Samosas

- contributed by Shar Puskala


For the Pastry

1 1/2 cups all purpose Flour
1/4th cup oil
1/8th cup water

Salt 1 teaspoon

Red Chili powder 1/4 th teaspoon

(Or use wanton/ egg roll wrappers, which is what I do)

For the filling

4 medium Potatoes, boiled and mashed coarsely
1/2 cup green Peas, cooked
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1/4 tsp Pepper
Salt to taste or 1 teaspoon
1/4 tsp Red chili powder
1 tsp Dry Mango Powder or Amchur
1/2 tsp Cumin powder

3 Tablespoons Oil

1/2 Cumin seeds

A pinch of Asafoetida

1 finely chopped Green Chili

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Oil for frying

First make the filling. Heat oil and season it with cumin seeds, Asafoetida or "Hing" and finely chopped green chilies. Then add the mashed potatoes and the peas. You may want to add more or less spices to taste (I tend to go a little heavier on the cumin, chili powder, and lemon, but it’s up to you).

Now put in all the masalas like the garam maslala, pepper, red chili powder, dry mango powder and cumin powder. Mix well and let it cook for 5-6 minutes covered. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Then remove and keep aside. Let it cool.

Now make the pastry. Mix the flour, water, oil, salt and red chili powder to make a stiff dough. Keep aside.

To put the Samosa together

Cut the pastry dough into 4 equal parts. Take a piece of one of the 4 parts the pastry dough. Roll it out into a round about 6 to 8 inches in diameter.

Cut it in two parts (like semi-circle). Moisten the straight edge with a finger dipped in water. then take one semi circle and fold it in a shape of cone .

Stuff about a tablespoon of the potatoes-peas mixture in that cone and seal the top edge with a drop of water on your finger and press the edges together. Make all the Samosas this way. Keep both the samosa and dough covered with a towel.

OR, follow the instructions on the egg roll wrapper

Heat oil and deep fry the Samosas. Fry 4 to 5 at a time for about 2 to 3 minutes turning once after 1 minute or Fry the samosa to a rich golden brown.

Makes 8 samosas.