Deep-fried in hot oil, the samosa dough takes on a crispy consistency. The shell bursts open to a filling of exotic Indian flavors, from cumin to ginger to the unexpected nigella seed.
Yields 4 portions.
Heat ghee in a cast-iron wok, add cumin seeds, let them crackle, releasing their aroma into fat. Add ginger and green chili peppers; sauté for 30 seconds. Add in chicken mince and turmeric powder; sauté for 5 minutes. Add tomato puree, cumin powder and cook further until chicken is cooked. Take the mixture off heat, add other spices and cilantro; keep aside.
Deep-fried in hot oil, the samosa dough takes on a crispy consistency. The shell bursts open to a filling of exotic Indian flavors, from cumin to ginger to the unexpected nigella seed.
Yields 4 portions.
Heat ghee in a cast-iron wok, add cumin seeds, let them crackle, releasing their aroma into fat. Add ginger and green chili peppers; sauté for 30 seconds. Add in chicken mince and turmeric powder; sauté for 5 minutes. Add tomato puree, cumin powder and cook further until chicken is cooked. Take the mixture off heat, add other spices and cilantro; keep aside.
To prepare samosa dough, sift together bread flour and atta, add salt, cumin and nigella seeds. Add ghee, one teaspoon at a time, rubbing it in as if to make a shortened pie dough. Add water, form the dough, cover with a damp cloth and rest for 30 minutes. Dough should be semi-hard and resemble a pie dough in texture.
Divide the dough into 1.5 oz portions and roll to a flat tortilla of 0.1” thickness. Cut the tortilla into two, resulting in a semi-circular sheet. Roll the semicircle into a cone sealing one side using water. Fill the cone with a little over 1 oz of chicken filing. Close the pastry, sealing it using water; crimp the edges using a fork.
Deep-fry in hot oil (350–380°F) until golden brown; serve hot with chutneys.
Chef’s tips:
The most common samosa filling is potato and fresh peas. However, minced chicken, lamb and beef are popular among certain communities. There is no real substitute for ghee in flavor. However, clarified butter and vegetable shortening may serve the same purpose in texture while making dough. Chat masala and garam masala are two very common spice blends which are easily available in Indian/Asian food stores. If you like to engage more and own a nice spice mill, these blends can be prepared in-house. Main ingredients in chat masala are cumin, black salt and dry mango powder. Garam masala can have over 15 different spices, including cardamom, cinnamon and cloves.
