Curryhell's Samosa recipe

[976bar]

Nice work Dave, I've only just seen this

One thing we do with our Samosa pastry when making is to add a little Turmeric powder which gives the pastry a pale golden yellow colour

I'll have to give these a go

[Naga]

I started sorting out these samosas this morning, but it turned into one of those days where I couldn't get on with one thing without something else competing for my attention!

Anyway, I got the filling done no bother, and I started making the pastry. This is where things started to go awry...

After a few interruptions, the pastry was made - but something wasn't quite right. I read the recipe again and...doh! the olive-bloody-oil! I missed the breadcrumb stage and went straight to drowning the flour! So I did it right second time around and left the dough to rest for half-an-hour.

Five hours later, I finally got around to picking the dough up again! Worryingly, it didn't look any different - was it not supposed to resemble a pimply youth? Undaunted, I released the dough from its cling film prison and...aaaarrrgggh! It had transformed from a mere mixture of flour and water to a cross between Mr Fantastic and a killer Klingon! It was so elastic and sticky that anything it touched immediately started to assimilate with it!

Clearly, I had gone wrong somewhere...

Rolling the mixture out was interesting. I managed to subdue the sticky beast with copious quantities of flour (eventually!) and I think the final two discs I rolled actually looked vaguely circular!

And then it was time to get the curries on for the family arriving, so into the fridge went the keema and the pastries.

Tomorrow is another day, and tomorrow will be the day the samosas finally hit the pan. Assuming, that is, that one is left in peace to get on with it!

I think these are going to be good, and I think if I get the dough right the next time, all will be well with the world!

[Zap]

Gave the recipe a go over the weekend - making two fillings (one traditional and one takeaway style).  The pastry used ajwain seeds as is common in some of the samosas we've had here in the states.

The samosas tasted great - far better than anything I've made in the past - and the pastry was spot on.  The only disparate thing that I'd like to ask about is why mine don't have nearly the same blistering as the original picture - any thoughts (pastry thickness - consistency - oil temp - etc)?  If it matters I used veg ghee in the pastry instead of oil but I would think that could only make it richer tasting.

I'd really like to be able to nail the surface appearance - as the assembly progressed they kept looking better and better.  The batch on the right side (takeaway style) are a lot cleaner looking than some on the left.

So any thoughts on the blistering?  More pre-cook for the pasty in the pan?

[curryhell]

Well  done Zap  .  I would say there's as many good lookers on the left as there is on the right 
Here they are in all their glory 



Glad to hear the assembly expertise increased as production progressed, as expected.

If it matters I used veg ghee in the pastry instead of oil

Herein lies the answer to your question possibly.  Either it doesn't work as well as oil or you need to work it through the pastry more at the breadcrumb stage.  I notice their are some blisters here and there 

So any thoughts on the blistering?  More pre-cook for the pasty in the pan?

DEFINITELY NOT.  This stage is purely to enable easier handling of the pastry during assembly, not to improve the look.
Occasionally, i too produce samosas which seem to blister less    ;D Doesn't affect the taste though 
Thanks for trying the recipe and  reporting back. I'm sure you'll crack the last little bit on your next production run  ;D

[curryhell]

Great report Keith. You had cackling at 6:00am this morning.  I can very easily relate to the killer klingon description  ;D . I also have left my dough for long periods of time and it has become very soft, sticky and extremely pliable.  This may be ideal for naans but isn't much help when making samosas It's funny but some recipes suggest soft pliable dough whilst others say the dough should be stiff 
The solution as you rightly say was addition of more flour to bring the klingon to heel 
As for the lack of pimples, these are not essetial, but when they occur I just know the results are going to be good.  I seem to get them more when the water added to the flour is on the warmer side or when the ambient temperature is higher while the dough is resting  I'm sure someone will be able to explain the reasoning behind it 
Good luck with the final stages.  I can't wait for the next instalment 

[Waterdiddy]

I agree with the posts here, CH - amazing recipe, very concise and clear-cut.

I'll be giving this a go later on today, with a special filling for my girls - leftover bombay potato and pre-cooked chicken bits (just not enough for a curry) to save wastage!  ;D

Will let ya know how it goes, but the pastry is done and I have to say WOW - it is AMZING stuff so far!

Thanks for the recipe, Curryhell, so much better and authentic than bl@@dy filo squares.

Bests,

Pete

[DalPuri]

A quick search shows the first half dozen or so references saying that blistering occurs when the oil is too hot.
Some dont like this effect and prefer them smoother.
A couple of other suggestions said the fat/oil might not have been cut enough into the flour.(if fat is used)
Another mentioned leaving the dough/discs/prepared uncooked samosas overnight in the fridge (uncovered)

A short extract from The Settlers Cookbook similar to the method adopted by CH.




I've also used a similar method when making parathas.
Instead of rolling out with flour and a pin, ive pressed the balls of dough in my electric chapati maker for 10-20 seconds. They blister slightly and a waxy type of skin is formed. These can be stacked up together without the need for dividers for frying later.

[Willyeckerslike]

I have never really been a fan of samosas.  I do suspect these will taste pretty good though.  My guess is I must have tried some that were not very good, as what can be wrong with pastry and a spicy filling?  If I get time, now that I live in the place where prisoners were once exported too I will give these a try.

[mickdabass]

Think you're right about the oil DP. The back "samosa" (I use that term loosely lol) was cooked first, the front was cooked last. The oil was getting progressively hotter.

[natterjak]

Today I enjoyed, for my lunch at work, the samosas cooked at the weekend which had been frozen a few days as an experiment. Having defrosted overnight in the fridge they were indistinguishable from freshly cooked. In short, delicious.

Next test will be to fry from frozen some of the uncooked ones which are in the freezer. Hopefully this will settle for me the question of whether freezing before or after cooking is best. I suspect the answer is before, but we will see.