Samosas

• doses: 18-24 samosas

Ingredientes

For samosas:

12 to 16 sheets filo dough (approximately ½ pound), fresh or defrosted according to package instructions.

½ cup unsalted butter, melted canola oil, to coat the oven tray

Optional 1 - Beet and feta filling:

14 ounces fresh beets

7 ounces feta cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes

4 scallions, finely chopped

a medium bunch of cilantro (1 ounce), finely chopped

1 fresh green chili, finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, crushed ½ teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds, crushed

1 teaspoon garam masala

¾ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Option 2 - Chicken and coriander filling

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 large onion, very finely chopped

1 tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed

1 fresh red chili, finely chopped

1 pound ground chicken (or turkey)

½ teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed 1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

3 cloves of garlic, crushed juice of ½ lemon

1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

a medium bunch of cilantro (1 ounce), finely chopped

Option 3 - Lamb and mint filling:

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 onions, finely diced

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 pound lean ground lamb

1½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 tablespoons finely grated ginger

½/ teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

Instruções

For the samosa:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Delicately unroll one sheet of dough and place on a large cutting board. Brush it lightly with melted butter and layer with another sheet of filo dough. Cut the sheets horizontally into three strips (around 4 x 10 inches), using a sharp knife.

Make a cone shape at one side of the strip, place about 1 heaped tablespoon of the filling inside the cone, and fold the open side of the cone into the rest of the filo strip to cover and seal it. You should have a triangle shape now. Keep folding over the rest of the dough around the shape of the cone until you come to the end of the strip.

Cut off any excess dough, stick the strip down with a brush of melted butter and push on the seal with your fingers. Repeat.

To bake your samosas, brush them on both sides with butter and place on a lightly oiled baking tray in the center of the oven for 15 minutes.

If you don't want to bake your samosas right away, put them in a single layer on a non-stick surface and put them in the freezer. (Once frozen you can pile them all in a container or a freezer bag to save on space.

To cook from frozen, brush both sides with butter and place on a lightly greased baking tray. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden.

Tip: If you're making different types of samosas, you can mark them out by sprinkling cumin seeds, sesame seeds, or nigella seeds on the top.

Beet and feta:

Boil the beets until they become tender (this normally takes around 1 hour, depending on their size). To see if they're done, stick a sharp knife into them: they shouldn't resist the knife if cooked through. If you don't have the time, you could make these with pre-cooked beets (although what you gain in time you lose in taste).

Drain the beets and cool under a cold tap, peel off the skin, and mash roughly using a potato masher.

Add the mash to a hot pan and stir-fry on a medium heat for 5 minutes to remove some of the moisture. The mash shouldn't be too wet as you want nice dry, crispy samosas. Take off the heat and transfer to a large bowl.

Add the feta cheese, scallions, cilantro, green chili, garlic, chili powder, cumin, garam masala, and salt. Mix, taste, then adjust any seasonings as you wish, but make sure that it is packed full of flavor, as you will lose some of the intensity when you cover it with the filo dough.

Chicken and coriander:

Place a frying pan on a medium heat and, when it's nice and hot, pour in the oil. Fry the onion for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it's just softening but not brown, as you still want a bit of a bite to it. Add the crushed coriander seeds, followed by the fresh red chili and the ground chicken.

Cook, stirring every now and again, for around 10 minutes, then add the rest of the spices: the cumin, chili pewder, and garam masala. Stir, and follow with the ginger, garlic, lemon juice, and salt.

Keep cooking until the chicken is starting to brown, then take off the heat. Leave to cool until it is safe to handle, then add the cilantro, Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then set aside.

Lamb and mint:

Put the oil into a large saucepan on a medium heat and, when it's hot, add the cumin seeds and fry for a minute. Add the onions and fry them for 8 to 10 minutes, until they're golden, then add the garlic and stir-fry for another couple of minutes.

Next, add the ground lamb, breaking it up with your wooden spoon to allow it to cook evenly. After 8 to 10 minutes, add the ground cumin, coriander, garam masala, ginger, chili, and salt.

Keep cooking until the lamb is starting to brown. Transfer the mix to another dish to cool, and add the mint leaves just before you make the samosas.

Notas

Made in India