Samosas Moosewood Recipes

THE BEST SAMOSAS

Steps:

• For the dough: Whisk together the flour, ajawain, if using, and the salt. Add the oil and, using your hands, rub it into the flour mixture until fully incorporated. While stirring with a wooden spoon, gradually add the water, until a shaggy dough is formed. Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead until soft and pliable, about 3 minutes. Rub a little oil, about 1 teaspoon, over the dough, place on a plate and cover with a damp towel. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight.
• For the filling: Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with cold tap water by about 2 inches, and season with salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, transfer to a medium bowl and set aside to cool slightly. Using a fork, slightly smash the potatoes.
• Meanwhile, in a small food processor (mini-chopper), combine the onion, ginger, garlic, chiles, and 1 tablespoon water and puree to a paste.
• Heat the ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the onion paste, salt, garam masala and turmeric and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring and mashing lightly with a wooden spoon, until hot, about 2 minutes. Stir in the peas. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, chopped cilantro and remaining 2 tablespoons water.
• To form the samosas: Divide the dough into 10 portions. Using your hands, roll each portion into a small ball. On a floured work surface, using a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 7-inch wide disc. Cut each disc in half.
• Set a small bowl of water beside you. Working with one dough semi-circle at a time, fold half of the straight edge up to the rounded side and wet its outside edge with a little water. Fold the other half up to form a cone, overlapping it with the other side by 1/4 inch. Press the edges together to form a seal. Hold the cone in one hand and fill it with about 1/4 cup of the potato filling. Slightly wet the inside of the rounded edge and fold it over the filling to enclose it. Press the edges together to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make 20 samosas.
• In a large, wide heavy-bottomed pot, pour in the oil to a depth of about 2 inches. Place over medium heat, and heat until a deep-fry thermometer inserted in the oil registers 365 degrees F.
• Working in small batches, fry the samosas until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Serve immediately with tamarind sauce or your favorite chutney.
• For the ghee: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Skim off any of the white foam that comes to the surface with a spoon (being careful not to scoop up any yellow fat from the butter) and discard. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until all of the water has evaporated and the white milk solids have browned in the bottom of the saucepan, about 8 minutes.
• Line a sieve with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and pour the butter through into a container. Discard the browned milk solids in the sieve or reserve for another use. Use now or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Yield: about 2 cups

SAMOSAS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix flour, salt and butter until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Pour in water, using more (up to approximately 1/4 cup) if necessary to make a smooth dough. Pat into a ball. Place on a lightly floured surface and knead 10 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Return to the bowl, cover and set aside.
• Heat oil in a large, deep skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Stir in onion, garlic, green chile peppers and ginger. Cook 5 minutes, or until onions are golden brown. Stir in turmeric, chili powder, ground lamb and salt. Cook until the lamb meat is evenly brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in garam masala and lemon juice. Continue cooking 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
• Divide dough into 15 equal portions. Roll portions into balls, then flatten into 4 inch circles. Cut each circle in half. Dampen edges and form semicircles into cones. Fill cones with equal portions of the lamb meat mixture. Dampen top and bottom edges of cones, and pinch to seal.
• Carefully lower cones into preheated oil a few at a time. Fry until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm.

BEEF SAMOSAS

Steps:

• Bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Stir in potatoes and peas. Cook until potatoes are tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, mash together and set aside.
• In a large saucepan over medium high heat, heat the oil. Brown cumin seeds and bay leaf. Mix in onions and ground beef. Cook until beef is evenly brown and onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Mix in garlic, fresh ginger root. Season with black pepper, salt, cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili powder, cinnamon and cardamom. Stir in the mashed potato mixture. Remove from heat and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until cool.
• Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan over high heat.
• Mix cilantro and green chile peppers into the potato and beef mixture. Place approximately 1 tablespoon of the mixture onto each phyllo sheet. Fold sheets into triangles, pressing edges together with moistened fingers.
• In small batches, fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

BAKED SAMOSAS (FROM THE NEW REVISED EDITION MOOSEWOOD COOKBOOK)

Steps:

