You know I love Indian food. The spicy, earthy flavors are wonderful! Cumin, curry powder, and turmeric all add an earthy, spicyness to Indian food. I decided to try to make samosas at home. A samosa is a fried or baked pastry filled with a savory filling. Sometimes they are called hand pies, dumplings , or turnovers. Just depends where and who is making them.
Arthur’s Samosas
1) While olive oil is heating you can make the dough. Mix the butter, flour, salt, and baking soda.
2) Cut the butter into small cubes. Incorporate the flour and butter until it forms a lumpy dough. I added a tablespoon of buttermilk because everything taste better with a little buttermilk!
3) cut the dough in half and form into a disk. Return to the refrigerator to chill.
4) The onions should be soft now so you can at the vegetables. I cheated and used two cans of mixed vegetables in addition to a tablespoon each of cumin, turmeric, and curry powder. Cook for about 10 or 15 minutes and then turn the heat off.
5) Remove the dough from the refrigerator.
6) Roll the disk out to about a quarter inch thickness.
7) Use the back of the dumpling maker to cut the dough out.
8) Place the cut out dough in the front side of the dumpling maker and press in the center to make a pocket. Place a teaspoon of filling in the pocket.
9) Folder the dumpling maker to close and seal the samosa.
I had a problem with the crease cracking when I folded the maker over so I decided to make the remainder of them using the old fashioned cookie cutter.
This produced a nicer shape and then I folded and crimped them by hand.
10) Bake them for about 15 minutes at 350f. You could fry them, too, for crunchy skin but I hate frying anything!
The filling was perfect but the dough was very soft and moist. It fell apart easily and was very sweet. Next time I think I will use less butter!
But it’s a beginning of a good recipe.