I woke with a feeling of peace in my heart
all day, I breathed softly, moved slowly
afraid it might disappear…
I made these for a special dinner sitting around the fire outside.
For my first attempt, I used a good-quality, ready-made puff pastry, but the second time, I made my own pastry using a recipe that Noa tried and tested. Both were great—it depends on how much time you want to spend making them.
Scroll to the bottom for a quick, ready-made puff pastry version.
BAKED VEGETABLE SAMOSAS
I keep the filling mild, as the chutney adds the spark it needs, but if you like strong flavours, increase each spice by ¼ teaspoon.
makes 13 half-moon samosa
ingredients
350g flour (200g white & 150g wholewheat)
½ tsp rock salt
1 tsp sugar
200g unsalted butter
100ml very cold water
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
vegetable filling
1 Tbsp oil
1 large bulb fennel/2 sticks celery (160g)
1½ cup/220g sweet potato/pumpkin, finely diced
1 cup/190g potato, finely diced
1 cup/90g cabbage, finely chopped
1½ cups/180g cauliflower, finely chopped
½ tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 Tbsp ginger, finely grated
½ tsp home-made garam masala powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ cup coconut milk/water
¾ cup/90g frozen peas
prepare the dough
- Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl and mix. Then, cut the butter into hazelnut-sized pieces and add to the flour, making sure all the pieces of butter are well coated with flour. Cover and place in the freezer for a minimum of 1 hour or overnight.
- In a food processor with an S-blade attached, add the cold flour and butter, process for 20 seconds (the mixture should resemble fine meal), then stir the vinegar with the very cold water and pulse in short bursts. The dough will still look crumbly, but pressing it between your fingers should become smooth. If the dough is too dry and is not coming together, add ice water a tablespoon at a time.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Gather and press the dough together to form a unified mass. Divide the dough into 12 equal balls, each weighing roughly 50 – 55 grams. Press each ball into a small round disc, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
prepare the filling
- In a small pan, dry-roast the cumin and coriander seeds. Place in a mortar and pestle and grind coarsely. Add turmeric and garam masala to the pestle. Set aside.
- Remove the outer leaf of the fennel and finely chop it into very small pieces, along with the remaining vegetables. Remove the thicker stems of the cauliflower and chop into thin shreds. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over moderate heat, add oil and mustard seeds. When the seeds start to turn grey and pop, add ginger, ground spices, garam masala, and turmeric. Fry briefly, then add the fennel, cauliflower, potato, sweet potato, and cabbage. Pour in the coconut milk/water and saute, covered, for 5 -7 minutes.
- Add the peas, turn off the heat, cover, and allow to rest so that the vegetables continue to soften. Set aside to cool for 30 minutes.
assemble the samosas
- Remove one of the discs of dough from the fridge. If it is very firm, let it sit for a few minutes at room temperature until it is pliable enough to roll. The dough will soften and become easier as you work with it.
- Roll each disc between two pieces of cling film into a circle of 5½-inches. Place two heaped tablespoons of the vegetable mixture into the middle of each circle.
- Brush the edges with milk or ghee, flip the corner over the mixture to create a half-moon, press the edges together with a fork, and prick the top twice to allow the heat to escape. Repeat with the remaining pastry. Place the pastries on a baking tray.
- Brush the top with melted ghee or milk and sprinkle over the sesame seeds. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
when ready to bake
- Place the tray into a preheated 210C/420F oven and bake for 20 – 25 minutes.
If using ready-made puff pastry, it will take longer to bake—about 30 – 40 minutes or until golden brown.
spicy mango chutney (mango gojju)
Inspired by South Indian yogic cookbook.
I make this quick and easy chutney when I see green mangoes in the stores. It can also be made with barely ripe mangoes. The less ripe the fruit is, the sourer the taste will be. Balance the amount of sugar accordingly. I use it as a replacement for pickle in dishes like this one. It makes a great dipping sauce for these samosas and is perfect as an accompaniment to any rice dish or Indian meal.
makes 1½ cups
ingredients
2 medium-large/765g green mangoes (half-ripe, green outside and light yellow inside)
1 Tbsp peanut or coconut oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
2 small whole chillies
6 fresh curry leaves
¼ tsp asafoetida powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
3 heaped tsp rasam powder (moderately spiced)
½ tsp fine rock salt
4 heaped tsp jaggery/brown sugar
preparation
- Peel the mango and cut into tiny cubes, then set aside.
- In a heavy-based saucepan, add oil and mustard seeds; when they start to turn grey and pop, add whole chillies, curry leaves, and asafoetida powder. Fry for 20 seconds, then add the turmeric and mango. Saute until the mango becomes soft, adding ¼ cup water when it starts to stick. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add salt, jaggery, and rasam powder. Taste and add more jaggery or salt if necessary.
- Puree half the mixture with a hand- immersion blender.
quick puff pastry version
I make this version regularly. I follow the recipe, but instead of making my own pastry, I buy good-quality organic puff pastry.
- Brush the outer edge of the pastry with melted butter or milk.
- Take the vegetable filling and scoop it inside the pastry, leaving a space of 1 inch around the outer edge. With the back of the spoon, flatten the top of the filling so that there is less of a mound.
- Take the other round pastry from the fridge and gently place it over the filling so that it is evenly layered.
- Roll the edges over itself and press to seal with the edge of a fork. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up, then move the pastry back to your work surface.
- Brush the top with melted butter or milk, slash decoratively, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Before baking, rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to prevent shrinkage.
- Place the tray in a preheated 200C/400F oven and bake for 40 minutes until deeply golden. Serve immediately with a very green tabouli salad and spicy mango chutney.
Goodness shared from Stacey
4 responses
Stacey they look great. I love samosas. Yam yam
i will have to make them again and bring them to class love stace
Dearest Stacey,
The words of truth, under the photos, satisfied my taste-buds to the core.
xxoo, Kristin
Dearest Kristin, You seem so far away..happy you have come back to visit, though. I have missed you xxx