Recipe: Pillow Samosas
Here is the recipe for making Big Cook Little Cook's Pillow Samosas.
- 550g self raising flour, plus a little extra for dusting surface
- 120ml sunflower oil
- 150ml cold water
- 500g potatoes, peeled and cooked
- A small bowl of peas
- 1 medium onion, chopped finely
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 teaspoons of turmeric
- A handful of fresh coriander, chopped
- 1 egg for glazing, optional. This recipe is vegan without the egg glaze
- Chopping board
- Sharp knife
- Frying pan
- Large mixing bowl
- Potato masher
- Saucepan
- Rolling pin
- Pastry brush
- Baking tray
- Butter knife
Method
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and baking powder, then using very clean fingers rub in 120ml of sunflower oil until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Pour in 150ml of cold water, bringing it together with your clean hands into a rough dough. If the dough feels too dry, you can add a splash of water.
Cover with a clean damp tea towel and leave to rest for 30 minutes. It is important to let the pastry rest so it is easier to roll out later.
Preheat the oven to 180潞C / 160 fan /gas mark 4.
While you wait for the pastry, heat some oil in a frying pan and add the onion, the garlic and the spices. Cook gently until the onions are soft. This is a hob job so ask your grown up helper for help because the hob will be hot, hot, hot!
Add the peas and carry on cooking gently for 2 minutes. Then remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mash the cooked potatoes, you will need strong arms for this! Then add the cooled pea mixture and the chopped coriander and mix together.
Start rolling out the pastry on a clean-floured chopping board. It should be the thickness of a pound coin.
Carefully cut out rectangular pillow shapes from the pastry using a butter knife. Each samosa pillow will need a top and a bottom, so make sure they are all roughly the same size! You can reroll any leftover dough to make more pillows.
Take a spoonful of the pea mixture and place it in the middle of one half of the pastry pillow. You don鈥檛 want to overfill the pillows or they will be lumpy!
Place the top piece on top, and seal the edges by pressing firmly all the way around. You could use a splash of water or milk to seal. Then use a fork to press the edges together and create a frilly pillow pattern.
Repeat this process until you have run out of pastry and filling.
You can glaze your samosa pillows with a whisked egg, so they bake golden brown in the oven. This is optional.
For an extra royal decoration, use any bits of leftover pastry to make crowns to decorate your pillows. Stick these on with a splash of water or milk.
Carefully place all your pillows on a well-oiled baking tray and bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown.