How to Make Delicious Varieties of Samosas

Samosas are a wonderful food to add to your culinary repertoire. They are a little bit exotic, coming from India and Southeast Asia. However, they are also commonly available in the United States, today, so they aren't TOO exotic. They make a great appetizer and can also be a terrific snack. But how do you make them?

3 Steps to Making Great Samosas

Making samosas actually involves making three different parts of the recipe:

• The bread/ dough/ pastry. Call it want you want, but the first part of making great samosas is learning how to properly make the exterior bread casing for the samosas.
• The filling. You can make many different types of filling for samosas including vegetarian as well as meat-based filling.
• The dips and sauces. Although these are optional, they really add to the total wonderful flavor of good samosas.

How to Make the Samosa Dough

Making the bread or dough for samosas is a fairly simple process. The following recipe will make enough dough for approximately one dozen samosas:

• Use a flour sieve to combine two cups of all-purpose flour with one tablespoon of salt.
• Add two teaspoons of ghee to the mixture. Mix by hand until the ghee is blended in completely.
• Slowly add in one and a half cups to two cups water, kneading the mixture so that it becomes a dough.
• Roll out the dough. Divide into six slices using a sharp knife.
• Roll each of these six slices into a circle. Cut each slice in half to create twelve semi-circles. These will be your samosas.
• Cover with a damp paper towel or cloth to keep the dough moist while you make the filling for your samosas.

How to Make the Filling for Samosas

There are many variations on samosa filling depending on the taste that you are looking for. The following recipe is a basic recipe for vegetarian samosas. Towards the end of this article we will explore some of the variations.

• Boil 3-4 small potatoes. Mash them together in a bowl to create a mashed potato filling.
• Boil one half cup green peas. Mash them in with the mashed potato filling.
• Add the following to the mashed potatoes/ green peas blend and mix together by hand until well blended: 1 fresh green chili that is finely chopped, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon garam masala, t tablespoon coriander, 1/2 teaspoon dried mango powder, 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder.
• Add the following to the mixture and mix again: one quarter cup raisins and one quarter cup sliced almonds.

Putting the Samosas Together

Once you have made the dough and the filling, you are ready to finish the recipe and complete your samosas. Do the following:

• Roll each of the samosa dough semicircles into the shape of a cone.
• Fill the cone with the samosa filling that you have made.
• Press the edge of the cone closed and seal it using a dab of water on the dough.
• Pour hot oil onto a saucepan or skillet on the stove and heat.
• Immerse the samosa into the oil, deep frying it completely. You will know it is ready when it is golden brown in color.

How to Make the Sauce for the Samosas

The most common sauce or dip that is used for samosas is mint chutney. One of the simplest recipes for a mint chutney is to combine all of the following ingredients in a blender or food processor and make a paste out of them:

• 1 small bunch of fresh mint
• 1 small white onion
• 1 green chile
• 1 small tomato
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Enjoy your samosas

The samosas that you made are ready to serve hot off the stove. You can pour your mint chutney over them or you can serve it in small bowls and dip the samosas into it as you eat them.

In the links below you will find alternative recipes that provide variations on the dough, filling and sauces for your samosas. The basic process of making them will be the same.