Samosa – one of India’s best-known teatime snacks, and quite a staple presence in the tea-stalls/eateries across the country. I should confess that these deep-fried crispy snacks were never a favorite for me, but have caught a liking off-late.

This is a fairly simple recipe, and quite easy to make. You could use the filo pastry instead of making the dough from scratch. And you can play around with the fillings – from potato-based veggie filling to meat (lamb/chicken), or even sweet fillings with dry fruits; the vegetarian version is more popular though. What I have here is Chicken Samosa. Serve them hot with a cup of tea and some suitable chutney/sauce to dip in.

You need –

To make the pastry: –

• All purpose flour – 1 ¼ cups
• Ajwain – a good pinch
• Water – as required
• Salt to taste
• Vegetable oil – 2 tablespoons + for deep frying

For the filling: –

• Minced chicken – 250 grams
• Frozen Peas – 1/2 cup
• Onion – 1 large, finely chopped
• Tomato puree – 1 tablespoon
• Green chili – 2 or as per taste, finely diced
• Ginger & garlic paste – 2 teaspoons
• Chili powder – t teaspoon
• Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
• Garam Masala powder – 1 teaspoon
• Fesh coriander leaves – finely chopped, 2 tablespoon
• Oil – as required

 

How to –

Make the filling:-

Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped onions and cook till soft. Now add the ginger-garlic paste and green chilies. Saute till the raw smell is gone. Add the tomato puree, chili powder, coriander powder and garam Masala, salt to taste and cook till the oil starts to separate.

Add the minced chicken, peas and ¼ cup of water. Stir well till everything is well combined. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes or till the chicken are done and the mixture is thick. Stir in the chopped coriander leaves and set aside to cool

 To make the dough:-

In a large mixing bowl; tip in the flour, salt and ajwain and mix well till evenly combined. Add the 2 tablespoons of oil and mix till crumbly. Slowly add the water and kneed till soft and the dough does not stick to your hand. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let sit for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 12 equal parts and roll into a circle with appox. 5 inches and cut through the center. Now fold each half to form a cone. Place 1 tablespoon of the filling inside the cone. Wet your fingers with water and run it through the sides and seal it well to make triangular parcel. Repeat the process with the rest of the dough.

Heat oil in deep frying pan to 190 C. slowly and carefully deep fry the samosas one at a time till golden brown. Drain on kitchen towel.

Serve hot with chutney and tea!