Thursday, November 11, 2010

Samosa Crostata

For a few weeks, a box of frozen pie crusts from Trader Joe's has been hanging out in my freezer, waiting for an occasion to justify the indulgence of flaky pie crusts. When we all (including Mr. Dale) were invited to a Diwali celebration this weekend, the time seemed just right.

I wanted to mimic the taste of classic deep-fried samosas- with the fried pastry crust and the spicy vegetable filling- with a much simpler preparation. This was achieved by borrowing from the concept of a crostata- a free form rustic tart where the filling is piled onto a circle of pie crust and the edges folded in to form an edge.

Samosa Crostata
(my own creation)

1. Keep a circle of pie crust handy, either store bought or home made. There are wonderful recipes out there for pie crusts made with butter or a vegan substitute, and either with the usual all-purpose flour or with whole wheat and other flours included. 

2. To make the filling, saute 1 medium minced onion until lightly browned.

3. Add 1 heaped tsp. ginger garlic paste.

4. Season with saltturmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala and coriander-cumin powder (all to taste). Be liberal with the spices. The filling has to be tasty and spicy because it will be eaten with the bland crust. 

5. Add 2 medium potatoes (either boiled and mashed or cut in tiny cubes), 3 cups tiny cauliflower florets (I used locally grown purple cauliflower), 1 cup peas

6. Stir fry the mixture until the vegetables are cooked through. 

7. Add a handful of minced cilantro and lemon juice to taste. Let the filling cool down. Mash it slightly if needed to make it hold together.

8. Grate a handful of cheese (optional). 

9. Preheat the oven to 425F. To assemble the crostata, place two circles of rolled pie crusts on a greased parchment placed on a baking sheet. Spoon filling onto the crusts (this amount of filling is enough for 2 crusts) but leave an inch or so around the edges.  Fold in the edges, pinching the folds together. Sprinkle with cheese and bake until golden brown. 


Here is the baked pie. You can see at the 10 o'clock position, the edge opened up. So the folds do need to be pinched together well. Also, this crostata could have used a few more minutes of baking time- it really does need to be golden brown.


Cut the crostata into 8 wedges and serve. This experiment was a definite success. If you are a fan of samosas, vegetable puffs and the like, you are sure to love this. 

*  *  *
I have a riddle for you- What does a decadent chocolate cupcake have to do with a sparkling glass of water? 

To know the answer, stop by the Cupcake Project and take a look. A small donation could contribute to sweetness in your life and clean drinking water for a family in Haiti. Reports like this New York Times article explain why the need for clean water is so urgent. 

Enjoy the rest of your week!

30 comments:

  1. wow Nupur, This looks so mouthwatering..experiment has come out really well

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  2. Yum! Definitely bookmarked for a weekend recipe :)

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  3. Thanks so much for the mention! So sweet of you!

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  4. Hey nupur! i actually came up with a very similar version of this recipe -- glad someone else thought of it! i make mine with puff pastry which is ubiquitously and cheaply available at all grocery stores, so you don't even have to make the pie dough.

    and i call mine "samosa pie" -- but same difference, really.

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  5. Wowww woww that is damn tempting and looks just too perfect :)

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  6. This recipe sounds amazing to a samosa-lover like me. Looks absolutely delicious, too. Hope you had a lovely Diwali.

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  7. That looks perfect.. Will have to try these out soon.
    Our heating woes are finally over. The guys finished the work finally last night. I couldn't help but think about all the people who live without heat in even colder temps, I totally understand what they must be going through.

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  8. Nupur, I am so going to try this, love it ,belated Diwali greeting !!

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  9. That looks good! Samosa in any form who can resist.

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  10. What an amazing original creation!

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  11. Mr. Dale sure has an active social life!
    Your samosa crostata looks divine! Is it puff pastry that you used for the crust?

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  12. what a wonderful idea! i love samosas but hate making each little one, and then frying them. this way it is easier, and probably healthier than fried ones.

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  13. What a great idea! I always have pie crust in the freezer, even though I seldom make pies. I've used it for samosas and empanadas.

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  14. Nice idea! Definitely will keep in mind!

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  15. I mixed two of your recipes - this one and the butternut squash-goat cheese lasagna and made a butternut squash, goat cheese, caramelized onion crostata! Amazing hit it was - thanks for the inspiration

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  16. Hi Nupur -- I am always sad when I am away and miss your creations!

    I hope someday you have a little cafe where we can all drop in for an amazing snack like this, and a chat :)

    Hope you're well!

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  17. This is such a great idea! I love samosas, but usually get hung up on making the pastry and then deep-frying them. This takes all of that trouble out of the equation.

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  18. Yummy! I absolutely LOVE samosas and this is such a faster way to get the same flavors.

    Your blog showed in the sidebar of my Google Reader as a recommendation today and now I see why- I am definitely subscribing!

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  19. lovely recipe-- hey do let me know how to subscribe for your posts? or is there any follow from google option?

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  20. Anukampa- Thanks! Yes, it turned out well and made me happy.

    harini-jaya- Thanks

    Raaga- It tasted that way too!

    Sharan- Hope you enjoy making it :)

    Stef- Good luck with the project- what a worthy cause and very timely too.

    Sandhya- Yes, puff pastry works well too.

    Nithya- Thank you so much :) Far from perfect though!

    Vaishali- I did, and I hope you had a lovely Diwali too. Any samosa lover would certainly devour this crostata

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  21. Pavani- What a relief that your heat is back on. Yes, we do take these luxuries for granted, don't we?

    Sreelu- Thanks! Try it, I think you'll love it :)

    indosungod- I agree- samosa filling goes with everything!

    Cynthia- Thanks, not all that original mixing two classics together but it made me happy ;)

    Kamini- Yes, and he acts like a diva when he visits people's home too, demanding attention all the time :D
    The crust is pie crust, not as buttery and flaky as puff pastry. Both would work.

    cinderelly- Oh yes, this method is as easy as pie :D

    Lydia- Ooh, an empanada crostata sounds terrific too!

    SS- Thanks :)

    Vishakha- That sounds wonderful, and I am so glad it turned out well. Thanks for the feedback!

    Linda- Hello! Ooh to have a cafe of my own--- drifting into daydreams :D so nice to see you here!

    Hannah- Yes, you get all the taste at a fraction of the hassle. Thanks for stopping by- I am the biggest fan of your crochet creations :)

    Mrs. Itazura- Thank you! I'll have to come check out your blog too.

    Priya Sreeram- What blog reader are you using? Yes, you can certainly subscribe to posts on this blog using Google Reader or whatever.

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  22. Love your twist on the crostata. Really have to try this one of these days.

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  23. that would be a great snack with chai:)

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  24. innovative recipe and name as welll. nice space.
    biny

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  25. Heyy Nupur.. .

    It was such a pleasure reading ur post.... Such a shame I have never landed here before....

    Great recipes out here.. need to read them in leisure...

    Visitng ur space for the first time....Do sneak a peek in my space when time permits.


    Cheers
    Sandhya's Kitchen

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  26. ok, have made this twice. Wonderful Wonderful!

    Thanks for the great ideas
    Bobbi

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  27. happy new year nupur - lovely round up - made me go scurrying back through your posts and recipes in eagerness for all that good food - hope 2011 is kind to you and finds you still blogging - have enjoyed blog bites this year and hope to see more of it next year

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  28. Hi Nupur,
    I tried a 'non-vegetarian' version of this today for lunch, with puff pastry sheets. I used onions, lean ground turkey and french cut green beans ... !! Awesome .. a definite success!! Hope you guys are doing well!!!

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