Samosa with chutney and chaat masala
This recipe is perfect for a weekend cooking project. There’s a lot of steps, but each one is pretty easy! Save time by using ready-made dips, or just picking one to make.
Ingredients
For the samosa filling
- 500g/1lb 2oz floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 3 tsp garam masala
- 200g/7oz frozen petit pois
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 8cm/3in ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 green finger chillies, finely chopped (with seeds)
- 30g/1oz fresh coriander
- 3 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 lime, juice only
- salt
For the samosa dough
- 550g/1lb 4oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ajwain seeds
- 120ml/4fl oz cold pressed rapeseed oil, plus extra for greasing and brushing
For the tamarind chutney
- 200g/7oz tamarind concentrate
- 5g/1 tsp chilli flakes
- 5 star anise
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú pitted dates
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú fennel seeds
- 10²µ/â…“o³ú black peppercorns
- 200g/7oz jaggery, broken into small pieces or grated
- 2 cloves
- 10²µ/â…“o³ú ground cumin
For the mint and coriander chutney
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú mint sauce
- 200g/7oz fresh coriander
- 10cm/4in ginger, peeled and chopped
- 2 green chillies, tops removed
- caster sugar, to taste
For the spiced yoghurt
- 300ml/10fl oz thick-set yoghurt
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
For the chaat masala
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú coriander seeds
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú cumin seeds
- 10²µ/â…“o³ú ajwain seeds
- 30g/1oz amchoor (dried mango powder)
- 10²µ/â…“o³ú garam masala
- 20g/¾oz black salt, powdered
- 4 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 2 tsp citric acid
For the spiced sprinkles
- 200g/7oz aloo bhujia
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú pomegranate seeds
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped.
- 30g/1oz fresh coriander, chopped
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú chaat masala (above)
Method
First, wash the potatoes with the skins on, then place in a large pan of cold water with 3 teaspoons of salt, the turmeric, ½ teaspoon chilli powder and 1 teaspoon garam masala. Bring to the boil and simmer until cooked. Drain and leave to cool.
To make the samosa dough, combine the flour, baking powder, ajwain seeds and a good pinch of salt in a large bowl. Rub in the oil using your fingers, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in 150ml/5fl oz cold water, then bring it together into a rough dough with your hands, adding a splash more water if needed. Dust a bowl with flour, then add the dough and leave to rest for at least 1 hour.
To finish the samosa filling, peel the cooked potatoes, and move to a large bowl. Crush with a fork, then stir in the peas, onion, garlic, ginger, chillies, coriander and the remaining spices. Don't overwork it – you want a fairly chunky mixture. Squeeze in the lime juice and season to taste.
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Lightly grease a large baking tray with oil.
Halve the dough and roll out both pieces on a floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Use a 12-16cm/4½-6¼in pastry cutter, or a similarly sized bowl or plate, to cut out as many circles in the dough as you can. Cut each round in half, then brush the straight edges with a little water. Roll into a cone shape, bringing the straight edges together and pressing to seal.
Spoon in the filling, brush the exposed dough with a little water, then fold over and press with fork to seal. Arrange on the prepared baking tray, keeping the samosas covered with a damp tea towel as you go.
Brush the samosas with a little oil and bake for 35 minutes, or until golden and piping hot through. Alternatively you can deep fry the samosas for 6–8 minutes.
To make the tamarind chutney, put all the ingredients in a large pan with 1 litre/1¾ pints water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes, stirring, until thickened. Pour onto a baking tray to cool, then move to a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and season with salt if needed.
To make the mint and coriander chutney, whizz together all the ingredients until smooth, using a food processor or stick blender. Season with sugar and salt to taste. Keep in the fridge until ready to eat.
To make the spiced yoghurt, mixed the yoghurt and paprika together in a bowl and season with salt to taste. Keep in the fridge until ready to eat.
To make the chaat masala, toast the the coriander, cumin and ajwain seeds in a heavy-based pan until dark brown. Leave to cool. Put into a food processor with the remaining ingredients and blend into a fine powder. Store in an airtight jar.
To make the spiced sprinkles, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
Arrange the samosas on a serving plate and serve with the chutneys, spiced yoghurt and sprinkles.
Recipe Tips
Aloo bhujia are the noodles you get in Bombay mix, you can find bags of them at Indian grocery stores and big supermarkets.
Instead of baking the samosas, you can deep-fry them for 6–8 minutes, until golden and crisp.