Saag Paneer Punjabi (style) Samosas
Ramzan Mubarak everyone!
I had the pleasure of chatting all things food and culture (as usual!) with Tesco Food. My parents and I are featured in a Tesco Food video tribute on How We celebrate Ramzan. It's so nice to be showcased alongside Mahmoud and Ahmad, from Za'atar Bake in Oxford, and Dina who runs dinewithdina; a recipe website and spice shop.
I cooked my original recipe, a special spin on Punjabi Samosas! Wholemeal shortcrust pastry but this time with delicious spicy Saag and homemade Paneer. You can freeze them or eat them straight away!
The recipe as featured on Tesco Food is here for you to try out:
Saag Paneer Punjabi samosas
Makes 12
Takes 55 mins, plus straining and cooling
Ingredients:
2.5ltr full fat milk
3 lemons, juiced
2.5ltr vegetable oil, plus 1 tbsp for shallow frying
1 onion, finely chopped
4 vine tomatoes, finely chopped
½-1 tsp chilli powder (depending on your spice preference)
½ tsp ground turmeric
1½ tsp salt
795g tin spinach purée
1 pack ready-rolled shortcrust pastry
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp plain white flour ketchup, tamarind sauce or coriander chutney, to serve
Method:
Bring the milk to a rapid boil in a large saucepan, then turn off the heat. Pour in the lemon juice and stir, allowing the milk to curdle. Set aside to cool.
Line a colander with a muslin cloth and pour the cooled milk in to separate the curds and whey. Lift the corners of the muslin and twist and squeeze all the whey through, then discard, then decant the paneer curds into a plastic container.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and stir until soft and translucent. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3-5 mins until the water evaporates and the mixture dries out, then add the chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Stir and let the mixture cook for a further 2 mins.
Add the spinach purée and continue cooking for 5 mins until the water evaporates, the curry sauce has thickened and the oil begins to separate. Aim to dry the curry out as much as possible so it doesn’t wet the pastry as you form the samosas. Remove from the heat and leave to cool to room temperature.
Crumble large chunks of the paneer into the curry and gently fold together.
Lay the ready-rolled pastry out, parchment side down, sprinkle the cumin seeds over and use a rolling pin to gently incorporate the seeds and thin the pastry sheet slightly. Cut the pastry into a dozen 12cm triangles.
Mix the flour with 2-3 tbsp tepid water to form a paste. To create the samosas, place a pastry triangle in the palm of your hand, one side resting against your thumb (this will be the top). Dab the little finger of your other hand in the flour paste and use it as a glue to seal the other two sides of the triangle together, applying a little pressure to create a cone. Make sure it is full ysealed so the filling doesn’t leak during frying.
Add 1 tbsp spinach paneer into the cone, then apply more flour paste across the open end of the samosa and seal it shut. Slightly fold this sealed end to one side of the samosa so it will sit up on a tray or pan before frying.
Heat the oil in a deep fat fryer or deep saucepan to 170°C, or drop a small piece of pastry in the oil and if it sizzles, it’s ready. (If the oil is too hot, it will brown the pastry from the outside, leaving a raw interior pastry.) Fry the samosas in batches for 3-4 mins on each side or until they are a light golden brown. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Serve with ketchup, tamarind sauce or coriander chutney.
Tip: To use up leftover acidic whey, add a few spoonfuls to any vegetable ferment or use in place of juice or milk in a smoothie for a tangy taste.