Easy Samosas and Chutney

Basically the only appetizer I know how to make are samosas and an accompanying chutney. Traditionally, samosas are a crust of buttery, flaky pastry, filled with spicy potatoes and peas, and deep fried. But making the crust takes too long, and deep frying takes forever too. Not to mention it's horrible for your arteries. Anyway, here I present an easier method for samosas. Which may or may not be any healthier. But at least time is saved!


Puff Pastry Samosas
Yield: 30 samosas

For the filling:
3 medium-large russet potatoes
1/4 c frozen peas
vegetable oil
1/2 tsp ginger paste
2 thai green chilis
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp gaharam masala
1/2 tsp salt
cilantro (optional)

For the crust:
1 package puff pastry sheets (2 sheets)
all purpose flour


1. Preheat oven to 400degrees. Remove the puff pastry sheets from the freezer to start thawing.
2. Peel the potatoes and cube them very small (1/4-1/2" cubes)
3. Coat a skillet with oil and heat over medium-high
4. When the oil is hot, add the ginger and the green chilis and stir
5. After ~30 sec, add the potatoes and the remaining spices. Stir the potatoes to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add a few tablespoons of water and stir again. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover.
6. Allow the potatoes to cook almost completely. When the potatoes are almost cooked through, add the peas. Keep cooking, adding water if necessary, until the potatoes are completely cooked. If desired, add some chopped cilantro to the filling. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Remove the green chilis from the filling and discard.
7. At this point, check on the puff pastry sheets. If they are defrosted enough to roll with a rolling pin, place 1/3 of one sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll with a rolling pin lengthwise until the puff pastry is ~15 inches long. Cut into 5-3"x3" squares. In the center of each square, place 1 heaping teaspoonful of the potato filling. Fold the puff pastry square in half by connecting two distant corners (make a triangle) and seal shut with your fingers. Place each triangle on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat these steps with each strip of puff pastry sheet.
8. Once you've made 30 samosas, bake them at 400degrees for ~10 min, until beginning to "puff." Flip the cookie sheets to maximize even cooking. Bake for another 10min or so, until the samosas are just golden brown. Serve immediately with cilantro-coconut chutney, below. If you can't finish all the samosas (or if you don't let yourself finish them because of all the butter in the puff pastry...), you can freeze them. Allow to come to room temperature, and then reheat in the oven.


Coconut-cilantro Chutney
Yield: ~4-6 cups of chutney - a lot!
1 lb fresh frozen coconut (can be found in an Indian store, maybe in some grocery stores)
2 bunches cilantro, coarsely chopped
8 thai green chilies, finely chopped
salt to taste
mayonnaise to taste

Combine the coconut, cilantro, and chilies in a food processor and pulse to blend. Try to make the mixture fine, but don't blend for too long because the cilantro will develop a bitter flavor. Remove from food process into a large bowl. Add mayonnaise until the consistency and spiciness of the chutney is as desired. Add salt if necessary. You can freeze the coconut-cilantro-chili mixture if you aren't going to eat all of the chutney within 3-5 days.