Samosas are usually served with Masala chai, but here we serve them with a crisp bright American wheat beer. The sweetness of the potatoes goes great with the fresh peas, soft onions, and Indian spices. To add contrast, the dipping sauce is slightly tart with delicious herbal flavor. This dish can easily be prepared vegan, too!
Active preparation time: 1−2 hours
Total time: 2 hours
Serves: 4−6 (about 20 samosas)
Cilantro-Mint Chutney
1 clove garlic
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch mint
½" (13 mm) ginger
½ jalapeño, seeded
Salt
Lemon
2 Tbs yogurt (substitute coconut milk to make it vegan)
In a blender, combine the garlic, cilantro leaves and stems, mint leaves, ginger, and jalapeño with a little salt and lemon juice. Blend until well chopped. Add the yogurt or coconut milk and blend to a smooth paste. Taste for seasoning—it should be herbal and spicy with a slight tartness and saltiness. Transfer to a serving bowl and reserve, covered.
Samosas
1−2 purple or orange sweet potatoes (enough to make 2 cups, diced)
1" (25 mm) ginger, peeled and minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
3 Tbs (45 ml) canola oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp turmeric
¼ tsp fennel seed, ground (optional)
1 cup white onion, diced
¼ cup (59 ml) wheat beer
Salt and pepper to taste
¾ cup frozen or fresh green peas
¼ cup all-purpose flour
Water
Rectangular wonton wrappers or square eggroll wrappers (the bigger the better)
Oil for frying
Fried jalapeños or fresh cucumber slices for garnish
Steam the sweet potatoes, skin on. While they are steaming, prepare the rest. With a mortar and pestle, mash the ginger and jalapeño with a little salt. Heat the canola oil in a deep sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the ginger and jalapeño paste and sweat for a few minutes, until the color changes to slightly translucent. Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, fennel, and onion. Continue cooking the onion-spice mixture over medium-low heat until the onions become translucent, about 10 minutes.
When the sweet potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, remove them carefully from the steamer. Using a clean dish towel, rub off their skins and dice them.
Add the dice to the onion-spice mixture and turn the heat to medium-high. When you start to hear the sizzle of the pan, add the beer and cover. Cook covered for a few minutes to incorporate all the flavors, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the lid and smash the potatoes lightly to make a cohesive mixture. Remove the mixture from the pan and allow to cool in a thin layer on a tray.
Thoroughly rinse the peas and drain. Add to the cooled sweet-potato mixture.
Prepare a “glue” by combining 2 Tbs of flour with some water until the mixture looks like glue. Cut the wonton or egg roll sheets in half down the middle. Lay the strips on the work surface, and using your finger, apply some of the flour glue to all edges of the wrapper. With a spoon, place about 1 Tbs of the filling on the lower 1/3 of the wrapper, leaving a ½" (13 mm) margin on the bottom (depending on the size of the wrapper, you may need less filling). Fold the lower right corner of the wrapper over the filling, making a triangle by sealing the bottom edge onto the left side. This seal is the most important! Make sure no filling seeps under the seal, or the samosa could explode. Fold this triangle up, so the bottom left corner reaches the top left. Seal again, keeping the filling contained. Finally, fold the triangle toward the top right corner to seal it all in. Repeat until all filling is gone. Set wrapped samosas on a sheet tray, ensuring they don’t touch. From this point, you can either freeze them for another day or use them immediately.
In a deep pot, heat the oil to medium-hot. Gently drop in the samosas, cooking in batches. If the oil bubbles too quickly, the oil is too hot. Try cooking one first to check the oil temperature (you might lose it). Cook for a few minutes on each side, turning to ensure even browning. When they’re golden brown, remove to a wire rack to drain.
Arrange the samosas on a plate with the chutney and garnish of your choice.
Beer Suggestions: 3 Floyds Gumballhead (Munster, Indiana), Sam Adams Hopscape (Boston, Massachusetts), SweetWater Brewing Grass Monkey (Atlanta, Georgia).
PHOTO: MATT GRAVES