Give these lamb samosas a try!

Lamb samosas are a favourite curry house treat!

I love samosas. Whatever the filling – whether it be the crab samosas I wrote about a couple of months back or the amazing haggis samosas my wife made in Scotland last week, samosas just get it! They may not be the best Indian food for you but everyone deserves a good splurge from time to time. This recipe is for all of you who want to explore and enjoy just how amazing lamb samosas can be.

Over the years I have had my share of lamb samosas but none compare to this recipe. I must say that I have been adding this and taking away that from the recipe for years before arriving at this version.

If you want to try an equally good recipe with fewer calories, be sure to use very lean lamb mince and wrap the meat in home-made warmed chapati bread. Absolutely amazing!

For now, however, get your ingredients and give this recipe for traditional Indian lamb samosas a try. I hope you enjoy them as much as my family and I do.

If you can’t be bothered to make the pastry, you could use Chinese spring roll wrappers. I often do but the end result isn’t nearly as good.

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INGREDIENTS

500g (about a pound) lean lamb mince
1 heaping tablespoon cumin seeds
1 large red onion – finely chopped
3 cloves garlic – finely chopped
4 plum tomatoes – skinned and finely chopped
1 inch piece ginger – grated
3 green chillies finely chopped
250ml (1 cup) fresh peas
salt and pepper to taste
1 large handful of fresh coriander – chopped
1 Tablespoon garam masala

4 cups flour
Water

Vegetable oil for deep frying

method

First make your pastry. Take about 1 1/2 cups of the plain flour and pour it into a large bowl.

Add a pinch of salt and about a tablespoon of oil.

Now add water a little at a time. I usually do this with a cupped hand rather than from the tap. Work the water and oil into the flour to form a firm dough. Be careful not to add too much water which will result in a big sticky mess.

Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of flour on a clean surface and knead it until the dough no longer sticks to your hands.

Place the dough ball back into the bowl and cover with a wet cloth and allow to rest while you cook your lamb
keema.

Using a large frying pan, roast your cumin seeds over medium heat. Move them around in the pan so that the seeds roast evenly. When they begin to smoke, remove the seeds from the heat and grind to a fine powder using a pestle and mortar or spice grinder.

Now add the oil to the pan and fry your onion until it is translucent and lightly browned. Throw in the chopped garlic and fry for a further minute or so.

Pour in the ginger, tomatoes, chillies, garam masala, cumin powder and the coriander and cook for a further couple of minutes. Stir continuously.

Soon, the aroma in your kitchen will be amazing. When this happens add the lamb mince and stir everything to combine.
Add about a cup of boiling water to the meat mixtures and allow to cook for about 20 minutes covered.

Remove the lid of the pan and turn up the heat. The lamb mince should be very moist but there should be no water left in the pan.

Check for seasoning and set aside to cool slightly.

To Finish

Pour your remaining cup of flour into a bowl and add enough water to make a smooth, slightly runny paste.

Tear off a golfball sized piece of your dough and place it on a floured surface. Keep the remaining dough in the bowl covered so that it does not dry out.

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a very thin sheet. The thinner the better! Try to shape the dough into a rectangular shape about 2 inches by four inches. To keep it neat you can use a knife.

Place about a tablespoon of the lamb keema at the top of the rectangle.

Fold the top left corner over the lamb mince filling to make a small triangular pocket to hold the meat. There will still be about two inched of pastry under this triangular pocket.

Fold the top of the triangle over onto the remaining pastry and then again to create a perfect little triangular samosa.

Dip your finger in the dough paste and seal the pocket closed.

Repeat until all of your lamb samosas are made and screaming out to be eaten.

and now to fry!

Heat your oil over high heat to about 170c or until a piece of pastry floats rapidly to the top when thrown in.

Gently add the lamb samosas and deep fry in batches until nicely browned. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel.

I challenge you not to eat these mouthwatering lamb samosas before they get to the table.

Serve on their own or with your favourite Indian chutneys or pickles.

Be sure to let me know how you like these lamb samosas!  Leave a comment and please don’t hesitate to ask questions!

Crab Samosas Rock!

crab samosas - A must-try dish

I live in North England near the sea where crabs are caught daily and sold right off the boats. Whenever I find myself pining for crab meat, I usually end up down by the sea purchasing a few of the day’s catch. I then take the crabs home, boil them and clean them, carefully picking every last bit of the sweet crab meat out of the shells to use in this or that recipe. The taste is out of this world.

To make these crab samosas, try to purchase the freshest crab meat you can. Fresh processed white crab meat will do but please stay away from that nasty tinned stuff!

INGREDIENTS for crab samosas

250g white crab meat
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
10 fresh curry leaves
1 Tablespoon black mustard seeds
2 cloves garlic smashed and finely chopped
2 green chilli peppers finely chopped
1 inch ginger finely chopped
Juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon garam masala
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups plain flour
Water

Vegetable oil for deep frying

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Method

First make your pastry. Take about 1 1/2 cups of the plain flour and pour it into a large bowl. Add a pinch of salt and about a tablespoon of oil.

Now add water a little at a time. I usually do this with a cupped hand rather than from the tap. Work the water and oil into the flour to form a firm dough. Be careful not to add too much water which will result in a big sticky mess.

Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of flour on a clean surface and knead it until the dough no longer sticks to your hands.

Place the dough ball back into the bowl and cover with a wet cloth and allow to rest while you create your crab meat filling.

Pour your remaining two tablespoons of oil into small frying pan over medium heat. Throw in the mustard seeds and curry leaves.

When the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the garlic, chopped chilli peppers, garam masala, lemon juice and ginger.

Mix it all well with a spoon and then add salt and pepper to taste.

to finish

Pour your remaining cup of flour into a small bowl and add enough water to make a smooth paste.

Tear off a piece of your dough and place it on a floured surface. Keep the remaining dough in the bowl covered so that it does not dry out.

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a very thin sheet. The thinner the better! If you have ever worked with spring roll pastry, that is what we are aiming for here. In fact, you could just use spring roll wrappers but personally I don’t think they are near as good as the homemade version here.

Once you have a nice thin sheet of pastry, cut the piece into two inch by four inch pieces.

Now take a tablespoon of the crab mixture and place it at the top of one of your pastry rectangles.

Fold the top left corner over the crab filling to make a small triangular pocket that is holding the meat. There will still be about two inched of pastry under this triangular pocket.

Fold the top of the triangle over onto the remaining pastry and then again to create a perfect little triangular samosa.

Dip your finger in the dough paste and seal the pocket closed.

Repeat until all of your samosas are made and screaming out to be eaten.

and now to fry!

Heat your oil over high heat to about 170c or until a piece of pastry floats rapidly to the top when thrown in.

Gently add the crab samosas and deep fry until nicely browned. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel being careful not to eat them before you get them to the table for your guests.

Serve on their own or with your favourite Indian chutneys or pickles.

Be sure to let me know how you like these crab samosas!  Leave a comment and please don’t hesitate to ask questions!