Samosas Two Ways

America's Test Chicken consists of two separate chickens, each with her own take on this cooking thing. Check out Chicken One's related blog, A Travel for Taste where she shares travel stories and recipes collected whenever she ventures abroad. And give Chicken Two's new, also-related blog, Poop from the Coop a read. There you can find stories about her personal adventure re-experiencing the kitchen after many years away. Please join our Facebook group to share your own recipes, kitchen practices and know-how. We are also on Pinterest and Instagram.

The complete recipes appear at the end of this post. 

From Chicken One: Punjabi Potato Samosa (Aloo Samosa) So the bitter gourd dish was a real SCAFU (Situation Chicken All Fowled Up) - ok, it wasn't really a SCAFU, but no one liked the end product, including the cook! However, I had other-end-of-the-spectrum, brilliant success with this dish: samosas. Samosas are pockets of fried dough with filling, something every culture has in one form or another. Although India claims the samosa as its own, the original samosa came from Central Asia, home of today's Kazakhstan and all those other -stans. And it's an old recipe. A ninth-century Iraqi poet even wrote a verse about it. The samosa is delicious freshly made or left-over, which means it travels well. They are served with a chutney or sauce. I got my recipe from maayeka.com and you can find my slightly tweaked version below. I also got some excellent advice from finecooking.com.  The pockets are made in four stages: filling, dough, assembly and frying. Learning to make the triangular samosas was fun, especially with the advice of this guy, who I barely understood but learned a lot from anyway! A happier cook you will not find! This recipe is for Punjabi samosas, which means a spiced potato filling, but the variations on fillings are endless. You can spice them up or down, add raisins and cashews, make a meat filling - really anything you can come up with is fine. Here's my filling: My cone: And all my little dumplings (they made me think of garden gnomes): I'm so proud of myself because I am not well-versed in frying. However, with enough homework beforehand, I think my friend samosas turned out rather well! And they were delicious! I have plenty more internet links for resources plus a whole lot more photos. If you want to make these, let me know and I'll be happy to send all of them along!

From Chicken Two:  Spinach Phyllo Samosas This was a fun one for me because, in my travels, I've eaten many versions. This particular version, which I found in Raghavan Iyer's Indian Cooking Unfolded, is definitely going to be my favorite. I think it's a simpler recipe than most, using store bought frozen phyllo sheets, and is baked instead of deep fried.  For my filling, I used paneer (whole milk cheese) that Chicken #1 made, and spinach that I made. Just kidding!  Here's the paneer. This is a great recipe if you like origami since it's all about how you fold the phyllo. You start by cutting the sheet into four equal strips.  After you add a heaping spoonful of filling, fold the dough over the filling forming a triangle.  Maintain a triangle folding over itself and mimic a classic flag fold.  Tah Dah! Aren't they pretty after they're baked? Both types of samosas (Chicken #1 and mine) turned out pretty yummy. I'd definitely make them again.  I made a Tamarind Date Chutney to dip these in, which turned out pretty good, if I say so myself. I will be happy to share that recipe if you want it. Just drop us a line here and I will be happy to forward it.

Potato-pea Samosas (Aloo Samosa)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoon dried pomegranate seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 5 medium potatoes, boiled
• 4 tablespoons + 2 1/2 teaspoons cooking oil + more for frying
• 1 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon chopped serrano chili
• 3/4 cup green peas, boiled
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoon mango powder or lemon zest
• salt to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
• water

