By Liz Taege Maynard of Yacht Chef International

Making the Samosa Pastry

You don't have to make your own pastry. You can simply buy some ready-made pastry from the shop. For samosas you want to try use Filo Pastry and for oven baked samosas you want to use Puff Pastry. You can of course make your own.

This recipe will make enough pastry for 24 samosas and you will need:

225 g Plain Flour.

2 teaspoon Salt.

2 tablespoon Vegetable Oil. 
80 ml warm water.

Mix flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well into the centre and add the oil and enough water to make a firm dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth and roll into a ball. Cover in plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Divide the pastry into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and roll out into a circle of 15 cm. Divide this circle into two equal pieces with a knife.
Brush each edge with a little water and form a cone shape around your fingers, sealing the dampened edge.
Fill the cases with a tablespoon of your chosen mixture and press the two dampened edges together to seal the top of the cone.
 Deep fry the samosas in hot oil until crisp and brown take out and drain on a paper towel.

Fillings

Lamb Samosa:

500 g Minced Lamb

1 Onion

2 Cloves of Garlic Crushed

1 teaspoon Curry Powder

½ teaspoon Chilli Powder

1 teaspoon Ground Tumeric

½ teaspon Ground Roasted Cumin Seeds

1 fresh Chilli finely diced

1 teaspoon Chopped Mint or Corriander

½ teaspoon fresh Grated Ginger 

Salt and Ground Pepper to taste

Juice of half a lemon
Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and garlic mix in the spices and seasoning and fry until soft. Add the mince, stirring until cooked. Remove from heat and stir in the mint and lemon juice.

Vegetable Samosa:

1 Potato finely diced (5 to 10 mill cubes)
 1 carrot finely diced 

2 Cloves of Garlic Crushed

1 Onion finely chopped

1 Cup of frozen Peas
/ fresh
1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

2 teaspoon Curry Powder or your own spices according to taste

Salt, Pepper to taste.

100ml of Vegetable Stock.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and garlic, mix in  the spices and fry until soft. Add the vegetables, seasoning and stir well until coated. Add the stock, cover and simmer for 30 minutes until cooked.

Sweet Treat

Not traditional but very good.
Try a nice combination of finely diced apple, spices & sugar to taste
Cook off in a pan then fill pastry as above.
Or banana & a little dark chocolate.

Baking Samosas in an Oven

Samosas are traditionally fried, however for a healthier option try to bake them in the oven.
When using an oven buy ready-made Puff Pastry.
Divide the pastry into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and roll out into a circle of 15 cm. Divide this circle into two equal pieces with a knife.
Brush each edge with a little water and form a cone shape around your fingers, sealing the dampened edge.
Fill the cases with a tablespoon of your chosen mixture and press the two dampened edges together to seal the top of the cone.
Put the samosas on a lightly greased baking paper on a tray.
Beat one egg and lightly brush over each samosa.

Cook at 200 deg cel for 15 – 20 min depending on your oven.

Cool on a wire rack.