Samosas
Puff pastry triangles stuffed with spicy potatoes and peas
I have yet to meet anybody who doesn’t like samosas. Those delicious deep fried little triangular pouches stuffed with spicy potatoes are pretty addictive. No one can eat just one! Fortunately, with my recipe, you can eat more than one without the accompanying guilt. Easy to make, baked instead of deep fried, these samosas make the perfect appetizer or snack. No one can eat just one – guaranteed!
For the stuffing:
3 medium sized potatoes
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 inch piece of ginger, grated or minced
2 cloves of garlic, grated or minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Salt to taste
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
1tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
1 cup frozen peas
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
Boil the potatoes until tender. Cool and peel them. Chop them into very small pieces and set aside.
Warm oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat and add the cumin seeds. As soon as they splutter, add the ginger and garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds, then add the onions.
Sauté for about 5–8 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the spices and cook for 30 seconds. Add the potatoes and peas. Stir to mix and cook uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the lemon juice and chopped fresh coriander leaves. Set this potato mixture aside to cool. You can make the potato mixture up to 3 days ahead of time and keep it refrigerated until needed.
For the pastry shell:
1 package frozen puff pastry sheets (2 rolls), thawed
½ cup all purpose flour for dusting
1 egg, beaten
Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Unroll puff pastry sheets on work surface. Cut each into 3 long strips and then cut each strip into 3 squares. Dust lightly with all purpose flour. Stack in a plate.
Working with one puff pastry square at a time, put a heaping tablespoon of the potato mixture in the centre. Fold the flap over the filling to form a triangular pouch and seal the edges by pressing on them with a fork or with your fingers. Proceed similarly with the remaining puff pastry and place all the samosas in a single layer on baking sheet. Brush the samosas lightly with the beaten egg. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the pastry is cooked through and the tops are golden. Serve with chutney.
Serves 6-8