Veggie Samosas

My interest in making elaborate recipes has really waned.  Everything involved in preparing these recipes (picking the recipe, grocery shopping, prep, cooking, cleaning) just sounds like a huge energy sucker when a good portion of my energy already goes to caring for E.  I am too deep into toddlerhood to imagine a time when E will be more independent.  But I hear it happens.  

This recipe was R's initiative and his never-ending quest for vegetarian recipes. 

Potato Vegetable Samosas

source

Dough

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

¾ cup warm water

Filling

2 ½ cups peeled and diced Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces

1 tablespoon fennel seed

1 tablespoon cumin seed

2 teaspoons coriander seed

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

½ cup finely diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1 package (1 lb), frozen chopped spinach, thawed and excess juices squeezed out

½ cup frozen peas, thawed

salt and pepper

vegetable oil for frying

Dough

1. For dough, combine flour and salt. Stir in oil, then stir in warm water. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured worksurface and knead until dough is elastic, about 5 minutes.

2. Cover and set aside while preparing filling.

Filling

1. Boil potatoes uncovered in salted water until tender, then drain well and set aside.

2. In a large sauté pan, toast fennel, cumin and coriander seeds for 2 minutes (until a fragrance is noticeable). Add oil, then onion and sauté for 4 minutes, until onion is translucent. Add garlic and ginger and sauté one minute more. 

Stir in spinach, peas and cooked potatoes, mashing lightly to combine and warm, then season to taste. Let filling cool.

3. To assemble samosas, divide dough into 12 equal portions and shape each portion into a ball. On a lightly floured surface,roll out 1 ball into a 6-inch circle. Cut circle in half. Fold 1 corner of semicircle up and over middle. Fold second corner over to make triangle, and pinch corners of triangle to seal (leave rounded side open). Hold triangle in your hand with open rounded side facing up and let dough fall open to make cone. Fill cone with approximately 2 tablespoons potato mixture, then pinch along rounded side to seal.

4. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Cover and chill samosas until ready to cook.

5. Fill a pot with 2-inches of oil (make sure oil fills pot not more than halfway) and heat to 350 F. With tongs, place samosas in oil, leaving an inch between them, and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn over and cook other side until brown, then remove onto a paper-towel lined plate to drain.

6. Samosas can be served warm or at room temperature with mango chutney.

7. TIP: Alternately, the samosa can be brushed with an eggwash and baked at 375 °F on a parchment-lined baking tray for 30 minutes. (that's what we did)

Verdict:  Just okay....My spices could have been fresher. Tonne of dishes.  Good for freezing....though I haven't really felt like defrosting them.