posted by Deborah 09-09-101 10:43 PM
Stephanie de Silva's recipe
Samosas
For the pastry:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp oil
4 Tbsp water
For the stuffing:
4-5 medium potatoes, boiled in their jackets and allowed to cool
4 Tbsp oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup (175 g) shelled peas
1 Tbsp finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1 fresh hot green chilli, finely chopped
3 Tbsp very finely chopped fresh green coriander (cilantro)
3 Tbsp water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground roasted cumin seeds
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp lemon juice
oil for deep frying
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the 4 tablespoons on oil and rub it in with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Slowly add about 4 tablespoons water -- or a tiny bit more -- and gather the dough into a stiff ball. Empty the ball out on to clean work surface. Knead the dough for
about 10 minutes or until it is smooth. Make a ball. Rub the ball with about 1/4 teaspoon oil and slip it into a plastic bag. Set aside for 30 minutes or longer.
Make the stuffing. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1/4 inch dice. Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan over a medium flame. When hot, put in the onion. Stir and fry until brown at the edges. Add the peas, ginger, green chilli, fresh coriander (cilantro), and 3 tablespoons water. Cover, lower heat and simmer until peas are cooked. Stir every now and then and add a little more water if the frying pan seems to dry out.
Add the diced potatoes, salt, coriander seeds, garam masala, roasted cumin, cayenne, and lemon juice. Stir to mix. Cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring gently as you do so. Check balance of salt and lemon juice. You may want more of both. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool.
Knead the pastry dough again and divide it into eight balls. Keep 7 covered while you work with the eight. Roll this ball out into a 7 inch (18 cm) round. Cut it into half with a sharp, pointed knife. Pick up one half and form a cone, making a 1/4 inch wide (5 mm), overlapping seam. Glue this seam together with a little water. Fill the cone with about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the potato mixture. Close the top of the cone by sticking the open edges together with a little water. Again, your seam should be about 1/4 inch (5 mm) wide. Press the top seam down with the prongs of a fork or flute it with your
fingers. Make 7 more samosas.
Heat about 1 1/2 to 2 inches (4-5 cm) of oil for deep frying over a medium-low flame. You may use a small, deep, frying pan for this or an Indian karhai. When the oil is medium hot, put in as many samosas
as the pan will hold in a single layer. Fry slowly, turning the samosas frequently until they are golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towel and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Samosas
2+1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Cup buttermilk or yogurt
extra flour, as needed
Place the flour in a medium-sized bowl. Mix in the salt. Mix in the milk or yogurt to make a smooth dough. Add extra flour, as needed, to keep the dough from being sticky. The dough will be quite soft. Knead in bowl for about 5 minutes. Cover tightly and refrigerate till you are ready to assemble the pastries.
2 large potatoes (the size of a large person's fist)
1 Tbs. butter
1 Cup finely minced onion
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. freshly grated ginger
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. dried coriander (if available)
3/4 tsp. salt
1+1/2 Cups uncooked green peas (froze+thawed=fine)
2 Tbs. lemon juice
Cayenne, to taste.
Mash the potatoes (i.e. peel, cut into 1-inch squares, boil, drain & mash.) Set aside.
Melt the butter and saute onions, garlic, ginger, mustard seeds, coriander and salt over medium heat for about 8 minutes, till onions are soft. Add this to the mashed potatoes. Cool for at least 15 minutes before filling the pastries.
1/2 Cup cider vinegar
1/2 Cup water
3 Tbs. brown sugar
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
Place all ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir till the sugar dissolves. Heat to boiling, then let simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes. It reduce slightly. Serve warm or at room temp.
Assembly: Preheat the oven to 425F. Generously oil a baking sheet.
Keep a small container of flour, a fork, a small bowl of water, and a pastry brush close at hand. Flour a clean surface, and, using a rolling pin, rook 1-inch balls of dough into 5-inch circles.
Place app. 1+1/2 Tbs. filling in the center and fold over, like a turnover. Brush the inside edges of each circle with a little water, and fold the edges together to make a small hem. Crimp the edges firmly with fork.
To bake: Place the samosas on the oiled baking sheet. Brush the tops with oil. Bake 15 minutes at 425F, then reduce heat to 375F and bake 10 min. more. For maximum crispiness, turn the samosas over when
you turn the oven down. Serve within 15 min. with dipping sauce.
Samosas
Pastry:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp ghee (a vegetable shortening with a buttery taste)
1/2 cup warm water
Filling:
1 1/4 tbsp ghee
garlic, crushed (1 - 5 cloves, to taste)
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice OR vinegar
8 oz. ground lamb (or beef)
1 tsp mint leaves
1 tsp coriander (optional)
1 onion (finely chopped)
1 tbsp garam-masala
1 tbsp ginger, grated (fresh)
1/2 cup hot water
oil for cooking
Pastry: Sift flour and salt into bowl, add ghee and water, mix thoroughly, knead for a couple minutes. Cover with plastic, make filling.
Filling:Heat ghee in pan, fry onions, ginger, add garlic. fry until onions are soft. Add curry, salt and vinegar, mix well. Add meat and fry over high heat, stirring constantly, until meat changes color. Turn down heat, add water and cover. Cook until liquid is absorbed (~ 10 - 15 min). Towards the end, stir meat to keep it from sticking. Add garam-masala, mint, and coriander, mix, remove from heat, cool, and add the rest of the onion. Mix.
Take small pieces of dough, shape into balls, and on a lightly floured board, roll each ball to a very thin circle, about the size of a saucer. Cut circle in half. Put ~ 1 tsp of filling in the middle of each half circle,
brush edges with water, fold dough over and press edges together. When they are all made, heat oil in a wok, deep fry a few at a time until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Eat until too full.