Cauliflower Samosas With Cilantro Chutney Recipes

CILANTRO CHUTNEY (CORIANDER CHUTNEY)

Steps:

• Rinse cilantro under running water and shake off very well to get rid of the excess moisture. Cut down the stems and roots, discard them. Remove & discard mature stalks and keep the tender/ young ones. Roughly chop leaves & tender stalks.
• Peel the garlic and make sure they have not sprouted or begun to sprout.
• Remove the stalks of green chilies. If you prefer low heat, deseed the chilies.

SAMOSAS WITH TAMARIND-DATE CHUTNEY

Steps:

• For the pastry: Add the flour, salt and nigella or ajwain seeds to a medium bowl and mix. Add the ghee or oil and mix in with your fingers until the dough looks crumbly. Begin by adding 3 tablespoons of cold water, then add more water a little a time to make a stiff dough. Try to knead the dough as little as possible (think flaky pie crust). Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
• For the spice blend: To roast the spices, heat a small cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the whole spices: coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, peppercorns, clove, cardamom and cinnamon and roast, shaking the skillet often, until the mixture darkens slightly and becomes toasty and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a small bowl to cool. Add the amchur powder, red chile powder and turmeric. Once cool, transfer to a grinder or mortar and pestle and grind to a medium-fine grind.
• For the filling: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and let sizzle until they darken slightly, about 30 seconds Add the peanuts if using and cook until crunchy, about 2 minutes. Add the chiles and ginger and cook, stirring often, until the raw aroma of the ginger goes away, about 1 minute.
• Add the potatoes, peas, roasted spice blend and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and cook until the peas soften and the mixture is well mixed and seasoned, about 3 minutes. Add the cilantro if using. Add salt to taste, amchur for additional tang and red chile powder for spice.
• To assemble and fry the samosas: Pour enough oil into a large Dutch oven or wide heavy-bottomed pot to come up the sides about 3 inches. Place over medium heat and heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil registers 340 degrees F.
• While the oil is heating, divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball (a kitchen scale is helpful here but not necessary). For smaller samosas, you can divide the dough into 8 balls. Cover all but 1 ball with a damp cloth or plastic wrap. Flatten the uncovered ball into an oval patty. Lightly brush with oil and roll the patty into a thin oval (8 to 9 inches long and 5 to 6 inches wide). Cut in half widthwise into 2 semicircles.
• Set a small bowl of water beside you. Working with one semicircle at a time, fold over one end of the straight edge halfway toward the rounded edge. Using a fingertip, lightly wet the outside edge with a little water as well as the inner edge of the other half of the straight side. Then fold the other half up and overlapping the wet sides, about 1/4 inch, to form a cone. Press the edges together to form a seal. Hold the cone in one hand, pinch the seam again to make sure it's sealed and fill it with 2 tablespoons of the potato filling. Make a little pleat opposite of the sealed edge by pinching it over about 1/4 inch. This is the backbone of the samosa and will help it stand. Wet the inside of the rounded edge and fold it over the filling to enclose it. Press the edges together to seal. Repeat with a second dough ball and some of the filling to make 4 samosas.
• Double-check that the oil temperature is 340 degrees F (it's important for the oil to be medium hot; if it's too hot, the outside of the samosas will brown too quickly, while the inside dough will not be cooked enough and the samosas won't crisp up). Gently slip in the 4 samosas and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 10 minutes. If the samosas haven't browned by then, increase the temperature to 360 degrees F and cook, turning over as needed, until golden brown. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
• While the samosas are frying, shape and fill 4 more samosas, then repeat until all the samosas are shaped, filled and fried. Serve immediately with Tamarind-Date Chutney.
• Stir together the seedless tamarind, date paste, jaggery, cumin powder, red chile powder, ginger powder, fennel powder, black salt, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium low so the sauce is simmering. Cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes; when you dip a spoon into the sauce and run your finger across the back of it, it should hold a line. Taste and add more salt or jaggery if needed. Remove from the heat and strain. Allow to cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight glass jar and refrigerate.

CAULIFLOWER SAMOSAS WITH CILANTRO CHUTNEY

Steps:

• 1. TO MAKE THE FILLING: In a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water, cook the cauliflower until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Finely chop the cauliflower with a large knife (don't use a food processor, which could puree the cauliflower). Place in a fine sieve and press gently to remove excess water. Set aside. 2 In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in the ginger, garlic, salt, coriander, cumin, curry powder, fennel, turmeric, and cayenne. Add the reserved cauliflower and stir constantly until well coated with the spices, about 1 minute. The cauliflower mixture should be fine-textured and dry, but not mashed. Let cool completely. 3. MEANWHILE, MAKE THE CHUTNEY: Follow Cilantro Chutney recipe instructions.4. TO MAKE THE DOUGH: In a food processor, pulse the flour, whole-wheat flour, and salt to combine. In a glass measuring cup, mix the 3 tablespoons oil with the water. With the machine running, pour the liquid through the feed tube and process until the dough forms a large ball on top of the blade (there may be a few stray bits of dough in addition to the dough in the work bowl). If the dough is too dry or wet, the dough will not form a ball. If the dough feels wet and sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, and process after each addition. If the dough feels dry and crumbly, follow the same procedure, adding additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. To make the dough by hand, put the flours and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the oil and enough water to form a stiff dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and firm, about 10 minutes. 5. On an unfloured work surface, knead the dough briefly until smooth. Form into a ball, place on the work surface, and brush the top lightly with oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let stand for 5 minutes. 6. To make the samosas, dust 2 baking sheets with flour. Pinch off enough dough to roll into a 1 1/4-inch ball. Keeping the remaining dough covered, flatten the dough and roll it into a 5-inch round. With a sharp knife, cut the round in half crosswise to make 2 semicircles. 7. Moisten the straight edge of 1 semicircle with cold water. Lift up the ends of the straight edge to meet and overlap slightly, forming a cone shape. Press the overlapping seam of dough to seal. Place about 1 teaspoon filling into the cone. Pinch the open top of the cone shut, then press with the tines of a fork to seal. Place the samosa on a baking sheet. Repeat with the other semicircle, then the remaining dough and filling. 8. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line 2 baking sheets with paper towels. In a deep Dutch oven, melt vegetable shortening over high heat to a depth of 2 to 3 inches and heat it to 365°F. In batches, without crowding, deep-fry the samosas until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a wire-mesh skimmer, transfer the samosas to the paper towels to drain. Serve warm, with the chutney for dipping.