Here at the MoaAlm Mountain Retreat, even though we are based in the Austrian Alps, we absolutely love cooking Indian food. It’s really perfect when you don’t have too many fresh ingredients as a lot of food is based on legumes, pulses and different spices. Cooking your first Indian dinner can freak you out because the list of ingredients seems so long, but once you have the main Indian spices in your store cupboard it’s not as difficult as it sounds. You just need to follow the instructions!
Normally samosas are deep fried but we like it a healthier option – baked ones! They can be a great side dish or a starter or even a picnic treat. We were serving them this winter with our Coconut and Turmeric Dhal. Our guests really appreciated the warming spices of these dishes after a day of snowshoeing.
• 4 big potatoes
• 1 cup of frozen green peas
• Splash of olive oil
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• ½ fennel seeds
• 1tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 2 ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup water
• 2 juiced small lemons
• 4 stalks of spring onion
For the dough:
• 1 cup of whole wheat flour
• 1 cup of white flour
• 2tbsp starch
• 4tbsp corn flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
•2tbsp of olive oil
• 1cup of water
First prepare your filling. Dice your potatoes into small cubes and boil them. Once mushy and soft, mash them, sprinkle salt, mix in thawed frozen peas and thinly diced spring onion. Put it aside.
In the frying pan, add a splash of oil and fry the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds on medium heat until they all start ’jumping’ (around 30 seconds).
Then add the minced garlic and fresh ginger and fry it for 2-3minutes until soft and golden. Add the rest of the spices, together with a splash of water and mix it well, constantly stirring.
Add potato mix and lemon juice and mix it all well. Cook for another 5minutes and then put it aside.
Now prepare the dough. Mix all the dry ingredients together and whisk well. Add the oil, mix it, it will be crumble consistency, then add the water and combine it all. Knead for a minute or 2 and once the dough is quite elastic, leave it aside (oiled so it doesn’t dry) for 10 minutes.
Then roll it into a long sausage shape and cut it into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a circular shape and then cut it in half. You should have 24 halves in total.
Then add the potato mix and seal it into triangle shape. I like using brush and water for the corners to stick better.
Preheat your oven 200 C degrees, oil the samosas then bake it for 10 minutes, turn them around and bake for another 15 minutes until they are a nice golden colour.
We love eating samosas with any kind of quick chutneys. Our favourite chutney this winter at MoaAlm, is a Tamarind and Date. Sweet, sticky and very addictive!
• 10 soft dates without a stone (if you don’t have soft ones, soak them for about 30 minutes in hot water)
• 2 ½tbsp tamarind paste
• ½ cup of water
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cayenne
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ cup brown sugar
On high speed blend the dates, tamarind pate and water until smooth paste. Then transfer the mix into the pan, add the spices and sugar and cook it for 15-20 minutes on low heat stirring from time to time. Then let it cool down and transfer into ramekins.
Enjoy!
Remember to tag your recipe with #relaxinglyactive and check out our 'Flexi-Booking' option for this summer in the Austrian Alps and for a kayaking holiday on the Croatian Island of Vis.