Cooking Directions

1. For the filling: Toast coriander seeds, pomegranate seeds and 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds in a hot skillet for about 45 seconds. Crush coarsely in mortar and pestle.
2. Peel and smash potatoes roughly; you don't want a mash.
3. Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds. When cumin becomes golden after about a minute or so, add ginger, serranos and boiled peas and saute for 1 minute.
4. Now add cayenne, ground coriander, mango powder/lemon zest and salt to taste. Stir to mix.
5. Add smashed potatoes, the toasted and crushed spice mix and garam masala. Saute for 2 minutes on medium heat.
6. Place in bowl and stir in fresh chopped cilantro. Set aside.
7. For the dough: In a large bowl, combine flour, cardamom and salt to taste.
8. Add the remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons of the cooking oil and rub it into the flour with your fingers. Add lemon juice and mix again.
9. Add enough cold water to make a stiff dough like pie crust dough. Cover with plastic wrap and rest 1 to 2 hours.
10. For the samosas: Knead rested dough until smooth and slightly elastic. Make 8 equal-sized balls from the dough and keep them covered with a moist cloth. Make more or fewer dough balls for smaller or larger samosas, respectively.
11. Roll out a dough ball to make a disc about 7 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick.
12. With a sharp knife, cut the disc in half.
13. Using your finger dipped in clean, cold water, "paint" the water around the curved edge of one half-disc. Fold the disc in a cone shape with a fold on one side.
14. Hold the cone in one hand and stuff 3/4 full with filling.
15. "Paint the rim of the cone with water with your fingertip and press the sides together to close it completely, squeezing out any excess air from inside. Be sure to seal the samosa well so it doesn't come open while frying and ruin your oil.
16. Repeat with all dough balls. Assembled, uncooked samosas will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days sealed in plastic wrap. Allow them to come to room temperature before cooking.
17. In a large, deep skillet, heat about 2 inches of cooking oil over low to medium-low heat. Using higher heat will make the samosas look right, but the dough will be wet and underdone inside.
18. Add several samosas to the oil and fry until golden on one side. Turn over and fry til golden on the other side. Do not crowd the pan and do not fry on high heat.
19. Drain on paper towels. Repeat frying until all samosas are done.
20. Alternatively, you can bake samosas at 350 F for 30 to 35 minutes.
21. Serve hot or cold with chutney or sauce.

Spinach Phyllo Samosas

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons canola oil + more for brushing
• 1/2 large red onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
• 8 ounces baby spinach, stemmed and finely chopped
• 1 cup shredded paneer or drained, extra-firm tofu
• 2 serrano chilies, stemmed, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 pound (1 package) frozen phyllo sheets, thawed

Cooking Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until slightly brown. Stir in the spinach, paneer or tofu, chilies, salt, and garam masala. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until the spinach wilts. Transfer to a colander and let the excess liquid drain.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Unfold the phyllo sheets; cover the stack with a clean, damp cloth. Carefully peel a sheet of the dough from the stack and place it on a cutting board with the longer length of the rectangular sheet facing you. Brush with oil. Repeat 3 more times so you end up with a stack of 4 sheets. Each time you unpeel a single sheet, recover the stack. Cut the 4-sheet stack crosswise into 4 short, equal strips.
4. Working quickly with one strip at a time, with the smaller edge facing you, spoon a tablespoon of the spinach filling onto the center of the narrow end closest to you. Form a triangle by folding the lower left-hand corner of all 4 layers over the filling to the opposite side. Next fold it up on the diagonal to the right side, maintaining the triangular shape. Continue folding this way until you get to the end of the strip. You should have a neat-looking triangle. If you have an uneven lip at the end, brush that lip with oil and tuck it under. Set on the lined baking sheet. Continue filling and folding the other 3 strips. Repeat three more times with the remaining filling and strips to make 16.
5. Bake the samosas for 25 to 30 minutes or until they are golden. Serve warm as is or with a dipping sauce such as mint or tamarind chutney.

 

Indian Spiced Potatoes, Cauliflower and Peas (Aloo Gobi), Two Ways

America's Test Chicken consists of two separate chickens, each with her own take on this cooking thing. Check out Chicken One's related blog, A Travel for Taste where she shares travel stories and recipes collected whenever she ventures abroad. And give Chicken Two's new, also-related blog, Poop from the Coop a read. There you can find stories about her personal adventure re-experiencing the kitchen after many years away. Please join our Facebook group to share your own recipes, kitchen practices and know-how. We are also on Pinterest and Instagram.

 The complete recipe appears at the end of this post.

