A Day Dedicated to Making Samosas

It's a grand day when your friends realise that, for all the years you've known them, you actually really love cooking. It's an even grander day when they invite you over to cook with them. Today, Laura and I are tackling Samosas. Why? Just because.

Half a batch of Giant Samosas

Samosas are a real favourite of mine -I can't remember ever going to a local market without being led by the nose to a man with his Samosa cart. The combination of spices is just amazing and, being packed to the brim with veggies, no one can tell me it's unhealthy! *blocks ears to the fact that it's deep fried*

Prep: Finely diced onion, potato, carrot and garlic

Out of all the Samosa recipes presented to us by Google, it is of no surprise that we picked one from a site completely dedicated to making Samosas -if someone is that serious about Samosas, they must be serious about getting the recipe right for these yummy Indian pastries.

Step 3: Add the vegetables, seasoning and stir well until coated



4. Simmer for 30 minutes until cooked and reduced

It never fails to amaze me how a finished food product always makes it seem as if it would take years at a cooking school to develop the right technique, hours of prep and cooking time to come up with something yummy. The only time consuming part of this recipe is preparing the vegetables -but if you're a pro with a knife, it should be a breeze.

  

Step 6: Make a well into the centre and add the oil and enough water to make a firm dough

Step 7: Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth and roll into a ball

The dough is amazingly easy to make and surprisingly stretchy -a little ball goes a long way!



Step 10: Roll each piece into a ball and roll out into a circle of 15 cm. We were really hungus so we didn't bother cutting them in half



Step 13: Fill the cases with a tblpns of your chosen mixture

Dumpling/Pastie Style!



Waiting for the oil to heat up: the cooking equivalent of watching paint dry



Yields 24 normal Samosas or this many big hungus people ones



As I'm writing this, I have my eyes glued to the news and my ears listening intently to the horrible news of the earthquake that hit Christchurch yesterday (while we were making these Samosas actually). I'm sure most of you have noticed. Hardly any time was allowed for these Cantabrians to rebuild after a massive 7.1 earthquake last year before this even more devastating one occured.


Please, if you have the means, help in any way you can. For those in New Zealand with a spare room or even a spare couch go here to offer it to a Cantabrian and, for those who are unable, please donate to the Christchurch quake appeal -these brave New Zealanders need your help.

Vegetable Samosas (makes 24 or 12 large)



Open up to reveal the goodness



Filling Ingredients:

1 Potato finely diced (5 to 10 mill cubes)
1 carrot finely diced - as above
2 cloves of crushed garlic.
1 Onion finely chopped
1 Cup of frozen peas
1 tblspn vegetable oil
2 tspn curry powder or your own spices according to taste
Salt, Pepper to taste.
100ml of vegetable stock.

Pastry Ingredients:

225gm. plain flour
2 tspn. salt
2tblspb. vegetable oil
80 ml warm water.


Method:

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and garlic
2. Mix in  the spices and fry until soft
3. Add the vegetables, seasoning and stir well until coated
4. Add the stock, cover and simmer for 30 minutes until cooked and reduced

While the filling is simmering, we will make the dough.

5. Mix flour and salt into a bowl
6. Make a well into the centre and add the oil and enough water to make a firm dough
7. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth and roll into a ball
8. Cover in plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes
9. Divide the pastry into 12 equal pieces
10. Roll each piece into a ball and roll out into a circle of 15 cm
11. Divide this circle into two equal pieces with a knife
12. Brush each edge with a little water and form a cone shape around your fingers, sealing the dampened edge
13. Fill the cases with a tblpns of your chosen mixture and press the two dampened edges together to seal the top of the cone (alternatively, be lazy and make them dumpling style like we did)
14. Deep fry the samosas in hot oil until crisp and brown take out and drain on a paper towel
15. EAT THEM!!
16. Donate