How many of us love food wrapped in glorious golden pastry? something to really get your teeth into and feel that you have chewed a meal? Yeah, me too. Much as I love pastry though, it never ever loved me for all different reasons. Years ago I was experimenting in the kitchen and came up with this alternative that gave all the 'real feel' factor of that desirable food stuff, and not a fathy, frustrating sheet of awful filo pastry to be seen. Proper sheets of spring roll wrappers (25cm squares), seriously low fat and low calorie ( 57kcals per sheet). I make these much sought after by all whom have tasted, samosas. You can, of course, use to fill with whatever you desire, but the following recipe is superb, trust me and literally hundreds of others who I have fed them ( I catered buffets for 200+ people many times)
Shellies Samosas. ( use a good non stick, heavy based pan)
Place 400g lean mince beef, 150g finely sliced onion and 4 crushed garlic cloves in the pan, then brown for about 4 minutes. Add 200g very finely diced potato and 150g very finely diced carrot to the pan, stir well, cover with a tight lid and lower heat to minimum for about 5 minutes. Then stir in 1 heaped tablespoon ground turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder, 1 level tablespoon each of ground cumin and ground coriander, and 1 good teaspoon of dried coriander leaf. Cook this on a high heat for 1 minute, then stir in 150g frozen peas and 250g passatta. Now lower heat to minimum again and cover tightly with lid. Stir every 5 minutes to stop anything sticking, turn off heat after 15 minutes. Leave to cool.
Beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a little dish, set aside. In another little dish place a little warm water and set aside.
Take a 30 sheet pack of spring roll wrappers (25cm square) and cut straight down the middle ( so you have 60 rectangles)
Now it's time to assemble the samosas. Turn on the oven to 190*C and line about 4 baking sheets with non stick paper.
Take 2 rectangles of pastry and brush with water, place 1 heaped tablespoon of filling towards the bottom 1/3 of 1 sheet, off centre and fold a triangle over, keep folding to the top, then place on the other bit of pastry so that the first fold is covering the open side, then fold again to the top. Brush both sides with the egg and oil mix and place on baking sheet. Continue with the other 29 samosas. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden and crisp.
These freeze really well wrapped in foil ( I freeze in 8s), then can be defrosted and warmed back through in the oven to recrisp if wanted. They can be eaten hot or cold, but do go softer once cold. They make an ace alternative to sandwiches, each is the size of 1 sandwich.
103 kcals per samosa. If you make veggie ones, you will need to up the carrot and potato to make the same amount for 70kcals each.
Hope you enjoy as much as we do.
Tried to load a pic, but doesn't seem to be doing so, grrrr.
