This recipe is an adaption of one by Madhur Jaffrey. I simplified it so it can be prepared in about an hour and cheated on the pastry by using chinese egg roll wrappers. The taste is just like I had in Malaysian while a Peace Corps volunteer there.
1 t ground coriander
1 t ground cumin
1 t garam masala
cayenne to taste
1 medium onion chopped finely
3-4 Medium Potatoes
4 T vegetable oil
1 Cup frozen peas defrosted
(okey, so they're *not* frozen anymore!)
1 T finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1 t salt or to taste
2 T lemon juice
Vegetable oil for deep frying
Optional:
3 T finely chopped green coriander
1. Boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes and set aside to cool. Peel
when cool. Dice into 1/4 inch cubes.
2. Heat 4 Tablespoons oil and fry the onion until lightly brown. Add spices
and cook for a few minutes until no longer raw. Then add peas, potatoes,
ginger and about 3 Tablespoons of water.
Cover and cook until potatoes are done.
3. Add salt and lemon juice to taste and remove to cool.
4. When cool, stuff the egg roll wrappers. First cut some wrappers in
half diagonally making right triangles. If you don't understand the
following, get out your high school geometry book. First orient the
triangle with the right angle away from you. Apply a little water
to the right hand 45 degree angle covering about 1/3 the triangle.
Wrap the triangle up over itself into an inverted cone, with the apex
down. The apex of the cone will correspond to the exact center of the
hypotenuse of the right triangle. Fill the cone with filling and fold
over the flaps forming the base of the cone. Seal with a little water
and set aside.
5. Deep fry each samosa in *very* hot oil until just before its browned the
way you want it (it will finish cooking on the drain platter).
6. Drain and serve.
6. Make a coriander or mint chutney dip by grinding together mint and/or
coriander with chopped green chilis, lemon juice, a little salt, roasted
cumin seeds and black pepper.
I have also avoided the deep frying by lightly spraying the samosas with oil and baking for 10 to 20 minutes on a cookie sheet.
There are many variations on garam masala. I just grind together equal quantities of black and white pepper, cardamom seeds, cinnamon, cumin seeds, cloves and nutmeg.