Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Samosas

MAKES 16

Samosas are a delicious Indian pastry. These spicy filled savories are perfect as a snack, a boxed lunch, a picnic or entertaining. Serve Samosas with gluten-free chutney or dipping sauce. Watching calories? Samosas can be baked at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until dough is golden brown. Cool a little before handling.

Looking for a fresh way to enjoy summer’s vine-ripened tomatoes? Click here for our recipe for Fresh Tomato Chutney. 

Dough

1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup amaranth flour
¼ cup tapioca starch/flour
¾ cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon guar or xanthan gum
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup sesame seeds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup water
2 cups vegetable oil, for frying

Filling

1 teaspoon salt, divided
5 medium peeled potatoes
1 cup shelled green peas, fresh or frozen
1½ teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped, or ½ teaspoon gluten-free asafoetida (Hing)
1 green hot chili pepper or jalapeno*, seeds removed, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup crushed (not packed down) fresh cilantro leaves (also called coriander)
1 cup golden raisins

To Make Dough

1. Mix together sorghum flour, amaranth flour, tapioca starch/flour, cornstarch, guar or xanthan gum and ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside.

2. Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet on medium heat, stirring constantly until seeds start popping. Remove from burner and stir until light brown. Then pour seeds into flour mixture.

3. Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil and slowly add water, a little at a time. Keep mixing or kneading until mixture is like bread dough. (You may not need the entire cup water.) Cover dough and place in a warm place for about 30 minutes.

To Make Filling

1. Add ½ teaspoon salt to saucepan of water deep enough to cover potatoes. Bring water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until they’re soft. Drain, mash and measure out 2 cups. Set aside.

2. Bring 1½ cups water to boil. Drop in peas and cook lightly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. Measure out the spice ingredients—cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper seeds, turmeric, ½ teaspoon salt, garlic, green chili pepper—and place in separate piles on a large plate (or use a tray with separate compartments).

4. In a medium-size frying pan, add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Warm oil to medium heat. Add cumin and mustard seeds. When they start popping and cracking, add fennel seeds, crushed red pepper seeds, turmeric, ½ teaspoon salt, garlic and green chili pepper. Roast about 1 minute.

5. Add the mashed potatoes and cooked peas to the spices, mixing well for about 2 minutes. Add the cilantro leaves and golden raisins and stir for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

To Assemble Samosas

1. Roll dough into 7 or 8 2-inch balls and cover with plastic wrap.

2. Working with one ball of dough at a time, use a rolling pin to roll each ball into a 3 to 4-inch circle, about ¼- inch thick. Cut each circle in half.

3. Take each half and gently fold it in half. With a fork, press gently down one side of each, forming a cone. Fill cone with spicy peas and potatoes. Close top of dough cone.

4. In a frying pan, heat 2 cups frying oil. Gently drop in Samosas, one at a time. Turn each one over when one side gets golden brown. When done, drain on paper or in a colander. Serve with chutney or dipping sauce.

Each pastry contains 225 calories, 7g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 308mg sodium, 38g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 5g protein.

*TIP Handle hot peppers or jalapeno carefully. Wear gloves and do not touch your face or skin.

Recipe by Madalene Rhyand, director of Living Without’s test kitchen.