A fun twist on classic Indian street fare . . . because It's Lauren, of Course!
Samosas are the most popular savory snack in India, so much so that they can be found in every region. A staple street food, samosas can be vegetarian as in the recipe below (traditionally made with russet potatoes), or made with lamb. They are usually served with chutney, such as mint, tamarind, or mango.
Equipment: cutting board; chef’s knife; paring knife; measuring spoons; dry measuring cups; small skillet; spice grinder; large saucepan; strainer or colander; large nonstick sauté pan; large wooden or metal spoon; rimmed sheet pan; nonstick liner or parchment paper; pastry brush
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes
1½ teaspoons cumin seeds, or 1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon coriander seeds, or ¼ teaspoon ground coriander teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon garam masala 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced (optional) 1-inch piece of ginger finely chopped juice of half a lemon
½ cup frozen peas
½ cup unsalted roasted cashews, chopped
¼ cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves
4 sheets puff pastry
egg for brushing pastry
1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Place the potatoes in a saucepan of cold water and bring to a simmer over high heat. Once simmering, lower the heat and continue cooking for 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.
3. If using whole cumin and coriander: in a small skillet over low dry-roast the cumin and coriander seeds until aromatic, then remove. Grind them to a fine powder in a spice grinder.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion over low heat for one minute, then add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala, stirring frequently until the mixture is fragrant and the onion is golden. Add the sweet potatoes, jalapeno, ginger, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the peas and cashews, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for another 5 minutes. (Add a few tbsp water if the mixture sticks). Cool to room temperature. Mix in the lemon juice, peas, and cilantro. Season with salt to taste, then cool to room temperature.
5. Using a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut circles in the puff pastry; discard the scraps. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle of each circle. Fold the pastry over and pinch the sides together. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
6. Beat egg with 1 tablespoon cold water. Brush tops of samosas lightly with egg wash. Bake for 20 minutes, or until pastry has puffed and is golden. Serve warm with mint, and mango chutneys.
Makes approximately 24 samosas.
“ILOC tip: Mise en place. Always. That means that you have all of your equipment and ingredients reads as outlined at the top of recipe before the instructions begin. You cannot have a successful and stress-free cooking experience if you do not make time to save time but preparing before you start. That's what mise en place is: everythihg must be put in place, and then you cook.”
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