Samosa Pakistani

Ingredients

Dough

• 400 g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ajwain seeds (carom - sold at South Asian shops; or substitute thyme)
• 100 g ghee (or sunflower oil, NOT melted; cool / room temperature)
• 180-200 ml warm water

Filling

• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil (or ghee)
• 1 onion (medium, finely diced)
• 2 cm fresh ginger (grated)
• 4 garlic cloves (crushed)
• 2 green chillies (finely chopped)
• 500 g ground beef (or lamb)
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 ½ teaspoons Garam Masala
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 150 g frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander (chopped)
• ½ lemon (juice)

Flour paste (for sealing)

• 2 tablespoons plain flour mixed with 3 tablespoons cold water

For frying

• 1 litre vegetable oil

To serve

• Tamarind Chutney (sold ready-made)
• Green mint chutney (see aushak.md for a similar yogurt-based one, or blitz 1 bunch mint + 1 bunch coriander + 2 green chillies + 1 garlic + juice of 1 lime + 1 teaspoon salt)
• Lime wedges
• Sliced raw red onion

Method

Stage 1 - Dough

1. Whisk flour, salt and ajwain in a wide bowl.
2. Rub in ghee with fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs.
3. Add warm water gradually; mix to a stiff dough (samosa dough should be much stiffer than bread dough - it shouldn't yield easily to a fingertip).
4. Knead 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface.
5. Cover; rest 30 minutes.

Stage 2 - Filling

1. Heat oil or ghee in a wide pan over medium-high.
2. Sauté onion 6 minutes until golden.
3. Add ginger, garlic and green chilli; cook 1 minute.
4. Add mince; brown 6 minutes.
5. Stir in turmeric, garam masala, cumin, coriander, chilli powder, salt and pepper; cook 1 minute.
6. Add frozen peas; cook 4 minutes until the meat is dry but moist (no liquid pooling).
7. Off heat; stir in coriander and lemon juice.
8. Cool fully - warm filling makes the pastry soft.

Stage 3 - Shape

1. Divide dough into 10 balls.
2. Roll each ball into a thin oval (12 cm × 18 cm, about 2 mm thick).
3. Cut each oval in half straight across the middle to make 2 half-moons.

Stage 4 - Form cones and fill

1. Take a half-moon; brush the straight edge with flour paste.
2. Wrap the straight edge into a cone shape (overlapping by 1 cm); press the overlap firmly to seal.
3. Hold the cone with the open end up; spoon in 1 tablespoon of cooled filling.
4. Brush the open top edge with flour paste.
5. Pinch the top closed firmly; crimp with a fork.

Stage 5 - Fry

1. Heat oil to 175°C.
2. Fry 4-5 samosas at a time, 3-4 minutes per side, turning, until amber-gold all over.
3. Lift onto kitchen paper.

Stage 6 - Serve

1. Plate with bowls of tamarind chutney and mint chutney.
2. Lime wedges; sliced raw red onion.
3. Eat warm.