Gluten-Free Samosas!!!

There's a wide variety in terms of taste, size and fillings when it comes to Samosas.   Personally, I'm quite happy eating any/all of them.  Unfortunately, while the fillings are often gluten-free, the exterior is made with wheat.  After attending a church activity where two lovely women from Nepal made their versions of Samosas, I was determined to bring together a rendition of their delicious vegetable filling with a gluten-free-friendly crust.  There are obvious differences in their traditional crust versus mine, but there are obvious differences between gluten-free and gluten-filled cooking as well.  You'll find this crust easy to roll, fold, and work with, and it tastes delicious!  Enjoy!

I've also posted a yummy Spicy Beef Samosa recipe, and an absolutely wonderful Homemade GF Naan Bread recipe which you may enjoy, too! Happy cooking!

A fresh gluten-free samosa!

Samosas

Makes ~ 12-16 good sized samosas

Roughly chop & boil until just tender, about 10 minutes:

2-3 potatoes (peeled or skin on, if skin is tender)

Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in small skillet and cook until tender, 4-5 minutes:

1 small onion, chopped

Drain potatoes and place in a bowl. Roughly chop, using a pastry cutter.
Add and mix:

½ - 1 cup frozen peas (I recommend making it so it looks like you want it)

Cooked onion

1-3 Tbsp Madras Curry Powder (or curry mix of your choice)

Taste and add more curry as desired. It should have a nice little kick to it.  Everyone’s level of spice is different, so make sure it tastes nice to you and is a little on the spicy side.

Set filling aside and mix the dough.

Mix in a large bowl:

1 cup brown rice flour

½ scant cup sorghum flour

½ scant cup tapioca starch

¼ cup potato starch

1 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2-3 Tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

Add and mix with a spoon until thoroughly combined (use back of spoon to help smooth) If it seems a little too crumbly, add a little extra oil:

1 cup milk (lactose-free works great)

2 tsp extra light olive oil

Roll out plum-sized pieces of dough between two pieces of plastic wrap. You want them to make ovals, ideally with one long side a bit straighter than the other. 

The plastic wrap will peel cleanly off the dough, so just save and reuse for each samosa. I only use 2 pieces of plastic wrap for the entire batch!

Scoop filling into center of dough, pressing together so it stays in a pile.  Using the plastic wrap to help (the dough is a little sticky when so thin), pull up one side of dough at a time, so you have a triangle.  Then, pull up the last side and flatten onto the top, as shown in pictures. 

I like to use about this much filling.

Use the plastic wrap to lift one side up and over the filling. 

Use the plastic wrap to lift the other side, so it folds over and creates a triangle. You can press lightly to make sure it's all sticking together.  

Then, you can use the plastic wrap to help fold over the last bit of dough to have a nice triangle.  The dough is sticky enough on its own that you don't have to bother using any sort of 'glue' to help it hold together. Nice, eh?!

Set prepared samosas on a plate until ready to fry.

They're never perfectly alike, but this method works well for getting fairly evenly shaped samosas.

Heat ½ inch oil (I like canola oil for frying) in a large, low saucepan over med-high heat.  Fry the samosas on each side until golden brown, 4-5 minutes per side.  Remember, the filling is already cooked, so no worries if they brown a little too quickly.

I always throw in a small bit of dough so I can tell when the oil is nice and hot. When it's bubbling and just beginning to brown, I know it's time to throw in the samosas.

Place on a wire rack to drain.  Let cool, just slightly. Enjoy! 

These are terrific fresh, but they store well in the refrigerator and heat up great in the oven.  It's nice in case you wanted to make them in advance and reheat. Yum!