I already raved about my love of fall last week, but I just can’t stop. Fall brings so many wonderful things, and near the top of that list is the return of baking season. From mid-October to sometime in April, our oven is pretty much always on. All summer I live in anticipation of the time when I can return to baking desserts, roasting root vegetables, making bread, cooking lasagnas, baking casseroles that will last all week, and just generally making the house smell like people who love to cook and bake live here. I’ve dusted off my apron, refilled the flour and sugar, and I’m ready to create. And eat. Let’s not forget the eating.
One of the first things I wanted to start with this fall was a homemade samosa. Samosas are hearty and filling and I really can’t get enough. We don’t go out for Indian food that often, but when we do I pretty much always order a samosa appetizer. But I’m really not inclined to deep fry in our house so I tried to come up with an alternative method that involved baking. I ended up with this puff pastry based samosa pie and it was delicious! So delicious that I’ve made it several times in the last few weeks. The puff pastry is definitely different that the typical oil-based samosa dough that is then deep fried, but I think the flaky butter crust really complemented the potato filling and spices. The filling itself definitely tastes very similar to a vegetarian samosa from an Indian restaurant. You could certainly add meat or adapt the vegetables in the filling if you’d like, but I like to keep it fairly simple.
We enjoyed this with a side of veggies for dinner, but you could also cut it into smaller squares (or make small individual squares!) and serve as an appetizer. Either way, you really can’t go wrong.
Samosa pie
Ingredients
- 1 package puff pastry, defrosted following package instructions
- 2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup chopped cauliflower florets
- ½ large onion, diced
- 3 tsp cumin powder
- 1½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp ginger powder
- ½ – 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- salt to taste
- vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- water
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Heat 3-4 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add the potatoes and saute for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chopped onions, cauliflower florets, peas, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, ginger, and cayenne (if using). Saute for 6 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add 1 cup of water to the pan, lower heat to medium-low, then cover. Check on the pan every few minutes, and stir well. You will want to continue to cook the mixture until the potatoes are fully cooked and the water has been absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Once potatoes are cooked, add salt to taste and let the mixture cool.
Meanwhile, roll one sheet of puff pastry into a 12 inch square. Pile the cooled potatoes into an even layer on top of the puff pastry, leaving a one inch border.
Make an egg wash by beating the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the border with the egg wash.
Roll the second sheet of puff pastry into a 12 inch square and lay on top of the first square, lining up the edges as best as possible. Brush the top with egg wash, cut 3 slits for steam to escape, and place in the fridge for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, use a knife or pizza cutter to trim the edges to make a clean edge. Use a fork to make light indentations around the edges of the square.
Place in the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown, turning once halfway through. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then cut into squares.