Public Servant Lifestyle

A common Indian street food, samosas are delicious bubbly pastries filled with a savoury 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.

Although a little time-consuming, this recipe isn't hard--and it makes a pile of samosas (which reheat very well in the oven).

For the dough you will need: 7 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon salt
3/4 cup clarified butter or ghee, melted (use vegetable shortening or oil for a simple vegan variation)
hot water
Peanut oil, for deep frying

For the filling you will need: 1/4 cup oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
seeds from 10 cardamom pods
3 potatoes, about 1 pound, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shelled green peas (frozen are fine)
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

The Method

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.

Dividing Dough

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 saucepan, heat several inches of oil to 350, or until a cube of bread browns in 40 seconds. Fry the 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, either as a starter, or with chutney. For a simple and quick onion chutney coarsely chop raw onion, stir in tomato sauce and add chilli powder to taste. Stir and serve! They can also be served with any of the sweet chilli sauces, mango chutney, spicy-sweet dipping sauce or yoghurt sauces, available at most major supermarkets.

This recipe makes approximately 32 samosas, so there should be plenty to go round - unless you're cooking for a very large gathering!

More information available in Starters, Vegetarian, Asia