Potato Samosas With Tamarind & Jaggery Chutney

Deep-fried Samosas are an irresistible savoury snack that are relished across Central Asia to East Africa & South Asia under the name Sambas, Sambos, Sambusa, Sambuseh, Shingaras and so on. Wrapped by a thin sheet of dough, great samosas in India are distinguished by its flaky texture and an even greater core filling of spiced mashed potatoes & peas. I personally love the addition of peanuts in the samosas that are always accompanied with chai. Here is a recipe by my mom-in-law.

~ Gather Your Ingredients ~

FOR THE DOUGH

500 g All-purpose flour

5 tsp Ghee

1/2 tsp Salt

FOR THE FILLING

300 g Potatoes

50 g Green peas

1/2 tsp Lakadong Turmeric [Add to cart ]

Salt to taste

1 tsp Coriander powder

1/4 tsp Red chilli powder

1/2 tsp Amchur (raw mango powder)

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds

1 pinch Asafoetida

1 inch Ginger

2 Green Chillies (as preferred)

FOR THE TAMARIND & JAGGERY CHUTNEY

100 g Tamarind

100 g Jaggery

1/2 tsp Muziris Black Pepper [Add to cart ]

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds

1/4 tsp Red chilli powder

1/2 tsp Cumin powder

Salt to taste

*makes 10 medium-sized potatoes

~ Preparation Instructions ~

1. Clean the potatoes, slice into half & boil until soft. Peel and then mash the potatoes and set aside.

2. Add ghee & salt to the flour. Crumble & mix well until the dough holds shape. Add few tbsps of water (room temperature) to the flour as required and knead it well for about 6-10 mins. The samosa dough is tighter than that of chapati/roti. Cover and rest the dough for 10-15 mins.

3. Roast the whole spices ~ cumin, fennel & asafoetida in a pan. Transfer in a mortar & pestle and crush them coarsely. Set aside. Grind the green chillies and ginger in a mixer or crush them in a mortar & pestle and set aside.

4. Heat a pan and add the peas, ginger and green chilli paste, turmeric, coriander, red chilli, salt & stir all ingredients together. Then add the mashed potatoes and the crushed toasted spices and mix them well. Continue to cook on medium flame for 3-4 mins or until lightly charred. Set aside and allow the filling mixture to cool.

5. Take a ball sized dough & grease with oil or ghee. Roll the dough thin into an oval shape. Cut it horizontally into half, dividing into 2 equal portions. Take 1 half of the rolled dough, grease with water and fold it into a cone shape. Then stuff the prepared samosa filling into the cone. Grease the open ends of the dough with water and fold it towards you. Then gently close both ends and seal by pressing firmly. Repeat the process for the other half.

6. Deep fry the Samosas on low to medium heat until golden & crisp. Drain the excess oil.

TAMARIND & JAGGERY CHUTNEY

1. Soak the tamarind in water overnight. Remove seeds, mash and pass through a sieve.

2. In a pan, add the tamarind paste with some water. Add the spices and let it simmer for few minutes until all combined. Add the jaggery and mix the ingredients well. Remove from heat and set aside. The chutney will thicken a little as it cools.