Saturday 16 March 2013

Punjabi Samosa

I love and miss my childhood days so much, that sometimes I think why did I grow up. I know we all want to go back to older days if god grants our wish :).

I want to be kid once again and relive that time... any idea when will this time machine come :) ??

In Ambala ( my hometown), almost all sweet shops prepared samosa in the evening. Their workers will be sitting outside the shops with big thaal ( a very big plate) in front of them, in which they will be kneading dough for samosa and in another thaal  they will be preparing spicy potato filling. They generally start this process by 3.00 pm and around 4.00pm  ( tea time in most of the families) they will start frying then in a huge kadhai/wok in front of the shoppers, like us to attract towards their shops.

During those days samosa was a must snack for me and my sisters with our evening tea. We used to get  5 samosa's for mere 10 Rs. Isn't it cheap, but now time has changed and we get 1 for 15 Rs each, on top of it they are not so fresh, generally prepared in the morning or one day before. Sitting in glass shelves and trying hard to attract customers toward them. Writing about samosa has taken me back to older days and so many memories are now running in front of my eyes. Ahh.. I know you are also going through your memory lanes along with me while reading this... let's stop here and concentrate on Samosa recipe :)

So, let's get started and make this easy peasy Punjabi Samosa. It's so easy and simple that you can make it very easily at home. You can enjoy this evening snack with a hot cup of coffee/tea. Even you can make small samosa's and can use them as starter for your lunch/dinner party. In fact you can replace potato filling with some innovative filling of yours like paneer, matar ( green peas) etc..

But here, I  am talking about the basic aaloo ka samosa that has already won every one's heart and will keep on wining in future as well.




Ingredients:

For Samosa Dough:


  • 2 and 1/2 cup Maida / All purpose flour
  • 4 tsp desi ghee/dalda/ vegetable oil 
  • 1 tsp carom seeds
  • 1/2 cup water 
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Oil for deep frying


For Samosa Filling:


  • 3-4 big boiled potatoes
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp amchur/ dry mango powder
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • 3 tsp chopped coriander
  • 1 tsp black pomogranate seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp dhaniya/coriander powder
  • 2 tsp chopped green chilli/optional
  • Salt as per taste

Step by Step Process for Making Crispy Punjabi Samosa:

Steps for making dough:

  • Mix maida, carom seeds, salt, ghee in a bowl.
  • Add very little water at a time and make very tight dough.  Cover it and keep it aside for 10-15 minutes.
  • NOTE: Use very less water as much you can while making dough


Steps for spicy potato filling:
  • Mash boiled potatoes with your hands. We need few big chunks of boiled potato, so do not mash it finely.
  • In a wok/kadhai heat 3 tsp oil, add cumin seeds and let them sputter.
  • Add  mashed potatoes and mix well.
  • Add salt, red chilli, amchur powder, coriander powder and mix it well.
  • In another pan dry roast coriander seeds and pomegranate seeds. Turn off the heat and crush roasted seeds coarsely using rolling pin.
  • Add crushed seeds to potato mix and mix it very well.
  • Add chopped coriander and let this potato mixture cool for 10-20 minutes.
For making Samosa:
  • Make small lemon size balls from the dough.
  • Roll each portion of dough in oval shape using rolling pin and cut these oval shapes in 2 semi circle using a knife.
  • Now take one semi circle and apply some water on the straight edge. Hold this semis circle in your hand and fold the straight edge by bringing together the watered edges.
  • Seal the watered edges into a triangular pocket.
  • Fold the joint side of the triangular pocket little bit to give shape or make back bone of samosa, so that it can sit on a flat surface.
  • Fill potato mixture in the pocket and seal the upper edges.
  • Repeat same process with the rest of the dough and potato filling.
  • Heat oil in another wok/kadhai and deep dry samosas on low- medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Be patient , because samosa need to be deep fried on low heat so that they are properly cooked, cripsy and evenly browned. 
  • NOTE: Do not excess heat oil and do not bring it to smoky consistency. By over heating oil you will burn your samosa and they will not be crispy and cooked from inside. In fact this will form bubbles on the outer surface.
  • Fry them until they are evenly browned and then keep them on kitchen towel so that they can adsorb excess oil. 
  • Server them hot with mint and Tamarind chutney.


You can make samosa's in advance and can store them in refrigerator for one day. Deep fry them in the evening for your family and guests.


You can make other items like maida matar using Samosa dough and can use potato filling for aaloo parantha, even you can make aaloo sandwich with this filling :)



There is always one questions that keeps on coming in my mind that why during my childhood never gained weight despite of eating all these spicy fried samosa's. While now  these days  I am gaining weight even after drinking water and by breathing air. Am I super lazy now or was super active then :)

Sending it to participate in zestysouthindiankitchen giveaway and you may like checking out 27coupons .

Happy cooking!!

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1 comment:

Swathi said...

Delicious punjabi samosa, I love to have with my Tea. By the way for the event Traditional Indian Sweets and Giveaway you need to make some sweets.

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