Indian food has a very distinct flavor pallet that requires a lot of spices you can't always get at your regular grocery store...masala being the biggest one. Masala can be fudged (to a certain extent) since it is just a mix of other toasted and ground spices. However, who really wants to go out and buy coriander, turmeric, cumin, cardamom, and ginger and then combine them in just the right combination? Searching the state for masala is actually the saner decision.
However, I decided it was time to just get over it and try my hand at some Indian food. And, I was able to find two different types of masala. Where? BED BATH AND BEYOND! That store continues to amaze me while also being the devil. If you are able to go into that store and walk out with only the items you originally intended to purchase, you just might be my new idol. I went in there a couple of months ago for a bath towel, shower curtain, and bath mat. I left with a bath towel, shower curtain, and bath mat, and a cutting board, cardamom pods, juniper berries, and a tiny jar of clotted cream. Don't ask. This is just what happens when I am allowed to shop unsupervised.
So, what did my magic discover of garam masala at Bed Bath & Beyond mean? It meant I was going to try my hand at samosas. I decided to be a bit non-traditional with the filling and went with a chickpea masala. I also decided to be a bit healthier and baked them instead of frying. They tasted fine baked, but the texture and color is very different than if you fried them. Regardless, they made a great appetizer.
Indian Chickpea Samosas
Ingredients:
Dough
2 c. all purpose flour
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 c. cold water
1/2 tsp. salt
Filling
4 cans (15.5 oz each) chickpeas
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 lg onion - chopped
2 Tbsp ginger paste
1/4 tsp. garam masala
2 lg tomatoes - diced
3 c. water
2 cardamom pods - toasted and ground
1/4 tsp. turmeric
8 garlic cloves - minced
Directions:
Dough
Mix flour and salt. Add oil and, using your hands, rub ingredients together to form fine crumbles. Add water and begin kneading. Continue kneading and adding water, a couple tablespoons at a time, until you have a firm dough. Cover with a damp towel and set aside for 30 minutes.
Filling
Heat oil in a pot on medium high. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger, cooking until the onion is soft.
Stir in the spices, water, tomatoes, and chickpeas.
Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the chickpeas are very soft - about 20 minutes. Once soft, use a potato masher to mash up the chickpeas a bit then cook another 5 - 10 minutes on medium high, uncovered, to thicken the sauce.
Making the samosas
Preheat oven to 350F.
Lightly knead the dough then divide into 20 equal portions. Now, 20 makes these very tiny. I was making them for an event and so I wanted them to be bite sized. In normal circumstances, you would only want to divide into 8 or 10 equal portions.
Roll out each piece, then cut in half.
Wet the cut edge with water and create a cone.
Fill cone and then wet the cone along its circumference and seal. Because this filling has a fair amount of liquid, I used a slotted spoon.
Alright, so if you didn't realize, the dough in the last two photos does not look like the dough in the first photo. The original pictures did not come out well and since I had a ton of chickpea masala leftover I made more. Round two however was made with store bought pizza dough. Yea, yea, yea, I was feeling lazy. But, now you get the idea what these babies should look like.
After you've sealed the pockets, place onto a baking sheet. Brush them lightly with oil.
Place in preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly golden.
I was quite happy with these, especially attempting a type of food I do not ever make. The dough was on the softer side. If you want there to be a bit more crunch, but still not fried, I would turn the heat up on the oven.
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