Tester note: There is no illustration at this time for folding; the method is the basic “flag” fold for making triangle filo pastries
Filo Samosas
Makes 14 or more baked samosas
Everybody loves potato pea stuffed Indian savory pastries, but less so the heavy greasy fried shell (at least all the time), so it’s light and flakey filo dough to the rescue! Baking is an alternative with less mess and while the outside looks Middle Eastern, the golden filling is all Indian. Cut down on the fat and use cooking oil spray to oil the filo, or brush on a mild flavored vegetable oil if you don’t care about that. Serve hot with Tamarind Date Chutney, Cilantro Chutney or both!
Ten 14” x 18” sheets filo dough (preferably #10 “country-style” filo), thawed if frozen
Cooking oil spray or vegetable oil (about 1/3 cup)
Potato Pea Cashew Filling
2 pounds Russet potato, peeled and diced into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
2 to 4 hot green chiles (Thai or serrano), finely chopped (remove seeds for a milder filling)
1/2 inch cube fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/4 cup chopped cashews
1 yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon garam masala spice blend
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
2 tablespoons lime juice
½ cup chopped cilantro
Few twists of freshly ground pepper to taste
1. Prepare the filling first: place the diced potato in a large saucepan, cover with 3 inches of cold water and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Boil the potato for 15 minutes or until tender. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid, drain the rest and set the potatoes aside.
2. Preheat the vegetable oil in a wok or large 12 inch skillet heat over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds, cover the wok and when the seeds finish popping stir in the chiles and ginger. Stir fry for 1 minute, then add the cashews and fry another minute, then add the onion and stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes or until the onion is soft. Add the cooked potato, garam masala, turmeric, salt and about 1/2 cup of reserved cooking liquid. With a wooden spoon, mash the potato into the frying onions and spices, stirring and mashing the potato until the mixture is golden and the filling resembles chunky, moist mashed potatoes. If the potato mixture seems overly dry, dribble in a little extra reserved cooking water. Stir in peas, lime juice, and cilantro. Taste the mixture and season with more salt and lime juice if needed. Remove from heat, transfer filling to mixing bowl and set aside to cool enough to handle.
3. Follow the filo handling instructions for bakalava on page XX, then cut the filo sheets lengthwise into three long strips about 4.5 inches wide by 18 inches long. Keep covered with plastic wrap until ready to assemble the samosas.
4. When ready to assemble samosas preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. To assemble a samosa, lay a strip of filo with the short end near you and brush or spray the entire length with oil. Scoop about ¼ cup of filling on the end of the strip closest to you, then fold the filo away from you into a triangle. Continue to fold the filo up and away until the entire thing is folded into a triangle [see Illustration]. Spray or brush the top of the triangle with oil, then carefully transfer to the baking sheet. Continue to assemble samosas; you may have some extra filo dough left over.
5. Bake samosas for 28 to 30 minutes or until filo is golden and edges begin to brown, then serve hot with chutney. To reheat, wrap in foil and bake at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes. Store leftovers chilled in a tightly covered container.
