photo by food_in_mouth
Samosas are great small bites that are an easy addition to any menu. The dough and process for making them are very similar to empanadas. I use them interchangeably and generally make samosas vegetarian and make empanadas savory.
These are simple to make but take a little time. Its much easier if the filling is pre-made and chilled.
I far prefer the baked version, but the fried version is more common. The way I make baked samosas, they are tasty without being dry, so I stick with baked.
There are plenty of good recipes for the dough, but Emeril really nailed a few recipes:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/spinach-and-cheese-empanadas-recipe/index.html
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/empanada-dough-recipe/index.html
If I am in a rush or feeling lazy, I keep some frozen shells on hand from La Salteña. I get them from my local Mediterranean deli/bakery. They are made in Argentina and work perfectly.
I posted the dough recipe I use in my post on Making Empanadas.
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Roll out a disc (or if going the lazy route, peel off a finished shell)
- Cut the disk in half. Put a little water on the flat edge, on both sides.
- Pull the flat edge together to form a little cone. Press the edges together, since they need to stick during the baking.
- Fill the cone up in two scoops. I always use two scoops to make sure I am getting the filling down in the cone. Pat the filling down a bit.
- Put some water around the lip of the samosa, then pinch it together closed. You can finish it like an empanada if you want to get fancy.
- Stretch a sheet of parchment paper onto a baking sheet and place the samosas in rows. You can use a lightly greased baking sheet if you like.
- Cook the samosas on the center rack for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with some olive oil.
- Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake until the samosas are golden brown, usually about 15 minutes. Make sure that the dough is finished and not clear.