Spinach Samosas With Indian Salad Food

CHICKEN AND SPINACH SAMOSAS

Steps:

• Begin by preparing the dough. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, salt and oil and mix with your fingers until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Add water and mix with both hands until fully combined and mixture holds as a ball. Turn out onto a clean flat surface and knead for 10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth. Flatten into a disc shape and set back in bowl and cover with plastic wrap to rest for 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.
• Set a large, heavy-based pot over medium-high heat and add vegetable oil. Add spices and stir until just fragrant - this lightly toasts the spices and forms the spicy base of the filling mixture. Add ground chicken and saute until slightly coloured. Add onion, garlic, and ginger and sweat. Add chickpeas and spinach then simmer for 10 minutes until liquid has evaporated and all the flavours have come together. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside and allow to cool (you can pour it out onto a flat platter to speed up the cooling process.
• Return to the dough and divide it up into 4 equal parts. Working with one piece at a time roll into a nice ball then using a rolling pin roll out into discs. Cut in half down the middle to form two half-circles. Working with one half at a time, rub a little water around the edges using your finger. Form a cone by folding along the straight edge overlapping the seam. Gently pinch at the fold to secure. Holding the cone in your hand fill with 2 tablespoons of filling. Seal the top by bringing the edges together and crimping with your fingers or a fork. Do this with the rest to make 8 samosas. (note: you can freeze them at this point if you wish).
• Heat vegetable oil to 360 degrees F in a large heavy-based pot. Fry the samosas in batches (so as to not to over-crowd the pot) until puffy and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and serve with Raita.
• Combine ingredients in a food processor and pulse 3 times to just chop up the cucumber. The raita should be nice and creamy from the yogurt but still have texture from the cucumber.

SPINACH AND POTATO PHYLLO SAMOSAS

Steps:

• Stack the thawed phyllo pastry between 2 sheets of waxed paper, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and set aside.
• Simmer the potatoes in salted water until just tender, about 12 minutes, then drain and cut into 1/4-inch cubes.
• Set the potatoes aside.
• Heat a heavy skillet over moderate heat, and then add the fennel seeds, cumin, and turmeric.
• Dry roast the spices for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, and taking care not to burn them.
• When the spices are fragrant and darker in colour, add the oil, onion, chilies, gingerroot, and garlic, and cook, stirring, until the onion is softened.
• Now add the potatoes and spinach to the skillet and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring, until spinach is wilted but still bright green, about 2 minutes.
• Season to your taste with salt and pepper, then set aside to cool.
• Heat oven to 400F and lightly grease a baking sheet.
• To assemble samosas, place a sheet of phyllo dough on a flat surface with the long side facing you, and brush lightly with melted butter.
• Top with a second phyllo sheet and brush that lightly with butter also.
• Cut the stacked phyllo crosswise into 5 strips, each approximately 12" by 3 1/2" inches.
• Put 1 heaping teaspoon of potato/spinach filling near one corner of each strip.
• Fold the corner of phyllo over to enclose filling and form a triangle.
• Continue folding the pastry strip, maintaining a triangle shape.
• Place samosa, seam side down, on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap.
• Continue making the samosas with the remaining phyllo and filling in the same manner.
• You can prepare the samosas up to this point, six hours ahead of cooking - keep them covered, in the refrigerator.
• Bake the samosas in middle of oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• Garnish samosas with mint and serve warm with mint chutney.

ULTIMATE SAMOSAS (CHICKEN AND SPINACH) - TYLER FLORENCE

Steps:

• Combine oil, cinnamon, curry powder, cumin and ground chili in a large skillet. Cook, stirring often, over medium heat until spices are hot and very fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally to break up the meat. Add onion, garlic and ginger and stir. Add chickpeas and spinach and stir again. Add salt and fresh pepper to taste. Cook until nearly dry, then cool to room temperature. Remove cinnamon stick and discard.
• In a food processor, combine flour and salt; pulse to distribute the salt. Add oil and pulse until it has the texture of wet sand. With the blades running, drizzle ice water through feed tube until the dough just forms a coherent mass. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• Heavily flour a dry work surface. Cut dough in quarters. Working with one ball at a time, roll ball into an 8" circle. Cut in half. With a fingertip or pastry brush, spread water along the cut edge. Fold the half-circle so the cut edge overlaps itself to form a seam, and the whole thing forms a cone (the center of the cut edge forms the tip of the cone). Pinch the seam tightly. Stuff with about 2 tablespoons of filling, or until nicely full. Wet the remaining exposed edge of the dough, and crimp closed. Repeat with remaining dough to form 8 samosas. (Samosas can be frozen at this point for up to a month; fry while still frozen.).
• Heat 1 qt vegetable oil in a pot to 360°F Fry in batches until golden and puffy, about 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot.

SPINACH & SWEET POTATO SAMOSAS

Steps:

• Put the sweet potatoes in a large bowl, cover with cling film and microwave on High for 8 mins or until soft.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan, add the chopped onion and cook for a few mins to soften. Stir in the ginger, garlic, chilli (if using) and coriander stalks, stirring for a couple mins more until fragrant (the garlic will burn easily, so keep an eye on it). Add the curry paste and half the black onion seeds to the pan, stir for 30 secs or so until fragrant, then add the spinach and 2-3 tbsp water. Cook the spinach until wilted, then add the sweet potato and any liquid from the bowl. Season well and mash everything together with the back of a spoon, leaving some chunky bits of potato. Leave to cool completely.
• Unroll the pastry and pull out two sheets to work with - keep the rest covered with a tea towel to prevent it from drying out. Brush both sheets with a little oil and scatter some of the black onion seeds over one sheet. Put the other sheet on top. With the shortest side facing you, cut down the centre to make two long strips. Scoop a sixth of the sweet potato mixture onto the top right-hand corner of the filo in a rough triangle shape. Fold the pastry over on an angle, continuing down the length of the pastry until you reach the bottom and have a neat triangle encasing the filling. Trim off any excess pastry with a knife. Repeat to make six samosas. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Put the samosas on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Brush with a little more oil and sprinkle over the remaining black onion seeds. Bake for 25-30 mins or until deep golden brown. Meanwhile, peel the cucumber into ribbons, then toss with the sliced onions and coriander leaves. To serve, dollop some yogurt onto each plate, top with two samosas, a mound of the cucumber salad and mango chutney.

INDIAN SPINACH SALAD

Steps:

• Combine vinegar, oil, chutney, sugar, curry powder and mustard in a jar. Shake and chill. Place torn spinach in a large bowl; top with apples, raisins, peanuts and green onions. Shake dressing and pour over salad and toss. Prep time does not include refrigeration time for dressing.