Susie's Samosas

I learned to make these samosas in an Indian cooking class I took in St. Louis last year. To me, they are better than most you get in actual Indian restaurants. I made them for an Indian feast my friend threw at his house and he was amazed. The recipe looks overwhelming at first but once you acquire all the ingredients, it's so worth it!

Filling:
2 Tbsp ghee
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ medium white or yellow onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup peas (fresh or thawed frozen)
1& 1/2 tsp peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
½-1 fresh Serrano or Thai bird chile, seeded and finely chopped
½ tsp turmeric
2 tsp coriander seed, ground
¼ tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ½ lemon), or to taste
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Pastry: (Can use wonton wrappers instead of making dough from scratch)
1 & ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp fine salt
¼ cup vegetable shortening (preferably zero trans fat), chilled
1/3 cup cold water
2 cups canola oil, for frying

Preparation:
1. For the filling: Heat the ghee in a large, deep saute’ pan over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook just until the aroma is released, about 20-30 seconds. Add the onions and saute’ until tender and just beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.
2. Stir in the garlic and cook until the aroma is released, about 1-2 minutes. Add the peas, water, ginger, fresh chiles, turmeric, ground coriander seeds, cayenne, salt and black pepper and cook, stirring often, for 5-6 minutes.
3. Add the potatoes to the onion mixture and cook another 6-7 minutes, stirring gently to combine. Remove from the heat, then add the lemon juice and cilantro. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Test the potatoes for doneness; if they are still crunchy, cook another 2-3 minutes. Chill the filling in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
4. For the pastry: Sift the flour with the salt into a large bowl. Rub in the shortening by hand until the flour resembles course cornmeal, then add the water and mix until blended; the dough will appear dry and lumpy.
5. Pinch off a piece of dough the size of a small walnut; roll it between your hands to form a ball. On a well-floured board, roll each ball of dough into a one-eight-inch thick circle about 6-inches in diameter; slice each circle in half to form 2 semi-circles.
6. Moisten the edges of one semi-circle with water, then form into a cone; fill w/ 1 Tbsp of the cooled veggie mixture. Moisten and pinch the top closed, leaving a ¼ inch seam. Repeat with the rest of the semi-circles.
7. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large sate’ pan. Fry the samosas 4 or 5 at a time, turning once, until they are deep golden brown. Drain on paper towels; serve hot with chutney (or spicy tangy sauce * recipe below*)

Make it ahead; The samosas can be fried, cooled and then frozen, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 months. To reheat, place in a 400 degree oven for 20-30min.

Spicy tangy sauce:
Mix together hoisin sauce, a touch of honey, some ground fresh chili paste (and maybe a touch of ginger, yogurt or lemon to taste)