Vegetarian Samosa Recipe

For the pastry:

• 500 g plain flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 100 ml any flavourless oil
• 2 tsp ajwain
• 280 ml warm water
  
  

Intructions to prepare Indian Samosas:

1. Boil the potatoes in lots of water until they are soft. Allow to cool completely after draining. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and roughly mash them with a potato masher or the back of a fork. Place aside.
   
   
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Allow the cumin seeds to crackle for a few seconds. Combine the ginger, chilies, and onions in a mixing bowl. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until the onion is transparent but not browned.
   
   
3. Combine the mashed potatoes, peas, turmeric, amchur, crushed coriander seeds, and salt in a mixing bowl. Give the mixture a brisk whisk to properly blend all of the ingredients. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, before removing from the heat. Distribute the mixture onto a platter and top with the coriander leaves. Allow to cool completely before using.
   
   

How to make the pastry:

1. In a large mixing basin, combine the flour, ajwain, and salt. In the center of the flour, make a well. Pour in the oil. Begin rubbing the flour and oil together with your fingertips to make a fine, breadcrumb-like texture, as if creating shortcrust pastry. Mix in the water with your hands to get a rough, shaggy-looking dough.
   
   
2. Knead for 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth. Allow to rest for 30 minutes, covered with a damp tea towel.
   
   
3. After the dough has rested, cut it into 9 tennis ball-sized circles. Smooth into rounds between your palms and wrap in a damp tea towel to prevent the dough from drying out. Each round will provide two samosas, for a total of eighteen samosas. By producing fewer or more dough balls, you can make them larger or smaller.
   
   

Folding the samosas:

1. Dip each side of one dough ball in a little amount of flour. Roll it out into an oblong about 12cm wide (about. 5-inches) and 18cm long on a clean surface (approx. 7-inches). It does not have to be flawless.
   
   
2. Each oblong should be cut in half widthwise. You should now have two semicircles.
   
   
3. Place one of the semicircles flat on the surface in front of you, with the straight side towards north. Roll it a few times with your rolling pin to make it thinner and taller. Bring the upper left corner to the center of the semicircle. Place some cool water in the center and bring the upper right-hand corner of the semicircle to touch the waterline. Gently press both sides together.
   
   
4. Open the pocket you just made in the samosa dough. Simultaneously, press the seam together a little more to ensure a good seal. You should have a little pouch ready to fill.
   
   
5. Stuff the chilled potato and pea contents into the samosas. For each samosa, I used roughly 2 tbsp of filling.
   
   
6. To make the crease at the rear of the samosa so it can stand on its own: Place your finger in the center of the pastry's round edge along the open seam of the filled samosa. Make a little fold around 1cm wide and pinch to seal (this will make a small indentation for the samosa's back base). Dab some cold water on the inner seams of the pastry's open edge and press together and seal to shut, pressing out any air as you go.
   
   
7. Rep the previous steps for the remaining samosas. Make sure the dough sections are always covered so they don't dry out.
   
   
8. Allow all of the samosas to air dry for 45 minutes, or until the surface of the pastry feels rough and gritty to the touch. This is a vital step for removing air bubbles from the dough and preventing your samosas from developing a "gremlin" exterior.
   
   

Fry the samosas as follows:

1. Warm, not hot, the oil in a big pan with deep sides or a wok. You should be able to touch it with your finger comfortably. It will be around 40°C/100°F if you have a cooking thermometer. Take care not to overheat it, since this may result in uneven cooking. Before adding the samosas to the pan, you should be able to easily touch the oil with your finger. Take care not to overheat it, since this may result in uneven cooking. Simply set it aside to cool before adding the samosas.
   
   
2. Prepare the samosas in batches. I was able to fit 7 people in my huge wok without it feeling crowded. Allow the samosas to cook for 35 minutes over medium-low heat, or until golden and crispy. Reduce the heat if they appear to be browning too soon. Allow the oil to cool between batches of frying the samosas.
   
   
3. On a dish lined with absorbent kitchen paper, drain the samosas.

Anou Manzer's Note:

• Just-fried samosas are quite hot! Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
  
  
• To keep the samosas fresh, place them in an airtight container coated with absorbent kitchen paper. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  
  
• To freeze, place the samosas in an airtight container lined with parchment paper. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To ensure piping hot samosas, re-fry frozen samosas on medium heat.
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