Makes: 20 to 30 dumplings, enough for 5 to 10 servings
Time: About 1½ hours
This classic Indian pocket food is an amazing snack with great texture and flavor: tangy dough enriched with butter and yogurt, soft and spicy mashed potato filling speckled with peas. Traditionally, samosas are deep-fried, but baking them is far simpler and less messy, and you still get a satisfyingly crisp crust. If you miss the fried version, see the variation.
1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into ½-inch chunks. Put them in a saucepan and add water to cover. Turn the heat to high and boil them until soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, make the dough: Put the flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor; pulse for a couple of seconds to blend. Cut 4 tablespoons of the butter into bits, add it to the flour, and turn on the machine; let it run until the butter and flour are combined. Add the yogurt and pulse a few times. Then, with the machine running, add the ice water through the feed tube, adding more 1 tablespoon at a time if needed. The instant the dough forms a ball, stop adding water. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, knead it for a minute by hand, then cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and set aside.
3. Put the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium heat. Add the onion and the chile and cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add the cooked potatoes and the peas (drained if they’ve been sitting in water), raise the heat a little, and cook, stirring frequently, until the potatoes begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary; the mixture should be spicy but not fiery. Let cool while you roll out the dough.
4. Heat the oven to 350°F; grease a baking sheet with oil. Knead the dough for a few seconds, sprinkling it with a little flour if it’s too sticky. Break off a small piece of the dough (you’ll want to make 20 to 30 samosas, so judge accordingly) and roll it out on a lightly floured counter until it is a circle at least 3 inches in diameter. Make 5 or 6 circles, then fill them: Put 1 tablespoon or so of filling in the center, moisten the edge with a few drops of water, then fold over and seal. Transfer to the baking sheet about an inch apart and keep covered with a damp towel. Repeat until all the dough and filling are used up (use a second baking sheet if necessary).
5. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Serve immediately or at room temperature (but within 1 hour or so).
FRIED SAMOSAS When you’re about halfway through forming the samosas, put enough neutral oil to come to a depth of at least 2 inches in a large deep pan. The broader the pan, the more samosas you can cook at once, but the more oil you will use. Turn the heat to medium-high; you want the temperature to be at about 375°F when you start cooking. Fry the samosas a few at a time, turning if necessary, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels or paper bags.
BEEF OR LAMB SAMOSAS Omit the potatoes. To make the filling, heat 2 tablespoons butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, chile, garlic, ginger, curry, salt, and pepper as directed in Step 3. Add 12 ounces ground beef or lamb and cook, stirring, until the meat loses its color, about 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon, leaving all fat and other liquid in the pan. Stir ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro and the peas into the mixture and let cool while you roll out the dough.
LENTIL AND POTATO SAMOSAS For the filling, combine ½ cup dried brown lentils, 1¾ cups water or coconut milk, and 2 teaspoons curry powder in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer partially covered, stirring occasionally, until the lentils start to absorb the water, 15 minutes. Add 1 medium starchy potato, peeled and cut into chunks. Cover and cook undisturbed for 10 minutes or so, then stir gently and add a little more liquid if the lentils look dry. Add some salt as the lentils become tender. Cover and continue cooking until the lentils are soft and beginning to turn to mush and the potatoes are tender at the center, another 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in lots of black pepper. Drain the mixture well if it’s wet and let cool while you roll out the dough.