Mediterranean Chicken Samosas With Apple Cumin Chutney Food

THANKSGIVING SAMOSAS

Steps:

• For the pastry: Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Rub the grapeseed oil into the flour mixture until well incorporated. Add the ajwain and nigella seeds. Gradually add the water, mixing after each pour, until a smooth dough forms. Knead for 5 minutes. Drizzle the bowl with a little oil; turn the dough to coat. Wrap the dough in plastic and set aside on the counter.
• For the filling: In a medium skillet over medium heat, saute the red onions, chiles, ginger and turmeric in grapeseed oil until softened and slightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the cranberries and peas; cook just until the peas are thawed, a couple minutes. Season with salt.
• Transfer the mixture to a bowl with the potatoes and turkey and sprinkle with some lime juice and cilantro. Stir together, then taste for seasoning.
• To make the samosas: Heat 3 inches of oil in a Dutch oven over medium until the oil reaches 375 degrees F on a deep-frying thermometer.
• Divide the dough into 9 balls. Roll each ball into a 5- to 6-inch round. Slice each round into two semicircles. Set up a small bowl with water. Wet the straight edge a semicircle with a little water, then set the semicircle on a work surface with the straight edge facing away from you. Place about 2 teaspoons of filling in the middle of the semicircle. Fold one corner over the filling, forming a triangle; fold in the other corner to make a cone. Seal the ends with water, pinching and folding the edges to seal tightly. Repeat with the remaining semicircles.
• Fry the samosas in batches until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain on a wire rack set over a baking sheet on a paper-towel lined plate. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
• For the green chutney: Add all the ingredients except for the creme fraiche to a blender. Blend until smooth. Add the creme fraiche and blend until incorporated.
• Serve the samosas hot or at room temperature with the chutney.

CHICKEN SAMOSAS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine flour salt and oil until mixture resembles bread crumbs. Gradually stir in water until smooth. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and potato; cook and stir until potato is almost tender, 5-7 minutes. Add curry, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander and cayenne; cook 2 minutes longer. Add chicken; cook and stir until chicken is no longer pink and potato is tender, 5-6 minutes. Stir in peas an salt. Remove from heat., Divide dough into eight pieces. Roll one piece of dough into a 9x6-in. oval. Cut dough in half. Moisten straight edge with water. Bring one corner of half moon up to meet the other corner of the half moon, forming a cone. Pinch seam to seal. Fill with about 2 tablespoons chicken mixture. Moisten curved edge of dough with water; fold over top of filling and and press seam to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and filling., In an electric skillet or deep fryer, heat oil to 375°. Add samosas, a few at a time, into hot oil. Fry until golden brown, 2-3 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm with chutney if desired.

KEEMA SAMOSAS (CHICKEN SAMOSAS)

Steps:

• Make the filling: Heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium. Add the ginger and garlic, and cook, stirring, until the raw smell dissipates, about 2 minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add the cumin seeds, ground chile, coriander and turmeric. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not burned, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the chicken, salt and vinegar, and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring to break up the chicken, until all the liquid has evaporated and the chicken is cooked through but still retains some moisture, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add the garam masala and fresh chiles, and stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Turn off the heat and add the cilantro. Stir until well mixed and let stand until cool enough to handle.
• Meanwhile, prepare to assemble the samosas: Line a sheet pan with wax paper or plastic wrap. Stack the wrappers and cut evenly in thirds to create 42 rectangles, 8 inches long by 2 2/3 inches wide. If your wrappers are not 8 inches square, aim to cut 42 rectangular shapes in a 3-to-1 ratio. Place a damp clean cloth over your pastry sheets to prevent them from drying. Place the flour in a small bowl and add enough water (about 3 tablespoons) to make a smooth paste that's the consistency of craft glue.
• Take a pastry rectangle and place it with the long side facing you on a flat work surface. Replace the damp cloth over the remaining pastry sheets to keep them from drying out. Take the bottom-right corner of the rectangle and fold it over the top, with the short side extending 1 to 2 inches past the top. The overlapping pastry at the bottom right of the sheet will form an equilateral triangle with sides that are about 3 inches long. This triangle will be the final shape and size of the samosa. Fold the triangle so its right outer edge is aligned with the horizontal bottom edge of the sheet. There should now be a triangular pocket with two flaps sticking out to the left. Pick up the pocket so it is open and upright like a cone. Fill the cone with 2 teaspoons of the filling. Using the back of a small spoon, spread the flour paste in a thin layer over the remaining strip of pastry. Fold it over the stuffed triangle to seal the samosa. If the corners of the samosa have any gaps, fill them with the flour paste and pinch them to seal. Repeat with the remaining filling and rectangles (you may have leftover wrappers) and lay on the lined sheet pan, spacing apart. They can be fried or baked right away, or frozen on the pan until firm, then sealed in an airtight container or freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 2 months before frying and go straight into the hot oil from the freezer.
• To fry the samosas, fill a frying pan with oil to a depth of 1/2 inch. Heat the oil over medium-high until it ripples. Add enough samosas to fit without overlapping and shallow-fry until golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes per side (longer, if frying directly from the freezer). Transfer to a cooling rack or plate lined with a paper towel to prevent them from getting soggy. Repeat with the remaining samosas, replenishing and reheating the oil between batches.
• To bake the samosas, heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 1-inch-deep sheet pan with foil and add a thin layer of oil to the pan (about 1/4 inch). Coat the samosas with the oil in the sheet pan and arrange them on the pan in a single layer in rows. Bake, turning once halfway through, until evenly golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer to a cooling rack or plate lined with a paper towel to prevent them from getting soggy.
• Serve hot or warm with the mint chutney for dipping.

