Garam, Garam Air Fried Samosas by Meagan

We love working with guest bloggers and readers who enjoy Indian cuisine as much as we do.

Meagan is a self-taught chef that has worked in many different types of professional kitchens. Growing up with traditional American Southern food, she didn’t really know about food from other cultures. She ate mostly unhealthy, fried, salty foods. When she was an adult, she got a job at a bagel shop in Charleston, South Carolina. Learning how to make omelets, assorted cream cheeses, and making the perfect latte catapulted her into the food industry. She found she was very interested in cooking and started working towards growing her skills and knowledge in the kitchen. It has been 11 years, and she continues her journey of learning as much as she can about food, flavor, and cultures around the world. Indian food is one of her many favorites!

Meagan has tried samosas at restaurants, but this was her first time making them herself! She tries to keep her food relatively healthy most of the time. Her air fryer saves her from having a kitchen that smells like frying oil, so she uses it whenever she can.  

We hope you enjoy Meagan's Samosas made using the air fryer.

Ingredients for the Samosa Dough

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 cup avocado oil*
• ¼ tsp black cumin, toasted
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp water

Ingredients for Potato Filling

• 2 medium potatoes
• ¼ cup peas (blanched)
• ½ tsp ghee
• ½ Tbsp ginger, minced
• Pinch of asafoetida
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp cumin, ground
• ¼ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro/coriander, chopped

You will also need

Extra oil for rolling dough Pastry Brush & Rolling Pin Water for sealing samosas

Procedure 1) Boil potatoes until just done; so, a fork can go through. Crumble potatoes and set aside. Add ghee, ginger, and spices to a pan until it sizzles, saute for about 30 seconds, stirring, add peas and cook for another 2 minutes. Add mixture to potatoes along with vinegar and stir well. Set aside to cool. 2) Mix together flour ingredients, except water. Rub the flour well for a few minutes to mix the oil in well. The dough should be able to hold shape and not crumble when it is ready to add water. Mix in the water a little at a time to make a stiff dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes. 3) Knead the dough to smooth, cut into three pieces, and roll into balls. Cover remaining dough while rolling out each piece. Oil the rolling area and flatten a ball, drizzle oil on ball. Roll ball into an oval shape about 8 x 6 inches. Cut into two parts, this will be two samosas.

4) Take one part and add water over the straight edge, joining edges to make a cone. Press down carefully to seal the cone from the inside also.

5) Add cilantro to potato filling and mix well.

6) Fill the cone with potato masala and gently push filling inside the cone. Brush water on both remaining edges bring together, and seal, pinching the edges together. Cover to keep from drying while working on the others.

7) Once finished, turn on the air fryer to 350. Brush or spray samosas generously with avocado oil. Bake in the air fryer for about 30 minutes or until light golden brown.

Quick Tips

-  If avocado oil is not readily available, you can use substituted with ghee or canola oil. 
- If baking in the oven, turn on the oven about 10 minutes prior to forming samosas.

We thank Meagan for sharing her love of Indian cooking with us. Like these vegetarian Samosas, follow Meagan: on Twitter and on YouTube.

It's a New Year with New Foodie Possibilities

Happy 2021 everyone! 

Here's to starting a new year with delicious and healthy foods. 

Don't you want to dive into this wholesome stuffed pita goodness? 

The pitas are filled with fresh vegetables and fruit and sprinkled with a chutney made from herbs. These cute stuffed pitas can be enjoyed as an appetizer or an entree. It depends on how hungry you are! 

Check out the recipe below and let us know how you liked it in the comments section. 

Ingredients

• 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 3/4" long thin slices
• 1 medium red onion, cut into chunks
• 7 to 8 oz (200g) firm Tofu
• 2 oz Pepperjack or Feta cheese, grated or crumbled
• 1/2 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 to 3 green chilies, cut finely or crushed
• 1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup mint chutney (or as needed)
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 Whole wheat Pita

Procedure

1) Cut out the portion of tofu from the block and gently press it between your palms to squeeze water. Press various sides. Alternately dab the tofu block on the towel folds to absorb water.

2) Heat oil in a skillet and add chilies and ginger garlic paste, onions followed by Green pepper. Sprinkle some salt and toss well, then cook under a closed lid on medium for 1-2 min. Add carrots and mix well, and continue to cook under a closed lid for another 2 minutes.

3) Crumble the tofu and add to the pan and sprinkle the remaining salt and toss well for another minute and remove from heat. Mix in the cheese, and pomegranate seeds.

4) Cut the pita in half and open the pocket and fill it in with the Veggie-Tofu mixture. Spoon in the mint chutney on the top and enjoy!

5) The mixture fills 3 whole pita or 6 pita pockets. 

Happy Eating!

Quick Note

• Can use crushed red pepper instead of green chilies. 
• For a greater taste, mix the mint chutney into the veggie blend instead of topping.