Samosas with Quick Flaky Pastry

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Yield: 20 to 24 small samosas
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A simple butter and flour pastry lends itself to a myriad of filling possibilities. For these samosas, a savory filling of onions, potatoes and curry is brightened by the sweetness of peas creating … More »

Samosas with Quick Flaky Pastry

star rating (7) rate this recipe »
Hands-on time:
Baking time:
Total time:
Yield: 20 to 24 small samosas
Published: 08/12/2011

Ingredients

Quick Flaky Pastry

  • 2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, chilled
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Filling

  • 2 cups cooked potatoes, drained and cubed
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cumin, to taste
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce, to taste (optional)
  • salt, pepper to taste
  • egg wash for brushing pastries

Tips from our bakers

  • A food processor makes this dough in a snap. Add the flour, salt and half of the butter to the work bowl fitted with the steel blade. Pulse until the mix resembles granola. Add the rest of the butter and pulse briefly. Dribble in the ice water with the machine running until the dough forms a mass. Chill as directed.
  • Sriracha, aka Rooster Sauce can be purchased in larger grocery stores, or in Asian markets. It packs quite a punch so use it sparingly at first.
  • To make egg wash, whisk one egg with 1 teaspoon of water and a pinch of salt. Eggs in a carton, such as Egg Beaters, makes an excellent egg wash.

Directions

see this recipe's blog »

1) Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in half of the chilled butter with a pastry blender until the butter/flour mixture resembles granola. Work quickly to keep the butter as cold as possible.

2) Dice the remaining butter and add to the butter/flour mixture in the bowl. Work in the new butter until it is the size of dried cranberries. You can flatten the pieces slightly with your fingers as you go along, creating leaves of butter coated in flour.

3) Sprinkle about half of the ice water over the butter/flour and work gently, adding more water as needed until the dough forms a rough mass. Knead the dough for about 30 seconds.

4) Divide the dough in half and press gently into 2 discs. You should still be able to see bits of butter in the dough. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. You can keep the dough in the fridge up to overnight if desired.

5) While the dough is chilling, prepare the filling. Melt the butter in a medium-sized saute pan. Add the onions and garlic, cooking for two to 3 minutes until the onions turn translucent. Take care not to burn the garlic.

6) Add the curry powder and cumin and saute for an additional minute. Add the potatoes and turn to coat well in the spices. Cook and break up the potatoes for a few more minutes. You can mash the filling smooth at this time, or leave pieces of potato according to your preference.

7) Taste the filling for seasoning, adjust with salt and pepper and Sriracha hot sauce if desired. Remove from the heat and stir in the peas, taking care not to break them up too much.

8) Allow the filling to cool to just barely warm. When you are ready to roll your dough, preheat the oven to 400°F and line two half sheet pans with parchment paper.

9) Working with one disc at a time, roll the chilled dough to 1/8" thick. Cut circles of dough with a sharp edged round 3" cutter. Place 2 tablespoons of filling onto each round and fold the dough into half moons. Use a touch of water to help seal the rounds if needed.

10) Use a fork to seal the edges of each samosa. Place on the parchment-lined sheet and brush with egg wash to coat. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until deep golden brown. Serve hot with yogurt or sour cream for dipping.

*the filling recipe is very generous. If you have leftover filling, it can be frozen for up to one month, or served in tortillas for a quick lunch.

Reviews

1
  • star rating 02/09/2012
  • carolynspeerschmidt from KAF Community
  • This review is for the crust only, and prepared using the alternate (food processor) method. Yay! This is great. The crust took more of the water than I think I would have used had I been using KA's "patented" spray bottle/parchment method, but the final dough was a breeze to work with. Once it came together in the processor, which it did suddenly so pay attention, it looked like a sugar cookie dough to me. I chilled as directed and then cut into 3" rounds. To fill, I rolled each round to an "Easter egg" shape, chilled again, and then put a tablespoon (I don't know how they get 2 T of filling in theirs!) of cooled meat filling in the bottom left "quadrant" of the dough. That let me fold and pinch together on the right side, pick up the package like an ice cream cone, and pinch shut all around. I then crimped with a fork as directed. The outcome puffs a bit and has flaky layers and this made the whole package strain at the seams a bit like a balloon so the "petticoat" frill of the fork crimp was largely gone, but they held at the edges without water glueing them together. I used the egg was with carton eggs as suggested here. MARVELOUS outcome. I wonder if these could be assembled and then frozen before baking for later use? Thanks KA for your fabulous recipes!
    Yes! The blog states you can fill, fold and freeze! Actually here is the text: Fold over the dough and pinch the samosa closed with your fingers. For added insurance you can use the tines of a fork to seal the edges as well. Again, brush with egg wash, if desired; it?ll give the samosas a shiny/golden crust. FREEZING: At this point, you can freeze the filled samosas before baking. Just put the whole tray in the freezer until they are solid, then store in a labeled zip lock bag for 4 to 6 weeks. To bake, place the frozen pastries on a baking sheet and pop them into a pre-heated oven. Add a few minutes to the baking time. Happy Baking! Irene @ KAF
  • 02/01/2012
  • mrudd784 from KAF Community
  • Any idea how these would do if made ahead then brushed with egg wash and baked? Would they keep in the fridge over night without getting soggy? Thanks!
    Be sure to space them out on a tray with parchment so they don't merge and stick together. They should be fine overnight in the fridge. ~Amy
  • star rating 10/26/2011
  • echavlik from KAF Community
  • Searching for something new and savory to take our block party last weekend, I found this recipe and was immediately drawn to it and the simplicity. It did not disappoint! The crust is lovely and the filling was tasty. We will enjoy trying endless varieties of fillings in the future. Thank you once again for an awesome recipe!
    Thanks for the savory tip, it will be helpful to many during the upcoming holiday baking season. Happy Baking! Irene @ KAF
  • star rating 09/25/2011
  • ancameni from KAF Community
  • I have only made the crust and used a meat pie filling. Otherwise i followed instructions. So the rating is for the recipe minus the potato curry filling. the crust is delicious. It is flaky, and butter and tender. Easy to do and cutting the samosas and crimping them took no time at all. The crust rolls out easy. I will make them again but vary the filling, maybe a pepperoni filling or a spinach filling sounds really great. I can only recommend it.
  • star rating 08/29/2011
  • maryholm from KAF Community
  • Yum! Even better than the ones we get from the local Indian take out place. Even the kids loved them with a little cilantro-cumin yogurt to dip in.
  • 08/24/2011
  • myniyer265 from KAF Community
  • Curry powder? For shame! No self-respecting Indian cook would use a prepackaged "curry powder" blend. When I make potato pea curry I use ginger, green chili, cumin, coriander and turmeric. Garam masala can also be added but this is also a spice blend which an Indian cook would make ahead and keep ready.
    Thanks for helping the spice-challenged to make this a more traditional tasting recipe! We appreciate your expertise. Irene @ KAF
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