Mushroom and cashew nut samosas

Serves 4

Ingredients
3 tablesppons oil, plus extra for deep frying
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 medium onions, finely sliced
a few curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
75 g/3 oz cashew nuts, chopped
2 potatoes, diced
200g /7 oz mushrooms, finely sliced
1 carrot, diced
250g /9 oz ready-made samosa pastry
salt

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan. Add the mustard seeds and, as they begin to pop, add the onions, and curry leaves and cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat until the onions are soft.

Mix in the turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala and some salt, then add the cashew nuts and stir well. Cover and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the potatoes, mushroom and carrot and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.

Fold each sheet of pastry in half lengthways to give two layers, then cut into strips measuring about 30 cm/12 in by 5.5 cm/3 in.

Place a tablespoon of the vegetable mixture in the middle at the end of one pastry strip. Fold a corner of the pastry over the mixture to form a triangle and continue folding in alternate directions until you have a triangular parcel, Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling.

Heat a generous quantity of oil in a deep-fryer, wok, or large, heavy saucepan. When the oil is hot, gently place a samosa in the oil and fry until golden brown. Remove and drain on kitchen paper, then repeat with the remaining smaosas. Serve hot or cold.

Recipe reproduced from The New Tastes of India , with the kind permission of Headline Book Publishing.

Recipe (c) Das Sreedharan
Photograph (c) Pete Cassidy

Other Recipes from the Book include:
.
and .

Available from