time-consuming,
this recipe isn't hard--and it makes a pile of samosas
(which reheat very well in the oven). Adapted from a
recipe in Clare Ferguson's Street
Food.
(makes 32)
dough:
7 1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp. salt
3/4 cup clarified butter
or ghee, melted
(use vegetable shortening or oil for vegan variation)
hot water
peanut
oil, for deep frying
Tamarind
Chutney, to serve (or other chutney or sweet chili
sauce)
filling:
1/4 cup oil
1/2 tsp. cumin
seeds, crushed
seeds from 10 cardamom
pods
3 potatoes, about
1 pound, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. salt
1 cup shelled green peas
(frozen are fine)
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
If you're making the Tamarind
Chutney, do it a few hours in advance.
Sift
flour and salt into a bowl, then stir in melted ghee.
Add 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of hot water gradually, tossing
and stirring, to make a dough. Knead for 2 minutes,
then chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the
filling.
If using a food processor, combine flour and salt in
processor bowl. Pour in ghee and blend to combine. With
processor running at medium speed, stream in the hot
water, then process an additional 15 - 20 seconds. Remove
from processor, form into a ball, and chill while you
prepare the filling.
Heat
oil in skillet at medium-low. Sauté the cumin
and cardamom seeds until aromatic, about 1 minute, being
careful not to scorch them. Add the potatoes and garlic
and sauté for about 10 - 15 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Add turmeric, salt, peas, and water. Stir
again, cover,and cook for about 10 minutes more, until
potatoes are firm but tender and the liquid has absorbed.
Uncover,
stir in cilantro, and let cool.
Divide
the dough into 16 equal balls. The easiest way is to
keep halving the dough until you have 16 pieces (you'll
divide the dough 4 times total). Roll or pat each ball
into a 7-inch disc. Cut each disk in half. Roll each
half into a cone, overlapping the edges and pinching
or wetting to seal. Stuff the cone with a big spoonful
or two of filling, then pinch the open end closed (wetting
if necessary), forming a puffy triangle.
Chill
finished samosas and continue until you've used all
the dough.
In a
wok or large sauce pan, heat several inches of oil to
350, or until a cube of bread browns in 40 seconds.
Fry samosas, 3 - 6 at a time, until golden, blistered,
and crisp, about 3 - 4 minutes, turning them over halfway
through frying. Remove with tongs, drain on paper towels,
and continue until all samosas are fried. May be held
in a warm (250-degree) oven while you cook all the batches.
Serve hot or at room temperature with Tamarind
Chutney, sweet chili sauce, or another chutney or
spicy-sweet dipping sauce.
|