I have spent many years wondering why the samosas we made looked so different to the ones in restaurants. I’m told that Gujaratis often make them with filo pastry but they are made with shortcrust in the Punjab. A colleague told me that filo pastry is what you use if you can’t be bothered to make the pastry. This recipe however originally came from an elderly gentleman from Calcutta. These should really be made with coarsely mashed potato cubes but I often make them with pre-made mash to use up the packets that my husband buys but forgets to eat.
When I make these, it’s usually on a quiet weekend. I make a lot of them in one go, prepping the filling the day before and putting the folded samosas in the freezer in clingfilm. You can deep fry them straight from the freezer, then put them in the oven on a low heat, in a lidded dish or covered with tinfoil, to keep them warm for when your guests arrive. Alternatively they can be reheated at 180C in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Scroll to the bottom of the page with regards to turning them into an entire meal, chaat style.
This recipes makes about 10 samosas
For the pastry
200g chapati flour or wholemeal flour
40ml vegetable oil
130ml warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
For the filling
Two large potatoes’, cubed, boiled and roughly mashed(or half a packet of mash)
1 teaspoon powdered ginger or a thumb-sized piece of root ginger
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 green chili, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
- Rub the oil into the flour and add the water – add it slowly as you may not need it all. Knead until the dough becomes smoother. Divide the dough into five equal sized balls.
- Roll each into a circle on a clean, oiled surface.
3. Cut it into two.
4. Brush the straight edge with warm water.
5. Bring the sides together to create a cone shape.
6. Pick it up and press the seams to seal them.
7. Fill with a tablespoon of filling.
8. Close the open top and pinch the dough to close it. Pull at the dough slightly – this will give you more dough to work with in the next stage.
9. Fold the right hand corner over on itself.
10. Repeat, working from right to left, until your samosa looks like the above photo. Don’t worry if it takes you a few attempts!
11. Traditionally they are deep fried but you can bake them at 180C for 25 minutes. Serve with a chutney of your choice. You can also serve them chaat style with chana masala, yoghurt, tamarind chutney, coriander chutney, sev noodles and pomegranate seeds. I like to make them this way to turn them into a full meal. They are quite a lot of work to make just as a starter.
Cake By Deva 