Vegetable Samosas

OK, so I know I promised you recipes that would not tax the beginner, and you're taking one look at these instructions and calling me a liar. Can I just ask you to trust me, especially as the results are so delicious (washed down with an ice cold beer as a reward for your labors, perhaps) that you may just want to give this one a try anyhow.

Pastry

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup bessan (garbanzo flour)
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
Groundnut oil for deep frying

Filling

1 pound potatoes, boiled in their skins, peeled and chopped
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cups frozen peas
1 bunch flat-leaved parsley, minced
4 cloves garlic
2 fresh green chiles, chopped
2 limes, juiced
4 tbs sunflower oil
salt to taste
4 tsp cardamom pod seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp each cumin, black mustard seed, turmeric, paprika, garma masala
2 bay leaves

Method: Pastry

Sift flours, spices and salt in bowl. Make a well in the center and add sunflower oil and enough chilled water to mix into a stiff dough. Knead until smooth. Divide into walnut-sized pieces. Form each piece into a ball, flatten and roll on a floured surface into a thin, circular pancake. Cut each circle in two.

Method: Filling

Grind or blend whole aromatics, and fry all spices (except garam masala) in sunflower oil for a few minutes. Add onion and fry gently until soft and translucent. Add potato, peas, garlic, chiles, bay leaves, salt and lime juice. Cover tightly and simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover for last few minutes to thicken. Stir garam masala and parsley into mixture.

Assembly

Have a bowl of iced water ready. Dampen edges of a dough semi circle with water. Take one corner (A) and draw it over to a point 2/3 of the way along the round edge (B), then take the second corner (C) and fold over to form a triangle. Fill with a spoonful of stuffing. Press edges and seams carefully, dampening again if needed. Deep fry samosas in small batches in groundnut oil until dark golden. Drain and keep warm while frying the rest.


Serve hot with mango chutney and yogurt flavored with fresh mint - and a glass of ice cold beer.