Sweet and spicy is the theme of this savory delight. Almost every country has its own stuffed baked or fried pastry and samosas are probably the most famous of Indian pastries.
Vegetarian varieties normally include a filling of potatoes or lentils and the non-vegetarian options include some type of ground meat. Samosas are very similar to the Spanakopita of Greek cuisine, the Sambusas of Ethiopian food, and the Spanish empanadas. This recipe gives the traditional pastry gets a refreshing makeover with fresh apples and raisins. The light searing of the pastry gets rid of a large portion of fat without compromising on crispiness and flavor.
Savory Apple Samosas
For the pastry dough
11/4 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons vegetable oil or shortening
10 tablespoons water
For the filling
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup golden raisins or sultanas
1/2 teaspoon black sea salt
1/2 teaspoon dried ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon corn flour
juice of half a lemon
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
honey for serving
For the pastry
Knead all the ingredients of the dough till it comes together in a large ball. You might need to add more water depending on the flour and humidity. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 30minutes. At this point the pastry can be stored for up to a day ahead and the samosas made the next day.
For the filling
In a mixing bowl, toss together the apples, raisins, lemon juice, cornflour, sugar, and all of the spices. Fold gently and refrigerate for about 20 minutes. This can also be prepared a day ahead and left covered with cling film and stored overnight in the refrigerator.
Assembling the samosas
Spread some flour out on a clean and dry surface. Using the palms of your hands, roll out 1/2 inch balls. With a rolling pin, flatten the ball out into a thin circle and using a very little flour when you roll them out. The edges of the pastry do not need to be perfect because you will fold them over each other. With a flat knife create two semicircles from the large pastry circle. Take one pastry semicircle and make a cone by the folding the center of the semicircle along the length of the diameter. Seal the ends of the pastry with water. Fill the pastry cone with the apple filling and fold the open ends of the cone over each other and seal with water. Repeat the assembly to make more apple samosas.
Heat the vegetable oil in a pan on a medium flame. Sear each side of the samosa for about 1 minute and then transfer to a baking sheet pre-lined with parchment paper. Bake the samosas in an oven preheated to 350°F for about 30 minutes or till completely golden and crispy. Serve hot with honey.