David Tanis’ Pakistani potato samosas
The delicious fried parcels are often sold on the street in Pakistan and contain a highly seasoned potato filling and delicate spicy flavours
SERVES
4
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
30
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
15
MINUTES
Ingredients
For the dough:
300g plain flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ajwain or cumin seeds
50ml vegetable oil
110ml cold water
For the filling:
700g russet potatoes, peeled, in 1-inch cubes
3 carrots, chopped, optional
2 ½ tbsp vegetable oil, plus about 3 cups more for frying
1 onion, chopped
salt
pepper
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp grated garlic
1 tsp grated ginger
2 Serrano chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp garam masala
2 ½ tbsp lemon juice
1 handful chopped coriander, tender stems and leaves
Method
First, make the dough. Put flour, salt and ajwain seeds in a medium bowl. Drizzle in oil and work into flour with fingers until mixture looks mealy. Add water gradually, stirring until a soft dough has formed. If the dough seems too dry, add a tablespoon of water; if it seems wet, add a tablespoon of flour. Knead for 1 minute and form into a ball. Wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.
Then, make the filling. Simmer the potatoes and carrots in well-salted water until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. Put 1 ½ tablespoons oil in a deep, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
Put ¾ tablespoon of oil in a very small saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add cumin and mustard seeds. When the seeds are fragrant and beginning to pop, stir in garlic, ginger, chillies, turmeric and garam masala. Allow to sizzle for a minute, then add the contents to the onions.
Add reserved potatoes and carrots and stir well to coat. Check the seasoning and adjust salt. Remove mixture to a bowl and let cool to room temperature. When cool, add lemon juice and chopped coriander. Mix well, smashing the potatoes a bit in the process.
Make the samosas. Portion the dough into 20 pieces, each weighing 40g. Form each piece into a ball and place on a large plate. Cover with a damp napkin.
Roll each dough ball into a thin disc about 15cm in diameter, as if rolling out pie dough. Cut each disc exactly in half, leaving two pieces with a straight side and a round side.
Form each half-disc into a cone by folding it over and pinching the straight sides together. Put 2 ½ tablespoons filling in the opening on the round side, then pinch closed to make a stuffed triangle. Form the rest of dough balls into samosas.
Heat about 5cm of oil in the bottom of wok over medium-high heat. Adjust heat to maintain the oil at 350°C.
Slip the samosas four at a time into the hot oil and let fry on one side until golden, a minute or so, then flip and cook other side. Lift from oil and drain on paper towels. Serve samosas hot or at room temperature, accompanied by your favourite chutney.
