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India, Asia · Aloo Samosa

Pizza Samosas

Italian pizza flavours, peppers, corn and stretchy mozzarella folded into crisp spring roll pastry triangles: shatteringly crisp outside, molten inside.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time40 min
DifficultyMedium
About servingsHot oil and molten cheese can cause serious burns. Keep children at a distance while frying, and if the oil catches fire never use water: turn off the heat and cover with a lid.

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a 22 cm pan over medium-high heat, fry the garlic and onion for 30 seconds, then add the pepper and corn and cook for . When the moisture has cooked off but the vegetables still have a little crunch, add the tomato paste, oregano, chili flakes and salt and cook for 1 minute more, so everything is coated in a thick pizza-sauce flavour. Spread on a plate and cool completely.

    Add in this stepVegetable oil (for sautéing) 2 tspGrated garlic 1 tspOnion, cut into 5 mm dice 60 gBell pepper, cut into 5 mm dice 80 gSweet corn kernels (drained if canned) 60 gTomato paste 1½ tbspDried oregano ½ tspRed pepper flakes ¼ tspSalt 1 pinch

    medium-high heat

  2. Mix the mozzarella cubes, Parmigiano and torn basil into the cold vegetables. If the filling is still warm, the cheese melts early and soaks the pastry, so make sure it is cold.

    Add in this stepMozzarella (block), cut into 1 cm cubes 120 gParmigiano Reggiano, grated 10 gBasil leaves 8

  3. In a small bowl, mix the flour and water into a thick paste. This glue seals the ends so no cheese escapes during frying.

    Add in this stepFlour (for the sealing paste) 2 tbspWater (for the sealing paste) 1½ tbsp

  4. Keep the pastry under a damp cloth so it doesn't dry out. Take one sheet at a time and cut it lengthways into 2 long strips. Put 1.5 tablespoons of filling at one end of a strip, fold a corner over diagonally to make a triangle, then keep folding the triangle up the strip, like folding a flag. Brush the last flap with flour paste, press it down firmly and check there are no holes at the corners.

    Add in this stepSpring roll pastry sheets (about 25 cm square), thawed 4

  5. Pour the frying oil into a deep 20 cm pot (at least 4 cm deep, no more than half full) and heat over medium heat for about to 170°C, when a wooden chopstick dipped in is surrounded by lively small bubbles. Keep water away and the lid within reach.

    Add in this stepVegetable oil for frying 900 ml

    medium heat

  6. Lower the samosas in gently and fry in 2 batch(es) over medium heat for each, turning once, until blistered and evenly golden. Drain standing up on a rack. The cheese inside is extremely hot, so wait 2 minutes, then serve with ketchup or tomato sauce.

    medium heat

Cook's tip

Cheese leaking out makes the oil spit, so folding the corners tightly matters most. In an air fryer, brush them with oil and cook at 190°C for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once. You can freeze them and fry from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes.

Cooking it at camp

Make the filling at home, bring it cold, and fold and fry on site. If deep oil feels risky, shallow-fry in 1 cm of oil in a cast-iron pan until golden on both sides; it is the safer camp method. Pastry dries quickly, so keep it in its packaging in the cooler.