classic aloo samosa | balwinder aunty
Ingredients
makes around 10 samosas
For the samosa filling
4-6 potatoes, not the big idaho baking potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
1 onion, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup frozen green peas
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp anardana or dried pomegranate seeds for a sweet and sour finish
** can be substituted with ambuchur (dried mangoes, grinded).
1 tsp saunf (fennel seeds)
Pinch of ajwain (carom seeds)
1 tsp of methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
For the samosa dough
2 cups maida (all-purpose, unbleached white flour)
2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil
3/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup water to wet finger while shaping the samosas
Other
Peanut / groundnut oil to deep fry is my oil of preference. It has a higher boiling temperature and it doesn't have a residual smell or taste. Aunty says crisco shortening gives a crispy finish but you can use any vegetable oil for deep frying (eg. corn oil, canola oil)
Leftover potato mixture? Great! Make aloo paranthay.
Alternatives to the classic aloo samosa: VEGETARIAN. Use 1 cup of paneer instead of potatoes. MEAT. You can substitute the potatoes for minced chicken, ground beef or lamb. SWEET. You can add 1 tbsp of coconut flakes and 1 tbsp of raisins to this recipe for some textured sweetness.
To make this recipe really love infused, take a directive from Balwinder Aunty, whose recipe this is (THANKS AUNTY!). Shaping the samosa pastry can be tedious and time consuming so she suggests to put on some music and have your partner in the kitchen with you sharing favorite memories of your wedding day. Below is a photo of mine and m’s post-wedding bliss captured at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, Ca (USA). Photography by Henley & Co.
Method
Samosa Filling
Boil and mash the potatoes.
In a medium fry pan, add 1tsp of extra virgin olive oil and heat over medium heat
Once the pan is hot, add the chopped onions and cumin seeds.
Sauté until the onions are translucent and the flavor of the cumin seeds come through, about 3 minutes.
Add the potatoes and green peas.
Sauté for another 3-4 minutes and take the mixture off the heat.
Add salt and pepper to taste, anardana, saunf, ajwain and methi and fold them into the mix until incorporated.
Let the mixture cool enough to be worked by hand.
Samosa Pastry
While the mix is cooling, in a medium bowl, add the maida and mix in the vegetable oil.
Slowly add 1/2 a cup of the warm water to the mixture, mixing it with the flour as you pour. You want the dough to be firm, unlike roti atta. You can add the rest of the water if you need to.
Once the dough is ready, break off about 2" pieces and make a smooth ball. Using a rolling pin, flatten the ball into a disc about 4" in diameter.
Cut in half so that now you have two moon shaped pieces of flat dough.
Add 1 tablespoon of samosa filling to the middle of each moon shaped piece. You don't want to over fill the samosas as they will be difficult to shape. Adjust the amount of filling if needed as you go through the next shaping steps.
Dip your finger in water and wet the edges of the moon shaped dough.
Flip one end of the moon shaped dough over to meet the other side, making a triangle.
Press the edges together and bend inwards slightly to seal the triangular shaped samosas.
Once you've used up all the dough, it is time to fry the samosas
Frying the Samosas
Heat the oil over medium heat, 350F / 180C
Lower several samosas into the pan and let them turn into a golden brown color on each side. Allow around 3-4 minutes total.
Remove the samosa and let the oil drain on a paper towel.
Plate the samosas and serve hot with chutney and ketchup.
