Spiced potato and green pea samosas with coriander chutney

One thing I miss about living in a big city is the access to all different types of cuisine. I used to eat out all the time, before we moved to the country. Spicy Ethiopian dishes served with injera (a spongy, sour pancake-like flatbread, perfect for sopping up sauces), curries from a multitude of cultures (each deliciously unique) and Korean kimchi stews with pork belly were regulars, and I miss the diversity of flavours available.

The only thing to do when a craving strikes, is fumble through the process of making my favourite restaurant items myself. Sometimes they work out brilliantly, sometimes not so much. But it's fun to try.

I love making samosas with bright, fresh chutneys; they remind me of my first real experience with global flavours. Samosas were eye-opening for a country kid like me. I attended university in a town which features an excellent farmers market. One stall was run by a local woman; Ms Mahajan. She made the most delicious samosas – they were huge and came with two tangy chutneys. I would buy one for my breakfast and eat it while browsing the other stalls. Then, I would buy another to take home for lunch. I didn't have much experience with spicy foods or Indian foods growing up – it was love at first taste.

I still try to recreate those samosas, to this day. This might be partly nostalgia, but I still haven't had a better samosa than the ones from Ms Mahajan's stall. This recipe is close, but to get the real deal I will have to plan a trip back to my alma mater when it's safe to travel again.

Serves 10-12

Ingredients

For the dough:

250g plain flour

2 tsp salt

60ml vegetable oil

125ml water

For the filling:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

500g cubed, boiled potatoes

150g frozen green peas

1 long red or green chili, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp each: cumin, fennel seed, coriander, ginger, garam masala, chili powder

Salt, to taste

For the chutney:

2 large bunches fresh coriander

100g Greek yogurt (natural)

1 green chili, minced

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

Juice from 1/2 lemon

Directions:

1. Make the dough: in a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the oil and rub it into the flour mixture for three to four minutes, until it's well-combined and the flour clumps when you press it with your hands. Add the water a little at a time, making a shaggy dough at first and then a stiff, crumbly dough that just comes together into a ball. Don't overwork the dough. Let rest for one hour, with a damp cloth covering.

2. Make the filling: in a large pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high. Add the spices and cook until brown and aromatic, about one minute. Add the cooked potatoes and allow them to naturally break up in the pan; soaking up the oil and spices. Add the frozen peas and season with salt, to taste. Let cool.

3. Make the samosas: heat your deep fat fryer to 180°C. Take the rested dough and gently knead once or twice. Using a knife, cut the dough into six equal pieces. Take each piece and roll it into a ball. Roll each small ball out into a rough oval shape (as thinly as possible). Cut each oval in half.

4 Each half of the ovals will make one samosa. Using water to help glue the pieces together, brush it along the edges of the rounded side of the half oval. Bring the (flat) top together into a circle and press the watered edges together so you have a hollow triangular shape (see video). Fill the hollow with the spiced potato mixture and then, using water again along the edges, seal the dough tightly.

5. Repeat this process until each oval half has been used.

6. Fry the samosas until dark golden brown. They will be hard at first - let them cool, slightly, and rest; the dough will soften.

7. Make the chutney: place all chutney ingredients into a blender and blitz until smooth. Check for seasoning; add more salt/lemon juice if necessary.

8 Serve the samosas warm or at room temperature, with the chutney for dipping (these are also great with store-bought tamarind or mango chutney, if you prefer).

* Samosas freeze really well - if you're not planning to eat them all at once, place some on a lined baking sheet, freeze until solid and then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Use within two months. If you have leftover potato filling, fry it until crispy and serve with poached eggs for a tasty brunch.