AMANDA’S PERFECT SAMOSAS
This crispy filled pastry pockets, is perfection in every bite.
- Onions:
- 7.5 ml salt
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
Peel and finely chop the onions, then place into a rice colander.
Rub the onions with salt and let sit for 5 minutes, then pour over a kettle of boiling water and allow to drain.
Squeeze out the excess moisture from the onions by placing it in a clean unused tea towel, and turning the edges tight.
- Mince Filling:
- 500 g minced beef/lamb
- 10 ml grated garlic (2 teaspoons)
- 5 ml grated ginger (1 teaspoon)
- 2.5 ml turmeric powder
- 5 ml Cayenne pepper
- 5 ml coriander powder
- 5 ml cumin powder
- 1 red chilli, seeded and sliced
- 250 ml fresh coriander leaves
- Cheese/Corn filling:
- 1 cup corn, tinned drained corn or freshly cooked
- ½ onion, finely diced, salted and blanched the same way as for mince filling
- 1 finely chopped garlic clove
- ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
- ½ cup grated Tussers cheese
- ½ green seeded and copped chilli
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- salt to taste
Dry fry corn, garlic and chilli.
Add onion and mix.
Add pepper and season with salt if necessary.
Let cool.
Once cooled, add cheese and paprika, mix well.
- Assembly: Glue:
- 70 g cake flour
- 30 ml water
- 25 samoosa pastry sheets
Mince Filling:
NB: this is my guideline which helps me a lot:
Dry fry the minced meat (beef or lamb) until no liquid remain.
Rub the finely chopped onions with salt, let stand for 5 minutes and then blanch with hot water, drain and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
ALSO: Use basic spices like garlic, ginger, cumin powder and NO garam masala.!)
Heat a frying pan on medium high without oil and add the minced beef/lamb.
Cook the minced meat until it is crumbly and no liquid remains.
This may take about 20 mins on medium high.
Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, chili powder, coriander and cumin powder and sliced chilli and cook through for 5 minutes.
Add the drained chopped onions and stir to combine thoroughly then remove from heat.
You don’t need to cook the onions more than that.
Allow to cool.
When the mixture is completely cooled, chop the coriander and stir through before filling the samosas. Use a sharp knife so the coriander doesn’t bruise and turn brown.
Assembling:
Mix the flour and water for the glue when the filling is cooled and you are about to assemble.
Take the short end of the samosa pastry strip and fold across until it is aligned with the long end and fold over once more to make a triangle shaped pocket.
Fill the pocket with one tablespoon of filling.
Use more or less depending on the width of the samosa pastry strips.
Fold the long end of the pastry strip over the pocket and continue folding the triangle until only a short flap remains.
Use your finger or the back of a teaspoon to spread samoosa glue onto the pastry strip.
Fold the glued section against the triangle and ensure that all the corners are tight.
Deep fry in hot oil.
How to make the filling:
Dry fry the minced meat (beef or lamb) until no liquid remain.
Rub the finely chopped onions with salt, let stand for 5 minutes and then blanch with hot water, drain and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
Use basic spices like garlic, ginger, cumin powder and NO garam masala.
Deep Fry:
Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium high until the temperature is between 170C-185C.
Test if the oil is hot enough by inserting the back of a wooden spoon into the oil and if bubbles form around it you can start frying.
Take each room temperature samoosa and lightly press against the sides to puff them up, taking care not to press too hard and split the pastry.
Place the samosas carefully in the oil and fry for 3 – 4 minutes on each side or until golden.
Shallow fry:
Heat the oil on medium heat in a shallow frying pan.
Test if the oil is hot enough by inserting the back of a wooden spoon into the oil and if bubbles form around it you can start frying.
Take each samoosa and lightly press against the sides to puff them up, taking care not to press too hard and split the pastry.
Place the samoosas carefully in the oil and fry until golden then turn and fry until the second side is the same color.
The samoosas will be darker where the pastry is closer to the cooking surface of the pan.
Bake:
Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) about 10 minutes before you want to bake your samosas.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray or brush the paper with oil.
Place the meat samosas on the parchment paper and brush or spray the top with a light coating of oil.
Bake for 8 – 10 minutes then flip them over and bake for another 8 – 10 minutes or until golden and crispy.
Frozen samosas:
If deep or shallow frying from frozen, put the mince samoosas into cold oil and it will heat up together with the oil. This ensures that the samoosa pastry doesn’t burn while the filling remains cold.
Fry on both sides until golden.
Recipe and photo: Amanda Conradie
