Samosa Skins

[Aix]

I've been trying to make samosas from scratch, with pretty good results so far. Julie Sahni's recipe for samosa skins came highly recommended. It contains flour, shortening, yogurt, water and salt.

My problem is that it doesn't come out blistered and super crispy. It's as smooth as a sheet of paper and only slightly crunchy.

I tried kneading more, I tried kneading less. No difference.

Any advice or better recipe?

[Suvir Saran]

I make my samosas with ghee. And yes like her recipe, these if flour, ghee, some salt and water.

I first knead the fat (preferably ghee) into the flour. It should be kneaded enough to ensure that most of the flour is greased. At that point you add enough water to knead into a tought mound.

Let me know if you did this.

A good samosa should be "Khasta" and not "karaara". Which means it ought to be flakey and not crisp.

What do you consider a good quality Samosa crust?

[torakris]

The first time I made samosas, I used Madhur Jaffrey's recipe with vegetable oil and according to the notations I wrote the crust was very flaky and I really enjoyed it, though I didn't care as much for the filling.

I know I just made these a year ago or so using a different recipe (which I can't remember at the moment) but I didn't like the pastry at all, I am assuming it was butter or shortening.

I have finally gotten my hands on some ghee and will try it again with that.

Any specific proportions?

After opening ghee does it stay at room temp for storage? For how long?

I don't really think of samosas as crispy rather a very flaky interior with a semi-hard shell.

[prasad2]

I have tried madhur jaffrey's recipe as well and I have one shared by a good friend and chef from Toronto. Here it is ! This Khastha (Flaky Crisp)

All purpose - 2.2 lbs

Hot Ghee or Dalda - 5 Oz

salt

Pinch of Ajwain

Cold Water - To make a stiff dough

Add salt and mix flour well. Add hot melted fat and work with clean fingertips till the mix resembles breadcrumbs. Add ajwain and water and prepare a stiff dough.

Refrigerate and then do the rest.

P

[Aix]

The first time I made it, the dough was quite comfortable to work with. In hindsight, I think it was too wet. When I tried it again, I cut back on the water and kneaded it to death to make a firmer dough.

The end product wasn't flaky in either case. In fact there was almost no difference.

Is there any reason to put yogurt in the dough? I suppose it makes it more tender as vinegar in a pie crust.

Am I imagining this? Shouldn't the exterior be slightly blistery?

Suvir, how would you describe the perfect samosa skin?

If anyone has pictures, it would probably help.

[Suvir Saran]

A good samosa should have small bubbles (are those what you are calling blisters?).

I am in Denver, not near my camera or a kitchen where I will be comfortable preparing samosas..... Sorry... I am sure another on this great forum can give you those.

Prasad, can you share pictures with us?

[Suvir Saran]

Ajowain (carom seeds) are great to add into the samosa flour.

Carom seeds are great for aiding in digestion. They help cut the grease and make the samosas feel lighther than they really are.

[Aix]

Small bubbles. Exactly!

I was quite inspired by some of your past posts on samosas, Suvir. You mentioned that samosas was about the crust more than the filling. I feel the same way. I won't rest until I get them right!

[Stone]

Aix -- I'm guessing that you're not cutting the shortening/ghee into the flour well-enough. I'm certainly no baker, but I think that's the way to get the blisters (great description) you're looking for.

[Suvir Saran]

Aix -- I'm guessing that you're not cutting the shortening/ghee into the flour well-enough.  I'm certainly no baker, but I think that's the way to get the blisters (great description) you're looking for.

And you are right on spot by speaking about the correct amount of cutting of shortening into the flour.

[Aix]

I rubbed the shortening into the flour quite thoroughly. Or at least, I think I did. There were no lumps of fat left to be seen.

Could it be a temperature problem? I was frying around 350'.

[Suvir Saran]

I rubbed the shortening into the flour quite thoroughly.  Or at least, I think I did.  There were no lumps of fat left to be seen.

Could it be a temperature problem?  I was frying around 350'.

350 degrees F is perfect in my book.

[Aix]

How long do you usually knead the dough for?

[Stone]

Just remember, the more dough a-you got, the more a-dough you a-gonna knead! (From Abbot and Costello, of course.)

