For a long time I never bothered to make samosas because I figured the pastry portion would not be worth the effort. But then one day an Indian co-worker told me a secret: she used regular grocery store tortillas to make hers. I was at first dismissive, until I tried it myself.
Crazily enough, the texture of the "pastry" (shhhhhh, our secret) tastes just the same as pastry made from scratch after it's fried. Crunchy, slightly chewy, and the perfect encasement for the mild but subtly complex interior of potato, peas, and cauliflower.
1. Start by cubing 1-2 potatoes and boiling them in salt water for 5 mins or until they begin to soften. For the last minute, add 1/2 cup of chopped cauliflower. Drain.
2. In a wok, saute peanut oil, 1/2 onion (diced), chopped ginger, and 1 tsp cumin seeds. Saute until soft. Add potato/cauliflower mixture and sweet peas. Season with 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp coriander, salt to taste. Mix and set aside.
3. Now warm your flower tortillas in a dry pan so they'll be flexible. Stack in a pile and cut off ends so as to make a square shape. Cut into two strips.
4. Fold one strip end up into a triangular shape. Place a spoonful of potato mixture and fold again at an opposite angle. Continue folding at a diagonal angle until you have a finished triangular shaped, stuffed samosa. Fry in peanut oil until golden on each side, drain on paper towels.
Comments
what a brilliant idea, for quick samosas.
I must admit that I have used, egg roll pastry from Chinese grocery stores, or Greek filo pastry instead of samosa pastry.
I do have the recipe for samosa pur in my blog, but it is time consuming and the busy lifestyle it is almost impossible to make it.
Posted by: saju | August 5, 2007 01:34 PM
Super cool. I am definitely going to try these out. I tried it with the wonton wrappers and they were good, but my husband complained they weren't as good as the regular flaky crust. Lets see how this one tastes....
Thanks,
Kanchana
Posted by: Kanchana | August 5, 2007 04:45 PM
Sounds so easy! Just a quick q, was wondering how the tortillas stayed closed, and the filling remained safely instead.
Posted by: Dhana | August 5, 2007 07:00 PM
Dhana: Once you make the last fold, lay the samosa on its open end so it doesn't open. Now do the same thing when you place it into the oil. By the time this side gets fried, it's sealed shut.
Posted by: Evil J | August 5, 2007 07:04 PM
I am so excited to try this! My grandma used to make the best home-made samosas, and I've felt like going through the effort. My Dad makes an excellent sweet and spicy tamarind sauce to dip samosas in...:)
Posted by: Preyanka | August 5, 2007 07:07 PM
The pics are so very tempting!! and the method sounds quite easy!! Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Cinnamon | August 5, 2007 11:37 PM
woww very good idea!!!Let me try it out.Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: viji | August 6, 2007 08:12 AM
Wow! That's such a great idea! Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: TBC | August 12, 2007 08:02 AM
u are a genius!
I'm going to try that this weekend. I've never made samosas before and this looks easy enough that I wouldn't f' it up!
Posted by: steamy kitchen | August 14, 2007 10:14 PM
What a cool idea! I'm going to be making lots more samosas than I do now. Thanks for the recipe.
Posted by: John | August 19, 2007 05:27 PM
Jonny, I've used phillo dough and created baked versions of samosas. Less oil, and crispy outside.
Posted by: homer | August 20, 2007 05:43 PM
Made 3 dozen samosas according to your instructions. They turned out beautifully. Just a tip -- for any who are worried about the open side splitting, you may use a beaten egg to close the opening. However, it works just fine without it.
Brilliant idea!! Thanks
Posted by: anne bradley | August 27, 2007 07:49 PM
I'm looking to purchase samosas to freeze and serve
for parties. Anyone know who supplies good homemade quality?
Posted by: SHELLEY hULIHAN | August 29, 2007 08:16 AM
I don't think I've been here before. You have a lovely space here!
Those samosas look great. How creative of you to use tortillas!
Posted by: TBC | October 16, 2007 06:43 AM