BAKED SAMOSAS WITH MINT CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Filling: In a small saucepan, add the potato and enough cold water to cover. Add a generous pinch of salt and bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
• In a second small saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a simmer and add a generous pinch of salt, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, peppercorns, chili flakes, and chicken breast. Simmer until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Mash the potato and finely shred the chicken and put into a large bowl. Combine with mango, lime juice, chipotle sauce, remaining coriander seeds, cumin, cilantro, and salt and pepper, to taste. Mixing with a spoon or your hands, until well incorporated. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if necessary. Set aside.
• Samosas: Roll the puff pastry out slightly, to flatten the seams. Using a paring knife to trace a 7-inch ring mold or bowl, cut the dough into 8 (7-inch wide) rounds. Cut each into 2 semicircles.
• Put a tablespoon or so of the filling in the center of a semicircle. Have a small bowl of water handy. Dip your finger in the water and run it along the edges of the semicircle. Arrange the samosas so the flat side is facing away from you. Grab the left corner and fold it over the dough in a triangular motion, so that this corner lands on the bottom right side of the filling. Do the same with the other corner.
• Squeeze bottom shut, and fold over, sealing with water. If you like, seal using a fork. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Arrange the 8 samosas on a lightly greased baking sheet.
• In a small bowl, whisk the egg and 1 teaspoon water with a fork until thoroughly combined. Brush the tops of the samosas with the egg wash.
• Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F, then turn heat down to 375 degrees F and bake for 10 more minutes. You can flip them over just before you turn the heat down, if you like.
• Chutney: In a food processor, whiz together the mint, cilantro, ginger, lime juice and water until it all comes together as a sauce. There'll probably still be little bits of leaf in the sauce, but I like how those taste, so no worries. Pour the chutney into a bowl.
• In a small pan, over medium heat, warm the oil until it shimmers. Add mustard seeds; they should sizzle. Immediately cover with a lid until they stop spluttering. Make sure they don't burn! If they do, start over. No big deal. I do it all the time! Immediately add the seeds and oil to the chutney. It will sizzle so stand back. Once you've poured in all of the oil, you can even spoon a little chutney into the pan (cue sizzling again!) so that you pick up all that lovely oil. Pour into the bowl with the chutney.
• Serve samosas hot, with the chutney... and bask in gratitude for the great ideas we all come up with, for our sensitive taste buds and for the blessing of good friends!
• In large bowl, combine the flour, buttermilk, oil, salt and ajwain seeds. Bring the ingredients together until a dough forms. Knead until it has softened a bit, about 5 minutes. Allow to rest, at room temperature, for 15 minutes. You can put this in the refrigerator, but make sure you let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes or so, in order for it to soften.
• Roll the dough into a short cylinder. Slice in half, then slice each half into 2 pieces, so you have 4 bits. Roll each bit into a ball. Flatten the balls into discs then, on a floured surface, roll them into a 1/8-inch thick, 7-inch wide circles. Cut in half to form 2 semicircles.

SAMOSAS WITH TAMARIND-DATE CHUTNEY

Steps:

