Tiny Samosas

There is a tiny sweets and savories stall on my way back home from work. Everyday, as I walk past it, the smell of these samosas being fried is pure torture to me. I am torn between hunger and the feint attempt at self-preservation.

For years I’ve wanted to make these tiny samosas and today I finally found the time!

I found a recipe online but the dough-filling propotion was high, so I’ve adjusted and modified the recipe a bit here.

Tiny Samosas

You will be needing

For the dough

– 1 cup of all purpose flour (maida)
– A generous pinch of salt
– 1/2 tsp of semolina (sooji or rava)
– 1 tbsp of oil, this so the dough is less sticky and more pliable to form the cone
– About 1/4th cup of lukewarm water to knead the dough. Adjust as necessary.

 For the filling

– A handful of green peas, boiled and salted.
– 1 large potato, cooked to perfection and mashed. Small lumps are appreciated. If it’s too smooth then it gets too pasty and it isn’t fun to bite into.
– A small green chilli, sliced fine, seeds removed.
– A pinch of cumin seeds
– One onion, sliced thin
– 1/2 tsp of garam masala (all-spice powder)
– 1/4th tsp of red chili powder
– 1/4th tsp of cumin powder
– A pinch of turmeric powder
– Salt to taste
– Oil to saute the above
– A few sprigs of fresh coriander, chopped.

– Oil for deep frying

Method

– Prepare the dough by mixing the flour, salt, oil, and lukewarm water.
– Knead well till it becomes smooth, and non-sticky.Cover with a damp tea-towel and set aside for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile prepare the filling:
-In a pan, heat the oil, add the cumin seeds and wait till they sizzle.
– Then reduce the flame to medium heat and add the onions and wait till they turn translucent pink.
– Add the dry ground spices and cook till the spices turn fragrant in the oil.
– Add the mashed potatoes and the cooked green peas and saute over a low flame till the vegetables absorb the spices.
– Add salt and adjust the seasoning. Remove from heat and add the chopped coriander. Stir well.
– Set aside to cool.


To assemble the samosas
Divide the dough into four portions. Take one portion.
Step 1: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a circle thick enough to shape into a cone (I’d say roughly around 2 mm).
Step 2: Cut it with a knife into two halves (semi-circles).
Step 3: Take one half, set aside the other.
Step 4: Fold one side of the semi-circle, with the flat end towards you.
Step 5: Fold the other side, likewise, closing the two ends as to leave no gap.
Step 6: You should now have a cone, ready to fill

 Ok, the diagram looks bad but the logic holds!

– Now that you have a cone, fill it with the vegetable mixture that is now cooled to room-temperature. Never stuff hot filling into any pastry dough. It will condense after you seal it, and spoil sooner. Ever worse are the oil splatters when you try deep frying it.

– Make sure that the dough (except the one you’re trying to fashion into a cone) is covered with a damp cloth at all times.

– Once you’ve filled the cone, seal with using a little water brushed on the insides of the cone’s mouth. Make sure all ends are sealed, otherwise the stuffing will slip out while deep frying.

– When all the cones are ready, heat oil over a medium heat.
– Deep fry the samosas till golden brown.
– Serve hot with ketchup!