Samosas (baked or fried)

While nothing compares to the food we had in India.... I have to give it a try. It's certainly too far to commute!

Samosas.. Oh, how we miss you samosas. So, here's our first (and pretty tasty) attempt. 

There are a few layers to this recipe. You make a dough. You boil several veggies. You even mash one. Don't get overwhelmed. It's much easier than you imagine it to be... and worth the effort. 

Serve with 1/2 recipe of dahl for two people. Make a larger serving of dahl and you can spread the samosas around to serve more people. Either way, it's delicious!

INGREDIENTS 

Dough
------
1 T wheat gluten
1 c wheat flour
water
dash salt
2 t oil


Stuffing
------
2 medium potatoes (boiled, peeled and mashed)
1/4 c carrots (diced, boiled)
1/2 c green peas (boiled)
1/4 c boca crumbles, cooked with onions or onion powder and spices, if you like it spicy 
1 t Garam masala (or more if you're adventurous!) 
1 green chili 
1 t ginger
1 t chili powder
1 T coriander
handful cashews
salt to taste
Other recipes also call for dried mango powder but I don't have any...


Step 1: Make your dough and set aside under a moist cloth. Basically, mix the ingredients listed and begin adding water a little at a time until you have a ball of dough. **I use wheat flour, not all-purpose flour. If you use all-purpose flour, you can leave out the gluten. 

Step 2: Peel and boil the potatoes. Mash. 
Step 3: Boil peas and carrots. Drain.
Step 4: Cook boca (if using). 

Step 5: If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees. We baked half and fried half. You've probably guessed the fried ones are the golden, dark color. I won't lie.. the fried ones are deliciously-fried. But the baked ones are great, too. 

Step 6: Add your peas, carrots, boca (if using) and all spices to the mashed potatoes. Set aside. This is your filling. 

Step 7: Now, pinch off a small ball of dough. I used a 4" (appox) sized glass bowl as my cutter. I rolled out a small dough as thin as I could get it and cut out a circle. Put the excess back with the rest of the unused dough. Use extra flour to keep it from sticking to you and whatever surface you are using. NOTE: You can make large samosas, small samosas or any size samosa you want. Don't be afraid to try this recipe. You won't mess it up.

Step 8: Put about 3-4 T of filling on each round of dough. Pinch all the way around. I used a fork to ensure it closed. Run each seam under a small amount of water. Set aside to dry. 

Repeat for all 8 samosas. 

Step 9: Bake 15 minutes on each side. Or fry until golden brown. 





Don't forget to serve with your favorite chutneys!