Spicy Samosas with Tamarind-Mint Chutney

  • 3 cups ¼”cubed boiled, peeled waxy potatoes
  • 3 TB canola oil
  • ¾ cup minced onion
  • 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen (thawed)
  • 1 TB minced fresh ginger
  • 3 TB chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp ground roasted cumin
  • ¼ tsp cayenne
  • 2 TB lemon juice
  • 1 package eggroll wrappers
  • Canola oil for frying

 Tamarind-Mint Chutney

  • 1 ½ TB fresh cilantro, minced
  • 1 ½ TB fresh mint, minced
  • 2 TB dark brown sugar
  • ¾ “ piece fresh ginger, peeled, grated
  • 2/3 cup tamarind paste
  • 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne
  • 1 tsp ground roasted cumin seeds

We used egg roll wraps for these samosas in the Learning Center Global Street Food class but a classic samosa dough would be terrific as well.  Also, we love this chutney but feel free to use your personal favorite!

Heat 3 TB canola oil in a large skillet and when hot, add the onion and cook for a few minutes until starting to color. Add the peas, ginger, cilantro, jalapeno and 3 tablespoons of water. Cover, lower heat and simmer until peas are cooked, about one minute for frozen peas, longer for fresh. Add a tablespoon of water if too dry. Add the diced potatoes, salt, coriander, garam masala, roasted ground cumin, cayenne, and lemon juice. Stir to coat potatoes with spices and continue cooking on low heat, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes. Taste for salt and lemon, adding more if needed. Remove from heat and let mixture cool to room temperature.

To Assemble and cook samosas:

Have a small dish of water available. Place a wrapper on the counter in front of you. Using a sharp knife, trim off the top corner cutting in an arc from one corner to the opposite corner to roughly form a cone shape. Discard scrap of dough. Dip a finger in the dish of water and wet one straight edge of the wrapper and stick the other straight edge to it, overlapping about a half inch to form a cone with the curved top open. Holding the cone in one hand, fill with a few spoonfuls of filling, wet the top edge and seal shut, forming a sort of turnover. Trim off any excess dough and place on a plate while you repeat with the rest of the filling and wrappers. Heat about 2 inches of oil in a large skillet. When oil reaches 350 degrees, place a few samosas in the oil. Do not crowd the pan. Cook for a minute or two until golden and then carefully flip over to cook second side. Drain on paper towels and keep warm while cooking another batch of samosas.

Serve with Tamarind-Mint Chutney or chutney of choice.

Put cilantro, mint, brown sugar, ginger and 4 TB water in a mortar and pestle or processor and grind to a smooth paste. Combine with the tamarind paste in a bowl and add the black and cayenne pepper, and ground roasted cumin seeds. Mix well. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

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