Simple Samosas

The first samosa I ever ate was at a little food stand just outside the gates to the Taj Majal.  It was unbelievable.  Since that day about six years ago I've been a huge fan of the fried, potato-and-pea-filled bundle of goodness that is a samosa.  I find them hard to resist at any Indian restaurant.  When I lived in Chicago I frequently ordered take-out from the neighborhood Indian restaurant, and I would generally order a salad to compensate for the deep-fried appetizer I would inevitably order.  My mom and I tried making them a few years ago, and while they were delicious, they were pretty hard work.  Definitely something you would only make everyone once in a while.  

Much to my surprise, I recently discovered a samosa recipe in a Thai cookbook I, um, acquired from my parents' basement.  Instead of making a dough, you just use filo pastry or something of the like.  They're also baked and not fried, so I feel much less guilty for eating them.  While they're certainly not on the level of a steaming hot one outside of one of the seven wonders of the modern world, they're not a bad stand-in when you're pressed for time and trying to be a little healthy.

Here's what you'll need:

1 large potato or a handful of little ones, diced

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

4 tbsp coconut milk

1 tsp Thai red curry paste

3/4 cup peas

Juice of 1/2 lime

25 wonton wrappers*

1 tsp coriander (optional)

Salt & pepper

*This is what I used because it was the closest thing they had at the grocery store, and I didn't feel like making another stop.  The actual recipe calls for either samosa wrappers or 4"x2" strips of filo pastry.  

Bring water to a boil in a small pan, add the potatoes, cover, and boil for 10-15 minutes or until tender.  Once tender, drain and set aside.

Heat a little oil in a pan over medium heat, and add the garlic and shallots for about 5 minutes, or until golden.

If you're using frozen peas make sure to thaw them first.  Nothing like stating the obvious, right?  I didn't measure them - just kind of guessed what 3/4 cup looked like.  

Add the potatoes, peas, coconut milk, curry paste, and lime juice to the pan with the shallots & garlic.  Reduce heat to low.  The recipe calls for the juice of 1/2 lime, but next time I would either use a little less or leave it out altogether.  

Mix it all together, mashing if you please, and continue to cook for a couple minutes.  Season with coriander, salt & pepper, or whatever else sounds good to you.  Then remove it from the heat, and let it cool a little. 

Next come the wrappers.  I'm guessing that whatever samosa wrappers are would work better than wonton wrappers, but these are what I ended up using.  In case you can't tell, I'm no expert on cooking Asian food.  

Brush a little oil on the wrapper.

Then pile on about a teaspoonful of the mixture.  I just eyeballed it and adjusted as I went along.  

Brush a little more oil on where the edges will meet, and press them together.  I had a little bit of trouble getting the edges to actually stick together on some of them.  I'm not sure if I didn't keep the wrappers moist enough in the process or if they're just not meant for what I was using them for.  Regardless, I ended up with edible samosas.  

Once you have a nice tray of them, throw them in a 425 oven for 15 minutes or until golden.  

I kind of forgot about them for a few minutes after the timer went off, so I ended up with some slightly overdone edges.  Don't they look good though?  

I planned on making a cilantro chutney to dip them in, but then I got realistic about time and opted not to.  They're great plain, and they're also good dipped in peanut sauce.  And after we came back from the bars I discovered that they're not too bad dipped in plain yogurt.  But I'm not sure whether or not I would still feel that way outside the hours of 2AM and 5AM.  

Finally, I have to share my idea for any remaining wrappers (and maintain the more cheese aspect of the blog).  CHEESE WONTONS!  When I ran out of the potato mixture I threw some shredded parmesan cheese in a couple wontons.  They were sinful and delicious.  You should try it.  You deserve it.