Valentine's Day Observed

Jamey makes me samosas for special occasions. Samosas are hands-down my favorite food. This is very ironic because in general, I hate fried foods. Except for samosas and homemade donuts, that is.

The other day, I hinted to Jamey that it had been a long time since he had made me samosas. He hinted back that Valentine's Day was coming up. I hinted back to him that on Valentine's Day we would have a house full of family here to celebrate birthdays. Hmmm.

Next thing I knew, I found "Valentine's Day Observed" written on our calendar in this past Friday's little square. My mouth started watering instantly.

When he makes samosas, we almost always feed the kids and put them to bed early so we can enjoy dinner without them. I pitched in this time so we could eat sooner- I need food when I need food these days. Here's what you do.


First, you mix up and saute this wonderful blend of spices, peas, diced potatoes, garlic and venison (you can replace the venison with beef or additional potatoes and peas).


At the same time, you combine 1/2 cup cider vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 3 tbsp. brown sugar, 1-2 garlic cloves (minced or peeled and scored) and 1 tsp. salt in a small saucepan. Heat it up and stir to dissolve the sugar. Let it cool and set it aside. We use Moosewood Cookbook's recipe for Samosa Dipping Sauce.

Then, you mix up the dough and roll it out into ovals on the counter.

Fill half of the oval with about a tablespoon of the sauted filling.

Dampen the edge with water (using your finger), fold the other side over and crimp the edges with a fork to make a tight seal.

Then, gulp, fry them up.

The hardest thing about this recipe is waiting for the samosas to cool. Several times I have burned my mouth biting into these beauties. Thanks, dear. I love special occasions:-).

Samosas (recipe from Extending the Table, Kenya)

Pastry:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup water
1 tbsp. oil
Aim for slightly moist dough. Knead until smooth, 3-5 minutes. Cover with damp cloth until ready to roll out.

Filling:
2 onions, finely chopped
1 lb. lean beef (or venison)
Saute onions and beef in a little oil until beef is cooked. Then, add:
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. curry powder
1 medium potato, finely chopped or grated
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom (optional)
2 tbsp. raisins (optional)
ground red pepper or chopped chili peppers to taste (optional)

Simmer about 10 minutes until vegetables are cooked through and flavors blended. Drain thoroughly.

Once samosas are assembled (see above), heat about two inches of oil in a heavy saucepan to about 360 degrees F (185 C). Fry samosas a few at a time until golden brown and crisp on each side, about 3-4 minutes, turning 2-3 times. Drain on a paper towel. Makes about 28 samosas. Serve with dipping sauce.

We often have filling leftover, so we freeze it. Next time we want samosas, all we have to do is thaw the filling and mix up the pastry and dipping sauce. Pin It