Samosay

Conversations & Creations · From my kitchen

This is my long-time standard samosa pastry: firm, pliable dough and a slow, steady fry so the insides cook through and the shells turn crisp.

Ingredients

• 600 g flour
• 50 g semi-solid ghee
• 2 generous pinches ajwain
• 1½ teaspoons salt, or to taste
• Boiled potatoes for the filling (the original does not specify an amount)
• Salt, garam masala, chaat masala, ground cumin and chilli flakes, to taste
• Oil, for frying

Method

1. Mix the flour, ghee, ajwain and salt. Knead with water into a slightly firm, pliable dough; it should not be soft.
2. Boil the potatoes. Fry them briefly in a pan with salt, garam masala, chaat masala, ground cumin and chilli flakes. Let the filling cool slightly.
3. Divide the dough into small portions and roll each one out. Cut through the middle and shape each half into a cone, sealing the edge with a little water if needed.
4. Fill each cone with potato, then seal the top edge well.
5. Heat the oil, then lower it to a steady moderate-low heat. Fry the samosas slowly until crisp and cooked through. Keep the oil hot enough to bubble gently; oil that is too cool can make them greasy.