Vegetable Samosas

Makes 5 Samosas

Ingredients

For Sauteed & Roasted Potatoes

  • 3 cups Idaho potatoes, diced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt for seasoning
  • 1 cup sweet potatoes, diced

Toasted Spices

  • 1 tbsp whole cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp whole coriander seeds

Remaining Filling Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ cup onions, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 tbsp minced ginger
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • salt & pepper for seasoning
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup cauliflower florets (about  1” pieces)
  • ½ tsp curry powder
  • ¼ cup cilantro leaves, chopped

Dough

  • 3½ cups all-purpose flour + additional for work surface
  • ¼ cup canola oil or canola-olive oil blend
  • 1-1½ cups hot water
  • water for brushing dough

For Frying

  • 6 cups vegetable oil

Special Equipment

  • spice/coffee grinder
  • pastry brush
  • cooking thermometer

How-to

Sauté & Roast Potatoes

  1. Preheat oven to 325º
  2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in large oven-safe sauté pan over medium-high heat
  3. Add Idaho potatoes and sweet potatoes, season with salt. Saute 1-2 minutes
  4. Place in oven to roast 30 minutes, or until tender. Remove and set aside

Toast Spices

  1. Place small sauté pan over medium heat. Add cumin and coriander seeds, and toast until you can smell the aromas, about 30 seconds
  2. Place half of spices in coffee grinder and pulse to a coarse powder
  3. Keep remaining whole spices in the sauté pan and add 1 tbsp butter.  Cook over medium heat about 30 seconds. Set aside

Sweat Remaining Vegetables & Spices

  1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in medium sauté pan over medium-high
  2. Add onions, garlic and ginger.  Season with salt and pepper. Add 1 tbsp butter
  3. Sweat (cook without browning) about 5-6 minutes
  4. Add frozen peas and cauliflower florets, curry powder and whole spices that were toasted in butter and set aside, and ground cumin and coriander. Season with salt and pepper. and cook 2-3 minutes
  5. Combine roasted potatoes and onions with sautéed vegetables in a medium-sized mixing bowl and chill 20-30 minutes

Make Dough

  1. While filling is cooling, place flour in large mixing bowl. Slowly pour in oil, mixing to distribute fat with hands, until fat has mixed into pea-sized pieces
  2. Slowly drizzle in hot water, mixing with hands until biscuit dough consistency is reached. You may not need all of the water

Shape Samosas & Fry

  1. Divide dough into 5 balls
  2. On a lightly-floured work surface, roll each ball into a ¼” thick round (pizza thickness)
  3. Cut each round in half, and brush top of dough with water. Connect two points of half-moon to form a cone (water-brushed side of dough should be facing center)
  4. Place cone between thumb and index finger and spoon in 2½ tsp of filling per samosa. Repeat with remaining dough
  5. Pinch top together to seal, assuring that no filling will leak when frying
  6. Heat vegetable oil in large saucepan to 350º
  7. Gently drop samosas in into hot oil. Fry in small batches to avoid crowding, and the oil dropping in temperature. Move samosas around with slotted spoon or spider frying utensil to assure that they are not sticking together. Fry 3-4 minutes until golden-brown
  8. Remove to paper towel-lined plate to drain off some excess oil

Serve with Mediterranean-style plain yogurt and/or a tangy fruit chutney. Learn to make Izzy Sarto's Rhubarb Chutney on how2heroes.com.