Vegetable Samosas

Ingredients

• For the pastry: 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ajwain or cumin seeds
• 5 tbsp oil or melted ghee
• about 1/2 cup cold water
• For the filling: 1 1/2 lb potatoes, boiled, peeled and roughly mashed
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 green chile, minced
• 3/4 cup frozen peas
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp amchur (dried mango powder) or 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• oil for frying
• tamarind and mint chutney, to serve

Steps

1. Mix the flour, salt and ajwain, then rub in the oil until the mixture holds together when squeezed. Add water a little at a time to make a firm, smooth dough. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
2. For the filling, heat the oil in a skillet, add the cumin seeds, then the ginger and chile. Add the peas, spices and salt and cook 2 minutes. Fold in the potatoes and cilantro and cool.
3. Divide the dough into 8 balls. Roll each into a thin oval and cut in half. Fold each half into a cone, sealing the seam with water, fill with about 2 tbsp filling, and pinch the top closed.
4. Heat 2 inches of oil to about 300°F (lower than usual). Fry the samosas a few at a time, turning, for 10 to 12 minutes, until blistered, crisp and golden.
5. Drain on a rack and serve hot with chutneys.

TipStarting the oil cool and frying slowly gives the classic blistered, flaky crust; hot oil makes them brown before the pastry crisps.