When I was growing up, I spent many afternoons sitting at a dining table
covered in newspaper, assembling rows and rows of samosas – but assembling
only and not making the filling, as I was only allowed to do the filling much later
on with my mum’s strict guidance. We were getting the samosas ready for a
family gathering or, better still, stockpiling them for the freezer so we could eat
them freshly fried after school.
Getting a recipe out of my mum is hard work; a direct quote from her and a bit
of advice during our time together writing this was, “People have to use their
common sense.”
MAKES 28
EQUIPMENT
large frying pan; a couple of flat baking
trays; deep-fat fryer, or large, deep,
heavy-based saucepan
FOR THE FILLING
1.2kg whole potatoes in their skins
80ml neutral oil, such as sunflower,
vegetable or rapeseed oil
2 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
2 large onions, finely chopped
3–5 fresh green chillies, finely chopped
with the seeds (add to suit your taste)
250g frozen (or shelled fresh) peas
4 tsp fine salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp amchoor (green mango powder)
30–40g finely chopped coriander
FOR THE PASTRY
500g plain flour
1/4 tsp ajwain seeds (optional)
11/2 tsp fine salt
5–6 tbsp neutral oil, such as sunflower,
vegetable or rapeseed oil, plus extra
for greasing
approx. 350ml warm (tepid) water
FOR THE ‘GLUE’
100g plain flour
60ml water
approx. 1.5 litres vegetable or sunflower
oil, for deep-frying
Make the filling. Steam the potatoes in their skins over a pan of boiling water for about 30 minutes or until tender, then cool, peel and chop into 1cm (1/2in) dice. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then add the jeera/cumin seeds and fry over a medium heat for a minute, then add the onions and fry for a few minutes, stirring frequently. Add the green chillies and stir well, then add the potatoes, peas, salt and
ground spices and stir well. Turn the heat off, stir through the chopped coriander and then taste the mixture, adjusting the seasoning with a little extra salt, if needed. Leave to cool at room temperature before using.
Meanwhile, make the pastry. In a large bowl, combine the flour, ajwain seeds (if using) and salt, stirring together well. Create a well in the middle, then add the oil and warm water and use one hand to bring it together into a rough dough. It should be slightly damp and not dry, so if you need to add another splash of water, do so. The dough now needs to rest for 1 hour at room temperature, covered with a damp tea towel.
To prepare the samosa pastry for filling, divide the dough into 14 equal portions. Preheat the large frying pan on the hob so it’s at a medium-low heat.
On a lightly oiled workbench, roll out each portion of dough to a round, approx. 20–23cm (8–9in) in diameter and approx. 2–3mm (1/16–1/8in) thick (it should be thin).
Use your fingertips to put each round into the hot frying pan just for a few seconds on each side, turning once. The aim isn’t to gain colour but instead to seal the pastry briefly. Transfer to a plate and cover with a clean damp tea towel. Repeat with each round of dough, one at a time, stacking them up under the tea towel until you’ve sealed all of them.
Now to fill your samosas. Get your workbench ready – my mum always lays down newspapers, then places a couple or so baking trays on top before assembling the samosas and I think this helps with the mess. Line the baking trays with baking paper. Make the ‘glue’ by mixing the flour and water together in a bowl.
Cut the sealed rounds of dough in half so you have 28 semi-circles in total. Using your hands, take one semi-circle, with the curved side facing towards you, then fold one third from one side across to create a triangle shape across the crescent, and brush this side with the ‘glue’. Bring the other side over and use your fingers to seal the edges. This will create a triangular pocket. Fill with some filling, leave a 1cm (1/2in) gap at the top. Brush a bit more ‘glue’ inside and use a fork to seal the samosa around the edge. Transfer the samosa to a lined baking tray and keep covered with the tea towel as you go. Repeat with each semi-circle of dough and the rest of the filling to make 28 samosas in total.
Heat the oil in the deep-fat fryer or large, deep, heavy-based saucepan over a medium low heat until it’s 160°C/320°F or until a cube of bread browns in about 45 seconds.
Add the samosas to the hot oil in batches of 3–4 and deep-fry gently for a few minutes on each side, turning once, until they are evenly golden all over and crisp (the filling should be piping hot once they are fried). Lift the cooked samosas out of the oil using a slotted spoon or the basket of the deep-fat fryer and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining samosas, remembering to bring the oil back up to temperature before frying each batch.
Either keep the fried samosas warm in a low oven while you cook the rest, or serve them as you go, which is what I do. Cool the fried samosas for a few minutes before eating. These are best served with tamarind chutney, coriander chutney, or my childhood favourite – tomato ketchup.
The uncooked shaped and filled samosas will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Deep-fry them as above to serve. Or they can be frozen for up to 1 month – simply deep-fry from frozen, but add on a few more minutes frying time.
Baking For Pleasure by Ravneet Gill is out now in hardback and ebook. Find out more.
