Samosas + Raita Dipping Sauce

This is a great recipe if you're looking for a dish to set out at a party. It's far more creative than chips and dip -- and it makes a ton. You can fry the samosas ahead of time and just warm them in the oven before you serve them. 


These also freeze well, so if you make the whole batch and you just eat a few, that's no problem. Just lay the unfried samosas on a cutting board in a single layer and stick them in the freezer for a couple of hours and then transfer them to a container until you're ready to use them.


If you don't want to use all of the potato mixture to make these little samosas, the mixture is great with some greens and tomatoes rolled up in a tortilla. It's like an Indian food burrito. If you're in a bit of a hurry, just serve it on rice with the raita, which tastes nearly as good but with a lot less work.


Samosas + Raita Dipping Sauce

1 tablespoon unsalted butter 
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup diced onion
1 tablespoon Maharajah curry powder (may substitute hot or sweet curry powder)
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups diced potato (about 3 medium, peeled)
1 can coconut milk (like Whole Foods 365 brand)
1/4 teaspoon green cardamom seeds (not the pods!)
1/4 teaspoon meti (fenugreek) seeds (optional)
1 cup frozen green peas (like Whole Foods 365 brand)
1 teaspoon cane sugar (like Whole Foods 365 brand)
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped golden raisins
sambal (to taste)
1 12-ounce package wonton wrappers
canola oil for frying
Raita Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)


In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the canola oil. Add the onion, curry powder, coriander, cumin, garlic, and salt. Cook while stirring constantly for about 4 minutes. Add the potato, coconut milk, cardamom, and meti seeds to the mix. Cook uncovered until potatoes are tender (about 10 minutes). Using a potato masher, mash the mixture. Add the peas, sugar, vinegar, and raisins to the mixture. Taste mixture and add enough sambal hot sauce to give it a little heat -- I used 1 teaspoon. Stir to incorporate. Set aside to cool.


Place 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the center of a wonton wrapper, dampen two edges with a tiny bit of water to help it seal, fold it into a triangle, and pinch the edges together to ensure a tight seal. It's best to use a small ice-cream scoop to transfer the filling, and it's very helpful to have a small bowl of water handy in order to help seal the samosas quickly.


In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat 1/2 inch of canola oil. Fry samosas in batches of 5 for just about 30 seconds per side or until golden and crispy. (Makes about 50.)


Raita Dipping Sauce

3/4 cup very finely diced cucumbers (peeled, seeded)
1 cup 2% Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cane sugar
1 tablespoon finely diced mint


In a medium bowl, mix the cucumbers, yogurt, salt, sugar, and mint until combined. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to serve. (Double the recipe if you plan on serving all 50 samosas at once.)