Monday, May 4, 2015

PUNJABI SAMOSA


Appetizers have a very important role to play in the meal. They set the stage for the main course. They satisfy your taste buds while you still wait for the main course to arrive. Also , as many say, "The first impression is the best impression". So its really important that appetizers create an impact. The appetizer that is always a hit is definitely our desi SAMOSA. Samosa is a fried pastry with savory filling which is often served as an appetizer or snack.










 First , let's talk a little bit about the history of Samosa. Samosas are a popular appetizer or snack in the local cuisines of Indian subcontinentSoutheast AsiaCentral Asia and Southwest Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean, the Horn of Africa and North Africa. Samosa is known by different names in the different regions. It is known by the name SAMOSA in the Indian subcontinent and South Asian countries . Other names used for this savory pastry are Shinghada, Samsa, sambusa, sambusak, sambosa and chamucha. Samosas are said to have originated from Middle East but found its way to the Indian subcontinent in the 13th or 14th century.In India, samosas are usually served vegetarian. The crust is made up from  maida or all purpose flour with a texture similar to a pie crust (smooth and flaky) stuffed with a spicy potato  filling and then deep fried. Sometimes, green peas and nuts are also added to the potato filling. For more information about the history and origin, click here.





So I guess I have written a lot about Samosa, its time to know how it is prepared..:) Today I will be sharing with you all a recipe  of PUNJABI SAMOSA  adapted from a recipe by  Chef Harpal. I will be sharing two different ways (1) Deep fried version (2) Baked version. The deep fried version sure tastes better but we loved the baked version too . The entire process of making Samosa can be divided into four steps. Step 1 would be to prepare the dough for the crust . Step 2 would be to prepare the stuffing. Lastly Step 3 would be shape the samosas and Step 4 would be deep fry or baking them.

 Before I begin with the recipe , kindly go through these points necessary to be kept in mind while preparing the samosas.

  1. The amount of fat (ghee / clarified butter) to the flour ratio is very important to get the perfect pastry like texture. For every part of flour ,you need to use 1/5 the amount of fat. From example, for every 1000 grams of all purpose flour / maida you will need to use 200 grams of ghee / clarified butter.
  2. You need to knead a stiff dough (soft but not loose) adding water little by little. A good knead (knead for a good amount of time) is important to get a crisp flaky crust. Also I prefer using cold water to knead the dough.
  3. While rolling the dough using the rolling pin, make sure that it is rolled neither too thick nor too thin. 
  4. The temperature of the oil for deep frying is very crucial. The oil should be medium hot and not too hot. Test the oil before starting the frying process. Add a small piece of the dough in to the oil. If the oil is just right, the dough will first go to the bottom and then come slowly to the top.
Keeping the above points in mind, let's begin the recipe..


INGREDIENTS:
Note: All measurements are based on the US measuring cup and spoon sizes where 1 cup = 235 ml
Makes about 12

For the crust:
  • All purpose flour / Maida : 2.5 cup
  • Salt : 1 tsp
  • Carrom Seeds / Ajwain : 1 tsp
  • Ghee / Clarified butter : 4 tbsp (Instead you can use 4 tbsp hot oil)
  • Cold Water as need to form a  dough 
  • Oil for deep frying.
For the stuffing:
  • Potatoes : 3 large (about 500 grams)
  • Peas (cooked) : 1/2 cup
  • Ginger : 1 inch
  • Garlic : 3 large
  • Small Green chillies : 4 (adjust according to your taste)
  • Cumin seeds / Jeera : 1 tsp
  • Coriander powder : 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp
  • Dry mango powder / amchur : 0.5 tsp
  • Garam Masala : 1 tsp (readily available in Indian stores)
  • Coriander seeds : 1 tbsp
  • Anardana seeds : 1 tsp
  • Salt as per taste
  • Oil : 2 tbsp
PROCEDURE:

To prepare the crust / outer cover :
  • Add salt, ghee , carrom seeds and ghee to the all purpose flour.

  • Using your finger tips, gently rub the ghee against the flour, You should arrive at a texture similar to breadcrumbs.  The idea is to get the flour grains coated with the fat component.


  • Add  cold water little by little to the flour mixture and form a  dough. 
  • Cover the dough with a moist cloth and let it rest for about 30 minutes.


To prepare the stuffing :
  • Cook potatoes in plenty of water until tender. Remove the potatoes from the water and set it aside to cool. Once cool, peel off the skin and roughly mash them.(Its important to mash them rough. DO NOT grate the potatoes as we need some potato chunks to be present.)




  • Add the cooked peas to the potato mixture and set it aside.
  • Dry roast coriander seeds and anardana seeds. Once done, grind them in to a fine powder.


  • Make a rough paste of ginger, garlic and green chillies.

  • Heat 2 tbsp of  oil. When hot, add the cumin seeds. When the seeds start to splutter, add the prepared ginger-garlic-chilli paste.


