The best samosas

Ingredients:

Pies

• 3 cups premium flour
• 2 tsp Ajowan (optional, see Note)
• 3/4 tsp fine salt
• 9 tbsp vegetable oil + more as needed
• 3/4 cup cold water
• Tamarind sauce or chutney, to serve

Filling

• 4 Russet Burbank potatoes (about 900 g), peeled and cut into 2.5 cm pieces.
• Half a medium onion, chopped
• 4 cm ginger root, peeled and chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 small or 1 1/2 large serrano peppers (with seeds), stems removed
• 3 tablespoons of water
• 3 tbsp. store-bought or homemade ghee or vegetable oil, see recipe below
• 1 tsp. black mustard seeds (see note)
• 0.5 tsp cumin seeds
• 0.5 tsp garam masala (see note)
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 0.5 cup cooked green peas
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 0.5 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Guy

• 450 g unsalted butter
• Special equipment: gauze, optional

Preparation:

1. Dough:
   
   Whisk together the flour, ajowan (if using), and salt in a bowl. Add the vegetable oil and rub it into the flour mixture with your hands until fully incorporated. Stir with a wooden spoon, gradually adding water until a rough dough forms. Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead until soft and pliable, about 3 minutes. Brush with a small amount of vegetable oil, about 1 teaspoon, and place the dough on a plate, covering it with a damp towel. Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour or overnight.
2. Filling:
   
   Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water to a depth of about 2 inches (5 cm), and season with salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, transfer the potatoes to a bowl, and set aside to cool slightly. Lightly mash the potatoes with a fork.
3. Meanwhile, in a small food processor, combine the onion, ginger, garlic, chili and 1 tablespoon water and process until it forms a paste.
4. In a large skillet, heat the ghee over medium heat. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the onion paste, salt, garam masala, and turmeric and cook, stirring, for about 4 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring and lightly mashing with a wooden spoon until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the peas. Remove the filling from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, finely chopped cilantro, and the remaining 2 tablespoons water.
5. Assembling samosas:
   
   Divide the dough into 10 pieces. Using your hands, roll each piece into a small ball. On a floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll each ball into a 18 cm (7 in) disk. Cut each disk in half.
6. Place a small bowl of water nearby. Working with one piece of dough at a time, fold half of the straight edge up to the rounded side and moisten the outer edge with a little water. Fold the other half up to form a cone, overlapping it with the other side by 0.5 cm.
7. Pinch the edges to seal. Hold the cone in one hand and fill it with about 1/4 cup of potato filling. Lightly moisten the inside of the rounded edge and fold it over the filling to enclose it. Press all edges together to seal the filling. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make 20 samosas.
8. Pour about 5 cm of vegetable oil into a large, wide, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place over medium heat and heat to 180°C on a deep-fry thermometer.
9. Fry the samosas, a few at a time, until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer them to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain excess oil. Serve immediately with tamarind sauce or your favorite chutney.
10. Clarified butter (ghee):
    
    In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Skim off any white foam that rises to the surface, being careful not to scoop up the yellow fat, and discard. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until all the water has evaporated and the white butterfat has browned on the bottom, about 8 minutes.
11. Line a sieve with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and pour the ghee into a container, reserving the brown sediment for another use. Use the ghee immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Yield: about 2 tbsp.
    
    Note
    
    Ajowan seeds can be purchased at spice markets or Southeast Asian food stores. They add texture and a subtle flavor to dough with hints of nuts and anise.
    
    Garam masala is an Indian spice blend typically containing cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, peppercorns, and cumin. It can be purchased in spice aisles or Indian grocery stores.
    
    Black mustard seeds can be purchased at spice markets or Southeast Asian stores. They are the hottest of all mustard seeds. You can substitute them with brown or yellow mustard seeds.