Stuffed Pastries/Samosas

Samosas are a favorite snack food in India.These little pastries are perfect for eating with your fingers and make a good appetizer to start an Indian meal.Try dipping them in coriander chutney. Samosas can be stuffed with many kinds of meat or vegetable fillings.*

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour 
• 1/4 tsp. salt 
• 1 tbsp. butter or margarine 
• up to 1/2 cup water 
• about 1 cup  vegetable oil (for frying) 
• about 2 cup for  filling (for veg filling,for non veg filling)

Method:

• Put all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and add to flour. Rub butter into flour with your fingertips until mixture looks like large bread crumbs. Mix in enough water, a little at a time, to form a firm dough.
• Knead dough in bowl for about 2 or 3 minutes, or until smooth. Cover bowl and refrigerate while making filling.
• When filling is ready, remove dough from refrigerator and place on a floured surface. Knead dough for about 5 minutes.
• Divide dough into pieces about the size of walnuts and roll each piece into a smooth ball with your hands.
• Roll balls into thin rounds with a floured rolling pin. Cut each round in half.
• Put about 1 tbsp. filling onto a piece of dough. Fold dough over filling. Seal edges of dough with your fingers and then with the tines of a fork. Continue making samosas.
• In a wok or a deep saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. (Oil should be deep enough to cover samosas while cooking.) Carefully place one samosa in oil. If samosa fries to a golden brown in about 3 minutes, the oil is at the right temperature. If it takes longer than this, increase temperature of oil. When oil is at the right temperature, continue frying samosas, a few at a time, for 3 minutes each. Remove samosas with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Eat hot or at room 

Preparation time: 60 minutes 

Cooking time: 20 to 25 minutes 

Yields 10 to 15 samosas

*Kheema makes a spicy meat filling. 

For vegetarian samosas, fill the pastries with potatoes and peas .To avoid unwanted fat, bake rather than deep-fry the samosas. Place the stuffed triangles on a cookie sheet, brush each with a little butter or oil, and bake at 350°F until they turn golden brown (about 10 to 15 minutes).