Samosas

Samosas can be found in many different parts of the world and a part of many cuisines. This recipe is a typical Indian samosa which is a fried dough filled with vegetables (peas, potatoes, carrots) or can be equally stuffed with a mixture of ground meat, fish, seafood and vegetables.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE DOUGH:

4 cups all purpose flour
4 Tbsp Ghee (clarified butter)
3/4 cup water (+/-)
2 Tbsp plain yogurt
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp Kosher sea salt
Enough frying Oil - (peanut oil, avocado oil, with a high smoke point)

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FILLING:

5 large potatoes (peeled, cubed, boiled and mashed)
1 large sweet onion, diced
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 carrot (diced in small cubes)
1 cup frozen green peas
1-2 green chili peppers (diced)
1 Tbsp grated fresh Ginger
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Garam Masala powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Cardamom powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 cup finely chopped parsley (or cilantro)
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
Kosher salt (to taste)

freshly ground Black Peppercorns (to taste)

Note: If you want to add ground (cooked) meat, reduce the quantity of mashed potatoes to 1/2 and supplement with 2 cups of ground meat. The rest of the instructions remain the same.

DIRECTIONS FOR DOUGH:

In a stand mixer bowl, combine the flour, cardamom, baking soda and salt.
Add Ghee and Yogurt and mix well, until the mixture takes on a sandy texture
Pour in 1/2 cup of water (using the dough hook) and mix for about 4 minutes
Add the remaining 1/4 cup water 1 Tbsp at a time, until the mixture becomes soft and smooth (you may not need it all)
When the dough comes together, remove from the mixer bowl, using your hands, form into a ball. Place into a large bowl, and lightly coat the outside of the dough ball with oil. Cover with a dry cloth and let rise for about an hour.

DIRECTIONS FOR FILLING:

Boil peeled and diced potatoes until they are completely cooked. Strain and mash in a mixing bowl.
Heat 3 Tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat, then add the chopped onion and sauté for 2 minutes until the onion is translucent.
Add grated Ginger and Garlic and sauté for another minute (to remove the raw taste of the ginger and garlic)
Add finely diced carrot and green chili pepper and sauté on low heat for about 5 minutes
Add the Cumin, Garam Masala, Coriander, Cardamom, Turmeric and stir to incorporate into the mixture.

Now add the mashed potatoes and frozen peas and cook over low heat for an additional 5 minutes, stirring to heat, but be careful not to mash the peas and carrots, just stir to heat mixture together

DIRECTIONS FOR ASSEMBLING THE SAMOSA:

Remove the dough ball from the bowl, and work with your hands to roll this into a log.
Cut the log into 8-10 equal balls (depending on the size of samosa you wish to make)
Take each piece and form into a smooth ball. Then roll each ball into a flat round “tortilla” type pancake.
Cut each round pancake in half.
Take 1/2 of the circle and form into a triangular cone. If you need to brush a little water onto the parts that overlap, this will help seal. Once you have made a “cone”, then place the cone in your cupped hand and fill the open end with 1 to 1 1/2 tsp of the potatoe-vegetable filling.
Press the filling into the cone (without overfilling) an then fold in the corners and fold over the open end and press to seal. You should now have a puffy triangle filled with the filling.

DIRECTIONS FOR FRYING THE SAMOSA:

Place enough oil in a heavy skillet (with high sides) to submerge a samosa
Heat the oil until it reaches about 350 degrees F.
Carefully add several samosas at a time and fry until golden brown (careful not to crowd the skillet). Place fully cooked samosas on a platter lined with paper towel to drain.
If you do not serve them immediately, you can pop them back into the oil again right before serving.
Serve hot or warm with a cilantro-yogurt sauce or a fruit chutney