A samosa is a pastry pocket with a spicy filling inside which is then deep fried or baked. They are stuffed either with meat or vegetables, and flavoured with a variety of spices. Depending on the region of origin, these may include garlic, ginger, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, turmeric powder and chili powder.
When going out for an Indian dinner, I always feel that samosas are a must to complete the meal. They are crispy on the outside and full of flavour on the inside, and have a fragrant aroma which punches you in the face.
I have decided to try making them at home. I was challenged by how they are folded up. When you see a professional folding them, they make it look simple but after trying myself, it was clear that it was not an easy task. After looking it up online and watching the same video multiple times, I tried to follow the instructions as closely as possible. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect! By no means I am implying that what I have made are perfect. Yet, I am happy with their appearance and will continue to practice making them to perfect my samosas as much as possible. I know someone would be happy to eat them for sure! 😉
Baked Samosa
A pocket of delicious spiced filling and a punch of aroma.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 175g plain flour
- 150g wholewheat flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 250g buttermilk
For the filling:
- 2 large potatoes, boiled and cubed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 200g frozen peas, thawed
- Sea salt, to taste
For the sauce:
- 200g plain yoghurt
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin seeds
- 1 spring onion, finely chopped
- 150g cucumber finely chopped
- 1/8 tsp cayenne powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Directions
- For the dough: In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Make a well in the centre and add the buttermilk.
- Mix everything together and knead for 5-8 minuted until you have a smooth ball of dough.
- Place it in the fridge until ready to use.
- For the sauce: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients together. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
- For the filling: In a large frying pan, heat up the olive oil. Once hot, add the onion and sauté until translucent.
- Add the garlic, ginger, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds
and chilli flakes and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. - Add the potatoes and turmeric powder and cook for another minute. Remove from heat.
- Gently mix in the peas, trying not to smash them as much as possible.
- Let it cool for at least 10 minutes before filling the dough.
- To assemble: On a floured surface, roll out the dough into 20cm-diameter circles. Cut each circle in half.
- Brush the straight edges with a little bit of water and bring them together to form a cone. Press lightly to seal.
- Place a heaped tablespoon of the filling inside the cone, brush the edges of the dough with some water, fold and press to seal.
- To bake: Place the samosas on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
- Brush the samosa with some olive oil.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 20-25 minutes or until golden and crispy.
- To serve: Serve hot together with the prepared sauce.