  • Cook for a minute and then add the potato-peas mixture.

  • Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, dry mango powder and the garam masala powder. Mix well.

  • Lastly add the prepared roasted coriander-anardana powder and salt. Give it a final mix and turn off the heat.

Assembling the samosas:
1) Divide the dough in to 6  big balls and keep it covered in moist cloth until ready for use.

2) Take a ball of dough. Using a rolling pin, roll it into an oblong shape. The thickness should be neither too thick nor too thin.

3) Using a pizza cutter or a knife , divide the oblong shape in to two parts.

4) Take one half. Rub water along the straight edge with fingers or with a pastry brush.

5) Gather the straight edge overlapping by about 1/4 " to form a cone. Press it to form a seal.



6) Add the stuffing to the prepared cone.

7) Apply water with your finger tips or pastry brush to the outer edge of the cone.

 
8) Make a  tiny fold on the side opposite to the sealed side of the cone (the one we made in step 5). Bring this fold near the previously sealed edge (the one we made in step 5)  . Pinch them together. Seal the rest of the  outer edge in a similar way.



9) Prepare all the samosas in this way and keep them covered under a moist paper towel. (See to it that the moist paper towel or napkin does not tough the skin of the samosas. If it does, then you will get bubbles in the crust because of the moisture present .The idea is to have a smooth and flaky crust and not a crust with bubbles on the surface).



Frying the samosas (Deep fry version) :
  • Heat sufficient oil for deep frying.
  • When the oil is hot, deep fry 3-4 of the prepared samosas. Note :We need to fry the samosas in low-medium heat . This ensures even heating through out. If the oil is too hot, then the outer surface of the samosas will get browned too fast while the inner side will still remain uncooked. To check the readiness of oil, drop a small piece of dough, if the dough  sinks to the bottom and then slowly comes to the surface then the oil is ready to use.

  • Fry the samosas until they are golden in color. Turn them over in between. Once done , remove from oil. Drain the excess oil by placing the samosas on an absorbent paper.

  • Serve hot or warm with tomato ketchup or cilantro-mint chutney and tamarind chutney.

Baking version :
  • To bake the samosas, preheat the oven to 350 F (180 c)
  • Assemble the samosas as mentioned above and place them in a baking sheet.
  • Using  pastry brush, brush some oil on the surface of the assembled samosas.


  • Bake the samosas for about 40 minutes. Half way through, brush some oil on the surface again and turn the samosas to ensure even cooking. Note: The baking temperature varies from oven to oven, so keep an eye.

  • Serve hot or warm samosas with tomato ketchup, or cilantro-mint chutney and tamarind chutney.

Do check out other appetizer recipes in the blog like

19 comments:

  1. Super yum. Love the potato filling and the flavoured crust.

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  2. Samosas look very delicious and tempting...well explained and also love the baked version:)...Lovely clicks...Pass me some shubha...I'm drooling here:)

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  3. Sure this samosas would have tasted great..Loved all the pictures..Must try version.

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  4. My favourite tea time snack. Beautiful presentation, they look super yummy. :)

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  5. Perfect instructions and prepared just more than perfect..yummy yumm

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  6. Crispy and delicious samosas..yum yum :)

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  7. Superb work ..and yummy inviting samosas...fried and baked both the version is Great job ..

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  8. Detailed post!! Wanna have some with evening tea!! 😀

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  9. Samosa is my favorite and let me tell you This is one of the best samosa I have seen so far! Can I please have some? My mouths watering:)

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  10. Amazing samosas! Every picture shows the amount of work that has gone into this. Beautifully explained and clicked. I'm so so tempted to try these well-rounded samosas, with well cooked delicious pastry full of delicious filling. Superb Post!

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  11. Its been ages since I have made one of these little devils Shubha. I am not a big fan but having hot Samosas once in a while with onion chutney is one of the best snack you can have specially during winters. Isn’t it? :)

    Very elaborative post Shubha, reflects your hard work. Well done!

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  12. Awesome colour of the samosas, lovely presentation and loved the step by step pictures! :)

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  13. No words ..amazing post with well explanation n nice pics,very determined work..

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  14. Samosas have always been a favourite dish and this looks amazing...great presentation

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  15. Oh I love Samosas! And this looks just so tempting. Cant't resist this goodness anymore, please send me a plateful Samosa! :D

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  16. Lovely lovely recipe and beautifully presented step wise directions! Punjabi samosas are the best!

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  17. Delicious samosa recipe dear, Very nice presentation. Step by step method has made the process easier to understand. Great work !!

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  18. wow, super yummmm samosa.... liked the step wise clicks and nice presentation.

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  19. Very nice article. I loved your Punjabi Samosa Recipe . Hey instead of aloo can I use something else?

    You are a great chef. It can be eaten up with homemade tomato chutney?

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