Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Veggie Samosas

If you have been an avid follower of my blog, you know that I love cooking Indian food. I just love the spices, the intense flavors, and aromas that come out of these dishes. Indian isn’t something that you can whip up at the spur of a moment, and many times it tastes better the next day, after all the flavors meld together, but it’s well worth all the wait and effort. I have a hard time with appetizers, especially when it comes to Indian cuisine and wanted something to go with dinner the other night, so I decided to dive into the world of fried deliciousness. What transpired in the kitchen was the perfect blend of veggies, spices, and fried dough, a truly perfect appetizer if you ask me. This recipe is wonderful as a standalone, but also goes well with a mango or apricot chutney and store bought is definitely accepted here, as most of the flavor comes from the samosa.

Veggie Samosas

3 Large Russet Potatoes, skinned boiled and mashed
¼ Cup Frozen Peas, thawed
1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
½ Red Onion, finely minced
2 Jalapeno Peppers, seeded and finely minced
2 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro, chopped
2 Tablespoons Fresh Peppermint, chopped
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Package Spring Roll Wrappers (these are in the refrigerator section by the veggies)
Vegetable Oil, for frying

Mix all filling ingredients in a bowl until well combined, season with more salt and lemon juice if necessary.
Lay out several spring roll wrappers and with a pastry brush gently wet the edges with water. Place a heaping teaspoon-sized amount of filling in the middle of the pastry. Fold the edges of the pastry over the filling to form a long cylinder, then fold in the long sides to seal (see photo for more detail). Continue until all filling is used.
Heat 2 inches of oil in a large heavy bottomed pan to 350 degrees. Fry samosas until golden brown on all sides and warmed through, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately, or keep hot in a 200 degree oven on a wire rack until ready to serve.




5 comments:

Pam said...

I haven't eaten much Indian food but I must say these samosas look amazing.

Are there any Indian restaurants here in Portland that you recommend?

Anonymous said...

Great idea to use the spring roll wrappers -- I love samosas, and often make them by cutting out rounds of refrigerated pie dough. Then I bake the samosas -- not authentic, but it works. I'll definitely try this method, too.

Jan said...

I adore Indian food, but then most Brits do. Our love affair with Indian cuisine dates back to the days of the British Empire. Samosas are great favourite of mine. I have never tried making them before, but that will change, as soon as I get off this soft food lark.

BTW I hope you enjoyed that hamburger you kindly offered to eat for me. :-)

Jason said...

Pam-My favorite Indian restaurant in Portland is the Bombay Cricket Club. It's a tiny litte place on Hawthorne, you will need to show up early or make reservations to get in, but it's well worth the wait. You need to try out their mango margarita's too, they are to die for!

Selba said...

Oh... I love samosas!!! yummm...