• Dough.
• Mix the flour and salt together in a medium sized bowl.
• Make a well in the centre and add the buttermilk or yogurt. Mix first with a spoon and then with your hand to make a smooth dough.
• Add extra flour as needed to keep the dough from being sticky. The dough will be quite soft. Knead in the bowl for about five minutes.
• Cover tightly and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the samosas.
• Filling.
• Peel potatoes and chop them into 1-inch pieces. Place in a saucepan, cover with water and boil until very soft. Drain and transfer to a medium-sized bowl. Mash and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a heavy skillet. Add onion, garlic, ginger, mustard seeds, coriander and salt. Saute over medium heat about 8 - 10 minutes, or until the onions are quite soft.
• Add the onion mixture to the potatoes, along with the remaining ingredients. Mix well but try not to smush the peas.
• Cool for at least 15 minutes.
• Assembly and baking.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F Generously oil a baking sheet, or cover with parchment paper.
• Have ready a small container of flour, a fork, a small bowl of water and a pastry brush.
• Flour a clean surface and, one by one, roll one inch balls of dough into a five inch circle.
• Place approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling in the centre of each circle.
• Brush the inside edges of the circle with a little water and fold the edges together to make a small hem. Crimp the edges firmly with a fork.
• Place each samosa as it is made on the greased baking sheet.
• Bake at 425F for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 375F, turning the samosas over when you do. Bake for 10 more minutes.
• Serve within 15 minutes of baking with chutney or your favourite dipping sauce.

SAMOSAS

Steps:

• Dough 1) Place the flour in a medium-sized bowl. Mix in the salt. 2) Make a well in the center, and add the buttermilk or yogurt. Mix first with a spoon and then with your hand, to make a smooth dough. 3) Add extra flour, as needed, to keep the dough from being sticky. The dough will be quite soft. knead in the bowl for about 5 minutes. Cover tightly and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the pastries.
• Filling: 1) Peel the potatoes and chop them into 1-inch pieces. Place in a saucepan, cover with water, and boil until very soft. Drain and transfer to a medium-sized bowl. Mash and set aside. 2)Melt the butter in a heavy skillet. Add onion, garlic, ginger, mustard seeds, coriander, and salt. Saute over medium heat about 8 to 10 minutes, or until onions are quite soft. Add this to the mashed potatoes, along with the remaining ingredients. Mix well, but try not to smash the peas. Cool for at least 15 minutes before filling the pastries.
• To Assemble and Bake: 1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Generously oil a baking sheet. 2) Keep a small container of flour, a fork, a small bowl of water, and a pastry brush close at hand. Flour a clean surface, and, one by one, roll 1-inch balls of dough into 5-inch circles, using a rolling pin. 3) Place approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons filling in the center of each circle, and fold over, just like a turnover. Brush the inside edges of each circle with a little water, and fold the edges together to make a small hem. Crimp the edges firmly with a fork. Store in the refrigerator or freezer until baking time. 4) To bake: Place the samosas on the oiled baking sheet. Brush the tops with oil. Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees F., then reduce heat to 375 degrees F. and bake for 10 minutes more. For maximum crispness, turn the samosas over when you turn the oven down. 5) Serve within 5 minutes of baking, with Dipping Sauce. A nice way to serve the sauce is in individual saucers or tiny bowls, so each person can hold both samosa and sauce directly under his or her face while eating, and the sauce bowl can catch the drips. (It does drip, but that's one of the charms of this ritual.)
• For the dipping sauce: 1) Place all ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir until the sugar dissolves. 2) Heat to boiling, then let simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes. it will reduce slightly. 3) Serve warm or at room temperature with hot samosas.

SAMOSAS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour, ghee, salt and caraway seeds until mixture resembles bread crumbs. Gradually stir in enough water to form a firm dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Cover and let rest for 1 hour., Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until just tender, 8-10 minutes; drain. Set aside to cool slightly. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add potatoes and cook until potatoes start to cling to the skillet, about 5 minutes. Stir in peas, ginger, garam masala, cumin seeds and salt; cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in optional ingredients as desired. Set aside., Divide dough into 6 pieces. Roll 1 piece of dough into a 10x6-in. oval. Cut dough in half. Moisten straight edge with water. Bring 1 corner of half moon up to meet the other corner of the half moon, forming a cone. Pinch seam to seal. Fill with 3-4 tablespoons potato mixture. Moisten curved edge of dough with water; fold over top of filling and and press seam to seal. Gently press the bottom of the samosa to flatten slightly. Repeat with remaining dough and filling., Preheat air fryer to 350°. Brush the samosas with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil. In batches, arrange in a single layer without touching in the air-fryer basket. Cook until golden brown, about 15 minutes.