These crisp, deep-fried pastries are the most popular savory snack in India, and are usually served with chutney.
Ingredients: (Makes 30)
Oil for deep-frying
For the pastry:
- 450 g/1 lb plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons oil or ghee
For the filling:
- 400 g/14 oz potatoes, cut into quarters
- 90 g/3 oz/½ cup peas
- 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon cilantro (coriander) seeds
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 2 green chilies, chopped
- 2.5 cm/1 inch piece of ginger, chopped
- 1½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (coriander) leaves
Method:
To make the pastry, sift the all-purpose flour and salt into a bowl. Rub in the oil or ghee until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 185 ml/6 fl oz/¾ cup warm water, a little at a time, to make a pliable dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and then knead for 5 minutes, or until smooth. Cover and set aside for 15 minutes. Do not refrigerate to avoid the oil from hardening.
To make the filling, cook the potato in simmering water for 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain and cut into small cubes. Cook the peas in simmering water for 2 minutes. Drain and refresh in cold water. Place a small frying pan over low heat, dry-roast the cumin seeds until aromatic, then remove. Dry-roast the cilantro seeds. Grind ½ teaspoon of the cumin and all the cilantro to a fine powder in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar. Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over low heat and fry the onion until light brown. Stir in all the cumin, the cilantro, turmeric and garam masala. Add the potato, chili, ginger and stir for 1 minute. Mix in the lemon juice and cilantro leaves and salt, to taste, then leave to cool.
On a floured surface, roll out a third of the pastry to a 28 cm/11¼ inch circle, about 3 mm thick. Cut 10 circles with an 8 cm/3¼ inch cutter and spoon ½ tablespoon of filling onto the center of each. Moisten the edges with water, then fold the pastry over and seal with a fork into a semicircle. Repeat to use all the filling and pastry. Cover until ready to fry.
Fill a heavy-based saucepan one-third full with oil and heat to 180ºC/350ºF, or until a cube of bread browns in 15 seconds. Fry a few samosas at a time until lightly browned. Turn them over and brown on the other side. Drain on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then drain on paper towels.
Serve warm or cold.