• For the pastry: Add the flour, salt and nigella or ajwain seeds to a medium bowl and mix. Add the ghee or oil and mix in with your fingers until the dough looks crumbly. Begin by adding 3 tablespoons of cold water, then add more water a little a time to make a stiff dough. Try to knead the dough as little as possible (think flaky pie crust). Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
• For the spice blend: To roast the spices, heat a small cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the whole spices: coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, peppercorns, clove, cardamom and cinnamon and roast, shaking the skillet often, until the mixture darkens slightly and becomes toasty and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a small bowl to cool. Add the amchur powder, red chile powder and turmeric. Once cool, transfer to a grinder or mortar and pestle and grind to a medium-fine grind.
• For the filling: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and let sizzle until they darken slightly, about 30 seconds Add the peanuts if using and cook until crunchy, about 2 minutes. Add the chiles and ginger and cook, stirring often, until the raw aroma of the ginger goes away, about 1 minute.
• Add the potatoes, peas, roasted spice blend and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and cook until the peas soften and the mixture is well mixed and seasoned, about 3 minutes. Add the cilantro if using. Add salt to taste, amchur for additional tang and red chile powder for spice.
• To assemble and fry the samosas: Pour enough oil into a large Dutch oven or wide heavy-bottomed pot to come up the sides about 3 inches. Place over medium heat and heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil registers 340 degrees F.
• While the oil is heating, divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball (a kitchen scale is helpful here but not necessary). For smaller samosas, you can divide the dough into 8 balls. Cover all but 1 ball with a damp cloth or plastic wrap. Flatten the uncovered ball into an oval patty. Lightly brush with oil and roll the patty into a thin oval (8 to 9 inches long and 5 to 6 inches wide). Cut in half widthwise into 2 semicircles.
• Set a small bowl of water beside you. Working with one semicircle at a time, fold over one end of the straight edge halfway toward the rounded edge. Using a fingertip, lightly wet the outside edge with a little water as well as the inner edge of the other half of the straight side. Then fold the other half up and overlapping the wet sides, about 1/4 inch, to form a cone. Press the edges together to form a seal. Hold the cone in one hand, pinch the seam again to make sure it's sealed and fill it with 2 tablespoons of the potato filling. Make a little pleat opposite of the sealed edge by pinching it over about 1/4 inch. This is the backbone of the samosa and will help it stand. Wet the inside of the rounded edge and fold it over the filling to enclose it. Press the edges together to seal. Repeat with a second dough ball and some of the filling to make 4 samosas.
• Double-check that the oil temperature is 340 degrees F (it's important for the oil to be medium hot; if it's too hot, the outside of the samosas will brown too quickly, while the inside dough will not be cooked enough and the samosas won't crisp up). Gently slip in the 4 samosas and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 10 minutes. If the samosas haven't browned by then, increase the temperature to 360 degrees F and cook, turning over as needed, until golden brown. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
• While the samosas are frying, shape and fill 4 more samosas, then repeat until all the samosas are shaped, filled and fried. Serve immediately with Tamarind-Date Chutney.
• Stir together the seedless tamarind, date paste, jaggery, cumin powder, red chile powder, ginger powder, fennel powder, black salt, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium low so the sauce is simmering. Cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes; when you dip a spoon into the sauce and run your finger across the back of it, it should hold a line. Taste and add more salt or jaggery if needed. Remove from the heat and strain. Allow to cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight glass jar and refrigerate.

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Toss tomatoes, olives, capers, and 2 tablespoons oil together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Rinse chicken, and pat dry. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over high heat until hot. Add remaining tablespoon oil; heat until hot but not smoking. Place chicken in skillet, skin sides down; cook until deep golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn chicken over. Add tomato mixture to skillet.
• Transfer skillet to oven. Roast until chicken is cooked through and tomatoes have softened, about 18 minutes.

SAMOSAS

Steps:

• For the dough: Place the all-purpose flour, rice flour, ajwain seeds and salt in a bowl and stir to combine. Add the ghee and use your fingertips to rub the ghee into the flour until the dough resembles breadcrumbs. (This step is key to making flaky samosa pastry.) Mix in the water, mixing until you can form a pliable, soft ball of dough. Cover the dough in the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
• For the potato filling: Grate the boiled potatoes on the large holes of a box grater. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, fennel seeds and coriander seeds. Stir the spices until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the ginger, serrano chile and peas and continue to stir and cook another minute. Add the garam masala, amchur, asafetida, fenugreek and cumin and cook a further 30 seconds. Add the grated potato and gently stir to coat in the spices, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Cool the mixture, then fold in the cilantro.
• To make the samosas, cut the dough into 6 equal portions and roll each into a ball. Keep the balls on a plate covered with a damp kitchen towel or paper towel so they don't dry out.
• One at a time, place a ball on a sheet of parchment paper. Press down to flatten, then cover with another sheet of parchment. (Do not flour the dough or paper as this will dry the pastry out; a tortilla press can also be used to form the discs.) Roll the dough into a disc. Cut in half, creating 2 semicircles.
• Brush the straight side of one semicircle with water, then fold the straight edge over to form a cone. Fill with potato filling. Brush the open pastry edge with water, then press the edges together to seal. Place sealed-edge down on a work surface and press down to keep the cone shape. Repeat with the remaining dough, making 12 samosas.
• Pour about 6 inches of oil into a medium pot. Place over medium-high heat until the oil registers 350 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. Line a plate with paper towels.
• Working in small batches, fry the samosas, turning once or twice, until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and transfer to the prepared plate to drain.
• Serve hot with tamarind or mint chutney or ketchup.

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons white wine in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and saute about 4 to 6 minutes each side, until golden. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
• Saute garlic in pan drippings for 30 seconds, then add onion and saute for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Lower heat, add 1/2 cup white wine and simmer for 10 minutes. Add thyme and basil and simmer for 5 more minutes.
• Return chicken to skillet and cover. Cook over low heat until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside. Add olives and parsley to the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.