Puff Pastry Samosas with Green Peas (Matar Kee Patty)
Adapted from American Masala: 125 New Classics From My Home Kitchen (Clarkson Potter, 2007)
“These are quick samosas using a frozen, commercial puff pastry instead of the traditional samosa dough. You can use cubed boiled potatoes in place of the peas, too, or combine the two vegetables if you like. I have fond memories of standing in line in school at our lunch break to buy myself some samosas like these. When I moved to the United States (where I was still in school), this was the first Indian recipe I made. I always have homemade chutneys in the refrigerator to serve with this; a couple of store-bought chutneys will work, too, and make the recipe even easier. You’ll need only one sheet of pastry for this recipe. Put the remaining pastry back in the freezer for the next time you want to make samosas.“ –Suvir Saran
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 (9- to 10-ounce) package frozen petite peas
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons green chutney or store-bought
- 1 tablespoon tamarind chutney or store-bought
- 1 pound frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg whisked with a pinch of salt, for glaze
Method
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Combine the oil and cumin in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until the cumin begins to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the peas and the salt, and cook, covered, until the peas soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the chutneys. Let cool.
Lay a sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Cut the sheet into thirds along the lines of the folds. Roll one of the thirds to a 6 x 12-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle crosswise into thirds to make three smaller rectangles. Brush all around the edges of each with egg glaze. Spoon a generous tablespoon of peas in the center. Fold the top of the rectangle down so that it meets the bottom layer 1 to 1 1/2 inches above the bottom edge and makes a triangle. Fold the bottom up and tuck the overhang over. Press gently to seal. Put on a baking sheet and brush with the egg glaze. Repeat to make two more turnovers. Then roll out and fill six more turnovers.
Bake until crisp, 18 to 20 minutes. Serve hot.
Yield
9 turnovers
