I first experienced samosas courtesy of an Indian colleague in my previous job, who brought in large trays of them from a restaurant as a treat. My mind rebelled…pastry enclosing potatoes?!?…that’s like starch in starch, like a rice sandwich.
But they were delicious, and sometimes we also got the meat version.
These are labor-intensive, and making both the vegetarian and meat versions can fill a Sunday. They are best just out of the fryer, but freeze well after cooking, and can be reheated in a 325 degree oven until crispy.
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 C all-purpose flour or atta (Indian finely-ground whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 4 Tbsps. vegetable shortening or butter
- 6-7 Tbps. cold water
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- Filling, either aloo (potato) or keema (meat)
- Oil for deep frying
Method:
1) Stir the salt into the flour. Using a pastry blender, cut the fat into the flour. Then rub the mix between your hands until it becomes a firm dough.
3) Add a few tablespoons of water to the dough, and knead for ten minutes, adding more water as necessary. The dough should be pliable but not sticky. Cover the dough and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
4) Cut the dough into two pieces, roll each piece in to a ‘rope,’ and cut each rope into eight pieces.
5) Put a small amount of vegetable oil onto your rolling surface, then using a rolling pin, roll each ball into a six inch circle. Cut the circle in half. Moisten one half of the cut edge with water and form into a cone:
6) Add about a tablespoon of filling. Moisten the top of the cone and seal. IMPORTANT!!! Be sure to seal all edges of the samosas with water (or you can use a bit of cornstarch in water), since otherwise the oil will get in to them during frying and you’ll have a greasy mess.
7) If you’re as unskilled with pasty as I am, you’ll end up with a bunch of misshapen and inconsistently sized samosas. Don’t worry, they’ll still taste good! (and they freeze well, but be sure to freeze them first on a pan so they don’t stick together):
8) Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Drop in five or six of the samosas. The temperature of the oil will drop to about 300 degrees — keep it there. After ten minutes, the samosas should be light brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Continue with the rest.
9) Enjoy with sauce!
-R