[indiagirl]

Could be a not-enough-frying-oil problem?

A good inch or so above the samosa?

[prasad2]

I think 350 is a problem, I have always started them at 200 and went up. They come perfect.

Now Suvir, you asked for the photoes, I could do it with some technical help, I have a good digital Sony. I am a little bit busy for the weekend,early part of next week, YES SIR.

P

[Suvir Saran]

I think 350 is a problem, I have always started them at 200 and went up. They come perfect.

Now Suvir, you asked for the photoes, I could do it with some technical help, I have a good digital Sony. I am a little bit busy for the weekend,early part of next week, YES SIR.

P

Prasad,

Starting at 200 is not a very good idea. I am intrigued it works for you. Not often does it work as you describe.

Next week is just fine. Cannot wait to see the pictures you take. Thanks!

[prasad2]

I just reconfirmed from one of the chef's at Taj and he still thinks 170 to 180 to start samosas will give good Samosa Skin. Shall try this Thursday with photogarphs,

P2

Now I need a good filling. Any suggestions?

[Suvir Saran]

I just reconfirmed from one of the chef's at Taj and he still thinks 170 to 180 to start samosas will give good Samosa Skin. Shall try this Thursday with photogarphs,

P2

Now I need a good filling. Any suggestions?

Prasad, in India we use centigrade, and in the US we speak in Fahrenheit. Maybe that answers our concern... do you agree?

[prasad2]

I have the photographs of Samosa making, I am not quite a computer whiz so I am going to get some one to help me to post it.

It's on a sony digital with memory stick, if some one can walk me thru I could do it too.

P2

[indiachef]

A good samosa should not have bubbles. Bubbles normally appear where it is fried in hot oil. It would be almost impossible to find samosas without any bubbles. Infact bubbly samosas are considered to be a near perfect one.

Rarely anyone has samosas fried in cold oil as the Halwai cooks would do it when not in a hurry.

However samosas do end up having a large broken bubble or two.

[piazzola]

Most pastries I have tried soak up some quantity of oil and do nto stay crispy for too long.

Does anyone know what ingredients to use to get a good pastry for deep frying and stays crisp for sometime

Thanks

[BarbaraY]

I find that Samosa pastry will soak up a certain amount of oil but shouldn't be greasy. My favorite recipe for Samosas is by Julie Sahni. It appeared in the March/April 1998 Fine Cooking magazine and is slightly different than the one in her book.

It is made with 1 1/4 cups flour

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

2 tablespooons plain yogurt mixed with 1/4 cup water

I think the secret is in rubbing the fat well into the flour, not cutting it in as in western pastry and a lengthy kneading period.

I once mixed it like wesatern pastry and it was wasn't right.

Many places nowadays are making Samosas with won ton skins. They do get crisper but I prefer the traditional version.

[Wendy DeBord]

I haven't tried the recipe BarbaraY just posted from Julie Sahni, but I do make the recipe from Julie S.'s book and I think it's fabulous. For the record the book is Classic Indian Cooking, by Julie Sahni, published in 1980 by William Morrow and Company. The crust remained crisp for me until I refridgerated the finished samosa for a couple days. It was easily recrisped by baking it in a hot oven.

Pg. 126 Samosa Pastry Dough:

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. kosher salt

4 tbsp. veg. shortening

6-7 tbsp. cold water

The difference between making this pastry and pie pastry is that you rub the fat into the flour until all the particles of flour are evenly coated. Technically this method of mixing fat and flour would create a "mealy" crust verses a flaky crust.

Dirrections: mix together the salt and flour in a bowl. Place your shortening in it and with your hands rub back and forth the fat and flour until there are no more lumps of fat visable. Then add your cold water. I would add the 6 tbsp. all at once and mix the dough together with my hands. If it didn't come together into a mass (was still too dry) I'd sprinkle on the 7th tbsp. of water and mix until the dough came together as one.

Ms. Sahni also gives instructions to mix this in a cusinart.

I can't imagine liking a samosa made with wonton skins...........I think this crust is so much a part of what makes a samosa good.

[anzu]

Wonton skins - heresy. The traditional crust is the best bit of the samosa.