From Chicken One: The recipe we used for this post mentions it's Punjabi, a state in India bordering Pakistan. In my research for this post, I discovered that it's called Aloo Gobi, with Aloo meaning "potatoes" and Gobi meaning "cauliflower". I also discovered that it's a staple of Indian restaurant menus all over the world. It's also considered a Pakistani dish. I caution you to use boiling potatoes - red, yellow or gold - not baking potatoes like russets. Boiling potatoes will stand up to, well, boiling, and not go to mush in this dish. You can see the beautiful, giant red potato I used below: That said, if you cook any potato too long it will become squishy, as will cauliflower. So don't overcook them. As with any common, traditional recipe, each home cook has his or her own spin. With Indian food, it's the spice combination that gets the creative twist. Therefore, many different spice combos are possible here, including using coconut shavings, curry leaves, black mustard seeds, etc. All of the mixes seem to use turmeric, however, which gives a characteristic yellow color. Since we're just beginning our foray into the spices, we stuck to the recipe in the book. But I already have some ideas in the back of my mind for the next time I make this. For one thing, I'd kick up the heat a little. It's pretty straightforward: Partially cook the potatoes and set aside. Then process the aromatics together... and set aside. Whisk tomato paste, water, lemon juice and a little sugar. Set aside. I'd also recommend combining the spices in a bowl together and set them aside as well. Once you have all these things set aside, it's an easy cook up: saute the aromatics, add the spices, add the cauliflower, potatoes and peas. Cook a few minutes and serve.

From Chicken Two: I'm really excited to be cooking recipes from this region of the world. Besides experimenting with some great tasting dishes, we're learning about the region, customs, spices and history. It's a great way to travel if you can't actually get there any time soon! When we decided to cook Indian food, we went out and bought a few cookbooks that we hoped would be authentic. Wouldn't you know, this recipe came from a book we already had in our collection - Williams Sonoma, Asian Cooking. When we asked an employee of our favorite Indian market about cookbooks, she referred us to the internet! Ha ha! Isn't that the way it is these days! Plenty of recipes there! The recipe below was wonderful, with all the spices and texture. I substituted parsnips for potatoes.  I guess it wouldn't be called Aloo Gobi but when I tried to translate parsnips into Punjabi, it still read parsnips. So….I made Parsnips Gobi, I guess! The parsnips kept their shape and didn't turn mushy. Frankly, there wasn't much difference in the taste between this and the potato version. Spices rule! This dish can be used as a starter, a side,or, as we did, a main dish served over rice. You can store in the fridge for 3-4 days but don't freeze because it can get pretty mushy. Hint: Chicken One used a  pot with high sides, like a stock pot and I used a wider style like a large frying pan. When partially covered, my liquid evaporated faster and the spices became more concentrated. (This doesn't give you a lot of liquid to put over the rice, if that's important to you.)

Indian Spiced Potatoes, Cauliflower and Peas (Aloo Gobi)

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided into 1 tablespoon and 1 1/2 teaspoons

• 1 large (about 1/2 lb/250g) boiling potato

• 1 small head (about 1 1/4 lb/625g) cauliflower

• 1 small yellow onion, chopped

• 1 2-inch (5cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled & chopped

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1 serrano chile, seeded and chopped

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

• 1 cup water

• 1/4 cup (2oz/60g) ghee or canola oil

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1 cup (5oz/155g) English peas or thawed frozen peas

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

 
Bring a large saucepan ¾ full of water to a boil and stir in 1 tablespoon salt. While it heats, peel potato and cut into 1-inch (2.54 cm) cubes. Trim and core cauliflower and separate into 1-inch (2.54 cm) florets. Add potato cubes to boiling water. Cook until partly tender but not done, 6-7 minutes. Drain into colander; rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Set aside. In food processor or mortar, combine onion, ginger, garlic and chile. Grind to a smooth paste. Set aside. Whisk together tomato paste, lemon juice, sugar and 1 cup (8oz/250ml) water. Set aside. In Dutch oven or large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the ghee/oil. Add onion paste; sauté til it just begins to turn brown, 4-5 minutes. Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne and 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Stir to mix. Add cauliflower and sauté til coated, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in tomato paste mixture, potato cubes and peas. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Stir gently so veggies don’t fall apart. Transfer to a warm bowl, garnish with cilantro and serve at once.