Everyone loves a good samosa. This samosa recipe makes a bundle of the little parcels, but don’t worry if they’re not gobbled up because they freeze well too. The secret to this recipe is the amchoor powder, which is a fruity spice powder made from dried green mangos. It provides a citrusy seasoning and is readily available in world food shops. Lemon juice can be used instead.
The mint chutney recipe is fresh, punchy and a great accompaniment to these samosas or any Indian dish. It’s also really easy to make.
Samosas with fresh mint and coriander chutney
Makes 12
For the filling:
500g potatoes
3 tbsp oil – sunflower, rapeseed, coconut or ghee
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
100g fresh or frozen peas
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
1½ tsp amchoor, or juice of ½ lemon
Salt, to taste
Splash of water
4 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
For the pastry:
250g plain flour
1 tsp nigella seeds, optional
½ tsp salt
4 tbsp rapeseed oil, coconut oil or ghee
100ml water
Mint and coriander chutney
1 bunch fresh mint, leaves only
1 bunch fresh coriander
2 garlic cloves
2.5 cm (1 inch) piece of ginger
2 green chillies, deseeded
2 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
juice of ½ a lime, more to taste
Method:
Boil the potatoes in a saucepan of salted water for 20-25 minutes, or until tender, then drain. When cool enough to handle, grate or put through a potato ricer.
To make the pastry, mix the flour, nigella seeds and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the oil and enough water to make a firm dough (you may not need all the water). Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth and roll into a ball. Cover in clingfilm and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Heat the oil in a small non-stick pan and fry the mustard seeds for about 10 seconds or until they begin to splutter. Add the onion and ginger and cook for 2-3 minutes over a high heat. Add the peas, stir well and add the spices, amchoor, salt and a splash of water (if using lemon juice instead of amchoor, add this instead of the water). Cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the cooked potatoes and fresh coriander and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Constructing the samosas:
To make the samosas, cut the dough into six even-sized pieces and roll into balls. Use a rolling pin to roll each ball into a thin circle, about 15cm (6 inch) diameter. Cut each circle in half to form two semicircles.
Take a semicircle, brush the edges with water to seal and fold into a cone by lifting the bottom edge of the cut side across to the middle of the round side. Fill the cone about half-full with the samosa filling then fold the remaining pastry over to create a triangle, press tightly to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
Heat oil in a deep fat fryer or deep wok to 190°C / Gas Mark 5. Fry in the hot oil, spooning oil over the top and turning over until golden, and bubbles appear. Drain on kitchen towels. Alternatively, the samosas can be baked. Brush with an egg wash or melted butter or coconut oil and place on a baking tray. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C / Gas Mark 6 for 15 minutes or until golden.
Samosa wrappers or filo dough can also be used to make samosas. The wrappers can be found in the freezer at world food shops.
For the chutney:
Prepare the fresh herbs by removing all the mint leaves from their stems and removing and discarding the bottom third of the coriander stems.
Peel the garlic and ginger and remove the seeds from the green chillies. Grind these and all the other ingredients into a smooth paste in a food processor or using a hand blender. Chill and serve.
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