Whole Wheat Samosas
Submitted by chrissi
Whole wheat samosas with a sturdy, nutty pastry and a spiced potato filling bloomed with cumin, mustard, fennel and fenugreek. Fold, fill and fry these crisp Indian hand pies from scratch.
YIELD
10 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
25 minREADY
1 hrsCrisp, golden, and stuffed with spiced potato, these Indian samosas swap the usual white-flour pastry for a nuttier, sturdier whole-wheat dough. That dough is worth the 10-minute knead, since working it until smooth and elastic gives you a wrapper that holds its shape and won’t split when you fill and fry it.
The filling is where the magic happens. Whole spices, asafetida, fennel, cumin, mustard, and fenugreek seeds, get bloomed in hot oil in quick succession until they pop and turn fragrant, then in go dried chilies, boiled potatoes, turmeric, and a squeeze of lemon. Crush it coarsely so it stays chunky, not mashed.
Folding samosas is a little ritual: roll a round, cut it in half, form each semicircle into a cone with a moistened edge to glue it shut, fill it three-quarters full, then press and crimp the top closed.
Keep the shaped samosas under a damp towel so they don’t dry out, then fry them until deep golden and shatteringly crisp. They’re a vegetarian appetizer worth every minute.
Kitchen Tips
- Knead the dough the full 10 minutes. A well-developed, elastic dough won’t tear when filled or fried.
- Bloom the whole spices in the order given, just until they pop and smell fragrant, for the deepest flavor.
- Seal the cones and crimped edges firmly with a little water so they don’t burst open in the oil.
- Keep shaped samosas under a damp towel until frying so the dough stays pliable.
Variations
- Add peas, carrots, or paneer to the potato filling.
- Bake or air-fry instead of deep-frying for a lighter version.
- Serve with mint-cilantro chutney or tamarind sauce.
Ingredients
Directions
To make the pastry, combine the 2 cup of flour with 3 tablespoons oil.
Add salt and mix.
Add 1 cup of water a little at a time until you have a firm dough.
Knead the dough well for 10 minutes or until the dough is elasticy and smooth.
Form into a ball, brush with a little oil, cover with a damp towel and set aside.
To make the filling: Boil the potatoes and let them cool.
You may peel them if you like, I choose not to.
Dice them into bite-sized pieces.
In a wok or very large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.
When very hot, drop in the asafetida, 5 seconds later, add the fennel and cumin seeds.
A few seconds later add in rapid succession the mustard seeds and fenugreek.
As they begin to change color and pop, add the chilies.
As soon as the chilies swell and darken, add the potatoes, turmeric and salt.
Fry gently, carefully turning the potatoes so as not to break them.
Fry for 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are unevenly browned.
Add lemon juice and mix well.
Check the salt.
Remove potatoes from the wok, place in a serving dish and crush coarsely with the back of a slotted spoon.
Divide the dough into 28 to 30 equal balls.
Flatten each ball and roll it out on a floured surface until it is approximately 4 inches in diameter.
Cut each round in half.
Taking one semicircle at a time, moisten half the length of the cut edge with a finger dipped in water.
Form a wide cone with the semi-circle, using the moist section to overlap ¼ inch and hold it closed.
Fill samosa ¾ full with stuffing.
Moisten the inside edges of the opening and press it shut.
Seal this end by pressing down on it with a fork as you would a pie crust.
Do all the samosas this way, keeping them moist in a plastic wrap or under a damp towel until you are ready to fry
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