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    Recipe of the Week | Samosa Appetizers

    <span style=font family helvetica arial sans serif font size 12pt>Samosa Appetizer Lavender Inn | Photo Credit Randolph Graham<span>

    According to The Samosa Connection website:

    The samosa probably traveled to India along ancient trade routes from Central Asia. Small, crisp mince-filled triangles that were easy to make around the campfire during night halts, then conveniently packed into saddlebags as snacks for the next day’s journey. By the early 14th Century, it was not only a part of Indian cuisine but also food fit for a king. Amir Khusrao, a prolific poet of Delhi royalty, observed in 1300 that the royal set seemed partial to the ‘samosa prepared from meat, ghee, onion and so on.’ In 1334, the renowned traveler Ibn Battuta wrote about the sambusak, ‘minced meat cooked with almonds, pistachios, onions, and spices placed inside a thin envelope of wheat and deep-fried in ghee.’

    What makes my samosa recipe unique? My version is vegan, and instead of being deeply fried, it is baked. Also, it has a fantastic combination of flavors. Give these bite-sized appetizers a try!

    Ingredients:

    1 large potato (scrubbed – not peeled yet)

    1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

    1 small onion (chopped fine)

    ½ jalapeño pepper (remove seeds – chop fine)

    2 teaspoons fresh ginger (grated

    1 clove garlic (minced)

    ½ teaspoon coriander seeds

    1½ teaspoons curry powder

    ½ teaspoon ground cumin

    ¼ teaspoon ground allspice

    ½ teaspoon cinnamon

    Salt and freshly ground black pepper

    1 plum tomato (seeded and chopped fine)

    ¼ cup frozen green peas

    2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (chopped)

    ¼ cup vegetable stock (if needed)

    1 (17 ¼ -ounce) package frozen puff pastry sheets (thawed)

     

    Directions:

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

    Boil potato in the skin for eight to ten minutes. It is important not to overcook the potato, or the consistency will be mushy. Drain liquid, wash under cold water and when the potato is cool to the touch, peel, and dice into ½-inch cubes.

    In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Add onion and cook until soft, about four minutes, then add jalapeño, ginger, garlic, coriander seeds, curry powder, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Cook about two to three minutes. Stir in the potatoes, plum tomato, peas, and cilantro and cook another minute. If the filling seems too thick, add a tablespoon or two of vegetable stock. Remove from the heat and let cool.

    On a lightly floured surface, unroll both sheets of dough. Cut each sheet into nine squares, so you have 18 total squares to fill.

    Spoon one teaspoon of the potato filling onto the middle of each rectangle and fold up, bringing the four points up to each other, then pinching at the seams to form a small pyramid and transfer to a baking sheet.

    Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

     


    Chef Randy’s latest book: Ojai Valley Make Ahead Cookbook on Sale at AMAZON

    For additional recipes, see Chef Randy’s website at valley-vegetarian.com.


    Chef Randy has been a vegetarian for over 40 years and eats local and organic grain, fresh fruit, and vegetables as much as possible. He is known locally as the “Healthy Chef.” His column, Chef Randy, is syndicated in California newspapers. See his website at Valley-Vegetarian.com for more recipes.

    Visit his author’s page on Amazon for culinary inspiration!  


    Have a favorite recipe? Old family secret?  Share it with us!

    Please send to: [email protected]

    We’ll be in the kitchen waiting.


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