Vegetable samosas
Samosas are so much better fresh from the pan and these can be made ahead and fried at the last minute. Great for making curry night feel special or as a light lunch with friends.
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- ¼ tsp black onion seeds (also known as nigella seeds)
For the filling
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for deep-frying
- ½ brown onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed
- ½ small green chilli, finely chopped (seeds removed, if preferred)
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp salt, plus extra if needed
- ½ small carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- ½ small potato, peeled and finely chopped
- 250ml/9fl oz vegetable stock
- 30g/1oz frozen peas
For the chutney
Method
To make the pastry, mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the vegetable oil and onion seeds and 35–50ml/1–2fl oz cold water to bring together to make a firm dough. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for 3–4 minutes until smooth. Cover and set aside at room temperature for up to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, for the filling, gently heat the vegetable oil in a sauté pan or large frying pan. Fry the onion for 4–5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and chilli and gently fry for another couple of minutes. Stir in the mustard seeds and heat for a minute. Once they begin to pop, add the remaining spices. Fry for 2–3 minutes and stir in the salt.
Add the carrot, potato and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Stir in the peas and cook for a further few minutes until the vegetables are soft. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Check the seasoning and add more salt if needed.
To make the chutney, place the coriander and mint leaves into a small blender. Add the chilli, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and sugar then process until smooth. Add a small splash of water if needed to give a smooth sauce. Taste and add more salt and sugar if needed.
Preheat the vegetable oil in deep-fat fryer to 180C. Alternatively fill a large, deep, heavy-bottomed pan two-thirds full with the oil and heat until a cube of bread turns brown in 1 minute when dropped in. (CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
Roll out the pastry thinly on a floured surface to approximately 24x34cm/9½x13½in. Cut the pastry lengthways into three strips. Cut the strips in half crossways to create six evenly sized rectangles.
Take the first piece of pastry and brush with water. Place one heaped tablespoon of the cooled filling at the bottom edge of the strip, leaving a 2cm/1in border. Take the right corner and fold diagonally to the left so you enclose the filling and form a triangle. Fold over again along the upper crease of the triangle. Keep folding and wrapping this way until you reach the end of the strip, making sure it’s sealed (brush with a little extra water, if necessary). Repeat to make the remaining samosas.
Deep-fry the samosas in batches in the hot oil for 3–4 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Carefully remove using a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Serve hot with the coriander chutney.
