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Deep - Fried Filled Pastries
(Samosas)
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| What You Need: |
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PASTRY
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons ghee
¾ to 1 cup cold water
Potato or lamb filling
Vegetable oil for deep frying
POTATO FILLING
2 small boiling-type potatoes (about ½ pound)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
½ cup finely chopped onions
2 teaspoons scraped, finely chopped fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon turmeric
½ cup fresh green peas (about ½ pound unshelled) or ½ cup frozen peas, thoroughly defrosted
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
½ teaspoon garam masala
1/8 teaspoon ground hot red pepper
LAMB FILLING
½ teaspoon saffron threads
3 tablespoons hot water
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon scraped, finely chopped fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
½ cup finely chopped onions
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound lean ground lamb
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon garam masala
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| How To Cook: |
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PASTRY:
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1. In a deep bowl, combine the flour, salt and ghee. With your fingertips, rub the flour and ghee together until they look like flakes of coarse meal. Pour ¾ cup of water over the mixture all at once, knead together vigorously and gather the dough into a ball. If the dough crumbles, add up to 4 more tablespoons of water, a tablespoon at a time, until the particles adhere.
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2. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough by folding it end to end, then pressing it down and pushing it forward several times with the heel of your hand. Repeat for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Again gather it into a ball, brush lightly with ghee or vegetable oil and set it in a bowl. Drape a damp kitchen towel over the top to keep the dough moist. (Covered with the towel, it can remain at room temperature for 4 or 5 hours.)
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3. Shape and fill the samosas two at a time in the following fashion: Pinch off a small piece of dough and roll it into a ball about 1inch in diameter. (Keep the remaining dough covered with the towel.) On a lightly floured surface, roll the ball into a circle about 3½ inches in diameter.)
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4. With a pastry wheel or small knife, cut the circle in half. Moisten the straight edge with a finger dipped in water. Then shape each semicircle into a cone, fill it with about 1½ teaspoons of the lamb or potato mixture, and moisten and press the top edges closed. (Covered with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerated, the pastries may be kept for 2 or 3 hours before they are fried.)
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5. To deep-fry the pastries, pour 3 cups of vegetable oil into a 10-inch karhai or 12-inch wok, or pour 2 to 3 inches of oil into a deep fryer. Heat the oil until it reaches a temperature of 375 on a deep-frying thermometer. Preheat the oven to 200 and line a large shallow baking dish with a double thickness of paper towels.
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6. Deep-fry the samosas 4 or 5 at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown on all sides. As they brown, transfer them to the lined baking dish and keep them warm in the oven. To serve, mound the samosas on a heated platter, and accompany them with coriander chutney, presented separately in a bowl.
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POTATO FILLING:
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1. Drop the potatoes into enough boiling water to cover them completely and boil briskly, uncovered, until they are tender but still somewhat resistant when pierced with the point of a small, sharp knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander, peel, then cut them into ½ - inch cubes. There should be about 2 cups.
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2. In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, heat the vegetable oil over moderate heat until a drop of water flicked into it splutters instantly. Add the mustard seeds and, when they crackle and begin to burst, immediately add the onions and ginger.
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3. Stirring almost constantly, fry for 7 or 8 minutes, until the onions are soft and golden brown. Stir in the fennel, cumin and turmeric, then add the potatoes, peas, salt and water.
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4. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet tightly, and cook for 5 minutes. Then stir in the coriander and continue to cook, covered, for at least 10 minutes longer, or until the peas are tender. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the garam masala and red pepper.
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5. Taste the filling for seasoning. Transfer the entire contents of the skillet to a bowl and cool the filling to room temperature before using it.
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LAMB FILLING:
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1. Place the saffron threads in a small bowl, pour in the water, and let them soak for 10 minutes or so. Meanwhile, in a 10-inch karhai or 12- inch wok, or a heavy 10-inch skillet, heat the vegetable oil over
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2. Stirring constantly, add the ginger, garlic, onions and salt, and fry for 7 or 8 minutes, until the onions are soft and golden brown. Stir in the lamb, saffron and its soaking water. Still stirring, cook the lamb until all traces of pink disappear.
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3. Add the red pepper and garam masala, reduce the heat to low and, stirring occasionally, cook uncovered for 20 minutes, until most of the liquid in the pan evaporates and the lamb mixture is thick enough to draw away from the sides of the pan in a solid mass. Watch carefully for any sign of burning and regulate the heat accordingly.
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4. When the lamb is done, transfer it to a bowl and let it cool to room temperature before using. Tightly covered
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To Make: about 60 small triangular pastries
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