Sunday, April 15, 2012

Cumin-Scented Samosas with Mint Raita

So I have never had "real" Samosas, I don't think. I may have had them at a wedding, but I can't remember.

Anyway, D and I were looking for something to do with potatoes and we came across this. It looked time consuming. It wasn't. However, D doesn't do Phyllo dough, so we agreed he would make the filling and I would assemble.

The filling was very good. It had a good kick. The assembly went ok. I only got 13.

The whole thing tastes very good, but man they were hot (temperature). The steam wouldn't stop coming out of them.

The yogurt sauce was decent. My mint isn't very developed yet, so it tasted more like mint-smelling yogurt.

We had with Tandoori Grilled Chicken. I would have again.

Cumin-Scented Samosas with Mint Raita

Photo by ALB

Samosas, traditional Indian pastries filled with vegetables, meat, or both, are typically made with homemade dough, then fried. Our samosas remain light and crisp because we enclose the filling in phyllo dough and then bake them. When processing the filling, pulse just until the ingredients are chopped so it retains its texture.

YIELD: 8 servings (serving size: 2 samosas and about 2 tablespoons raita)...I got 13 total.
COURSE: Appetizers, Hors d'Oeuvres

Ingredients
Samosas:
2 1/4 cups chopped peeled baking potato
1 1/2 cups chopped peeled carrot
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onion
2 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 1/4 cups frozen green peas, thawed
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
16 (18 x 14–inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
Cooking spray
Raita:
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint

Preparation
1. To prepare samosas, cook potato and carrot in boiling water 8 minutes or until tender; drain.

2. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 10 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add ginger, garlic, and red pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in cumin and next 5 ingredients (through turmeric); cook 15 seconds, stirring constantly. Add potato mixture, peas, cilantro, and juice, stirring well to combine; cool slightly. Place half of filling in a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped. Spoon chopped filling into a bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining filling.

3. Preheat oven to 350°.

4. Place 1 phyllo sheet on a large cutting board or work surface (cover remaining dough to prevent drying); lightly coat with cooking spray. Fold phyllo sheet in half lengthwise to form an 18 x 7–inch rectangle. Spoon about 3 tablespoons filling onto bottom end of rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold left bottom corner over mixture, forming a triangle; keep folding back and forth into a triangle to end of phyllo strip. Tuck edges under triangle; lightly coat seam with cooking spray. Place triangles, seam side down, 2 inches apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining phyllo, cooking spray, and filling to form 16 samosas.

5. Bake at 350° for 13 minutes with 1 baking sheet on bottom rack and 1 baking sheet on second rack from the top. Rotate baking sheets; bake an additional 12 minutes or until samosas are lightly browned.

6. To prepare raita, combine yogurt and mint. Serve with samosas.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 200; Calories from fat: 22%; Fat: 4.9g; Saturated fat: 1g; Monounsaturated fat: 2.7g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.6g; Protein: 6.2g; Carbohydrate: 33.5g; Fiber: 4.5g; Cholesterol: 2mg; Iron: 1.9mg; Sodium: 394mg; Calcium: 105mg

Cooking Light MAY 2008

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