Ask any non-Indian person what food comes to mind when they think of Indians, and one of them will be the famous samosa (along with maybe the nonexistent “curry.”) The samosa is truly one of India’s favorite snacks – and for good reason too! Samosas go well with just about anything – whether it’s a glass of lassi or a cup of chai!
My favorite thing about samosas is that they are versatile as they are tasty. While a typical samosa is filled with potatoes, the concept of a savory pastry allows plenty of room for modification. Samosas are the perfect finger-food – and they can be filled with anything from channa dal to coconut!
In a tribute to all things fusion and fabulous, here’s a recipe for scrumptious spinach samosas with feta cheese. They’re baked too – so you can enjoy all of the deliciousness with none of the guilt!
Ingredients:
(Recipe makes about 20 samosas)
1 cup of chopped spinach (drained and thawed if frozen)
4 oz. of crumbled feta cheese
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
2 chopped green chilies
2 sheets of phyllo dough
Prep Time: 30 minutes. Total Time: 1 hour
How To:
1. Add the spinach, cheese, garlic, cilantro, and chilies to a large bowl.
2. Mix these ingredients thoroughly with a large spoon.
3. Prepare the phyllo dough by cutting it into 5-6 inch squares, or 4 x 6 inch rectangles if you want smaller samosas. Gently lay them on top of wax paper for a work surface. Be careful – the dough is very thin! You might want to use two layers of it if it keeps breaking.
4. Place a tablespoon of the spinach mixture into the middle of the square.
7. Fold the two bottom corners of the square inwards towards the center – as if you were making an upside-down paper airplane. Press gently along the lines where the two corners meet to seal the dough.
8. Fold the top of the square inwards towards the center. Press gently along the edge of the square to seal it with the rest of the dough.
9. Fold the loose corners inwards toward the center to form a triangular-esque shape. Again, press gently wherever you want to seal the dough.
10. Arrange the folded samosas on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
11. Using your fingers or a brush, gently brush olive oil all over the folded samosas.
12. Bake the samosas in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Check on them regularly and remove the baking pan from the oven if the dough starts to turn dark brown prematurely.
13. Remove the baking pan from the oven, and set the samosas to cool. When they are cool enough to lift from the foil, transfer them to a plate. Grab your favorite condiments or chutneys and chomp away!
YUM!
If you’re a spinach freak like me, keep your eyes out for a tasty spinach pakoda recipe that I’ll be sharing with all you lovely readers soon!
What are your favorite samosa fillings? Send your suggestions or questions to shriya@thebigfatindianwedding.com.