Healthy snacks recipe (Punjabi Samosas)

Punjabi Samosa is as traditional as it gets, potato-pea stuffing and all. It’s crispy and flaky and spicy and, to cut a long ode short, just as a samosa was meant to be by the genius who invented this hand-held snack synonymous with Indian cuisine, restaurant appetizers, and rainy days.

Samosas can be made in different versions. But today I am making for kids so it should be healthy enough to provide energy and nutrition. So, todays mini Samosas are full of veggies, health and taste.

Ise kehte hain, health bhi taste bhi…

One of the things to keep in mind, if you want that perfect flaky wrapper, is that the temperature of your frying oil has to be at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. The samosas should bubble just lightly when dropped in the oil. This ensures that the wrappers fry up all crispy and golden brown and flaky, and not soggy and clogged with oil. Peanut oil would be traditional to fry these, but if you don’t have that, use any other unflavored variety that you like, like avocado oil. Do not use coconut oil because its strong flavor will change the taste of your samosas.

Once made, the samosas will probably disappear in minutes (as they do in our home), but if you are wondering, they will last about a week in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Lets get started :

Ingredients:

For samosa wraps:

Whole wheatAtta 1 cup

All purpose flour 1 cup

Ajwain ( carom seeds) 1 tsp

Vegetable oil 1 tsp

Salt 3/4 tsp

For stuffing:

Boiled potatoes-4

Green onion- 1

Broccoli – 2-3tsp

Home made paneer -2 tsp

Coriander leaves – handful

Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Coriander powder 2 tsp

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Chaat masala 1 tsp

Black pepper powder 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Instructions:

Make dough for samosa wraps:

• Mix the flour, carom seeds, oil and salt in a large bowl.

• Add water, half a cup at first and then a tablespoon at a time, and knead until you have a very stiff dough. You want to be very sure your dough is very stiff and not soft. Cover the dough and set aside while you make the filling.

• Crumble the potatoes with your fingers so you have a few lumps — you don’t want to mash these like you would if you were making mashed potatoes. You want some texture in here.

• Heat the oil.

• Add the cumin seeds and, as they start to brown, add the ginger.
• Then add onions and sauté them lightly.

• Saute the ginger for 30 seconds, then add the broccoli and home made paneer. Saute for a few seconds.

• Add coriander leaves and sauté for few seconds.
• Add the coriander powder, turmeric, black pepper and chaat masala (or lemon juice if you’re using that instead). Stir to mix.

• Add the potatoes and mix well.

• Add salt to taste ft. Turn off the heat and let the filling cool slightly.

Samosa wraps:

• Divide the dough into equal balls.
• Roll out each ball into an oval, about six inches long and four inches wide. Use some oil to coat the countertop if needed to keep the dough from sticking.

• Using a sharp knife, cut across the long side of the oval to create two semicircular pieces.

• Coat the edges of each semicircle with water.
• Pick the two corners of the semicircle and bring them together, edges overlapping slightly, to form a cone. Press down on the seam to stick it. It’s important to do this thoroughly because you don’t want your samosas to open while you’re frying them.

• Inside the cone, place a few teaspoons of the filling.

• Now seal the top of the samosa by pressing the top seam together and back.

• Repeat for remaining samosas.
• In a wok or a frying pan, heat three inches of oil.

• When the oil reaches 300 degrees Fahrenheit, drop the samosas, one at a time, taking care not to crowd the pan or you’ll end up bringing the oil temperature down very fast.

• Fry the samosas, turning over occasionally, until they are golden-brown.

And, punjabi Samosas are ready to serve for your kids.