portion Sweet and Sour Tamarind Sauce (page 7)
Oil, for deep-frying
Filling
3 tablespoons oil, or ghee
1 onion, diced
1 ripe tomato, diced
2 green finger-length chillies, deseeded and diced
3 cm (1 in) fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
300 g (10 oz) minced lamb or mutton
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
2 stalks coriander leaves, chopped
20 g (½ cup) mint leaves, or 20 leaves, chopped
100 ml (2/5 cup) water
Pastry
300 g (2 cups) flour, sifted
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter, or ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
9 tablespoons cold water
Flour, for dusting
1 Prepare the Sweet and Sour Tamarind Sauce following the instructions on page 7.
2 To make the Filling, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and stir-fry the onion until lightly browned, 1–2 minutes. Add the tomato, chilli, ginger, chilli powder, turmeric and garam masala, and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the mutton and bay leaves and stir-fry for 3–5 minutes, then add all the other ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the meat is quite dry, 10–15 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3 To make the Pastry, combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the butter or ghee and cumin seeds and mix well. Gradually add the cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and work the mixture into a stiff dough. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and roll each portion into a ball. Roll out each dough ball on a floured surface to form a thin circle. Cut each circle in half, then lift it up and roll it into a cone, pressing the sides together with your fingers to seal it.
4 Fill each cone with 3 tablespoons of the Filling. Dab a little water on the open ends of the cone and press together to seal it. Set aside on a plate. Continue to make the samosas with the remaining ingredients. Lightly dust the samosas with flour to prevent them from sticking to the plate or to each other.
5 Heat the oil in a wok or saucepan until very hot. Reduce the heat to medium and deep-fry the samosas for 3–5 minutes until golden brown on all sides. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Serve hot with a dipping bowl of Sweet and Sour Tamarind Sauce on the side.
Makes 16 samosas
Preparation time: 30 mins + time to make dipping sauce
Cooking time: 35 mins
Dal Fritters (Ulunthu Vadai)
300 g (1½ cups) urad dal, washed and soaked for 5 hours, then drained
½ teaspoon asafoetida powder
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
1½ teaspoons salt
100 ml (2/5 cup) water
1 cm (½ in) fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
2 green finger-length chillies, deseeded and diced
2 stalks coriander leaves, chopped
10 curry leaves, chopped
Oil, for deep-frying
Green finger-length chillies, to serve
1 portion Mint or Coriander Chutney (page 7)
1 Prepare the Mint or Coriander Chutney following the recipe on page 7.
2 Grind the dal, asafoetida powder, black peppercorns, salt and water to a smooth batter in a blender. Pour into a large bowl, add all the other ingredients except the oil, green chillies and chutney, and mix until well blended.
3 Heat the oil in a wok or saucepan over medium heat until hot. Moisten a metal spatula and place 1 heaped tablespoon of the batter on it. Using moist fingers, flatten the batter into a small disk and make a hole in the centre like a doughnut. Quickly invert the spatula into the oil and shake it gently to release the batter. Deep-fry the batter for about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from the hot oil and drain on paper towels. Serve with green chillies and a dipping bowl of Mint or Coriander Chutney on the side.
Makes 18 pieces
Preparation time: 30 mins + time for making chutney
Cooking time: 20 mins
Vegetable Fritters (Kaikari Vadai)
300 g (2 cups) flour
80 g (2/3 cup) rice flour
1 tablespoon semolina
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
300 ml (1¼ cups) water
125 g (4 oz) leeks, minced
150 g (5 oz) cauliflower, coarsely grated
4 spring onions, chopped
2 green finger-length chillies, deseeded, sliced
2 onions, sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon minced fennel
1 teaspoon salt
Oil, for deep-frying
1 portion Sweet Mango and Tomato Chutney (page 4)
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