Samoosas

When I was a child growing up in South Africa, every birthday party or other social gathering seemed to have these savory delights present. As I got older they became a popular snack while out and about, bought from any of the Muslim fast-food places in my neighbourhood.
In effect, a samoosa is a pie filled with spicy minced meat and onions, although the Indian versions are often vegetarian.
If you are lucky to live in a country where samoosas are popular, all of the processes below will seem a waste of time, as you will simply pop down to the supermarket where you can buy them frozen. For those of us who are not so lucky, here is a very simple way to make samoosas.
First of all, make the dough: take 270g of flour, salt and add 180ml of room temperature water. I like to add half a teaspoon of tumeric, just to give my dough some colour and flavour. Once your dough has been made, divide it into three equal parts and roll each one out as thin as you can. Next, baste each layer with oil and layer the next layer on top. Once all three layers are arranged, cut into strips about 8-9cm wide (narrower will produce smaller samoosas).
Arrange these strips on a baking tray and bake for a few minutes and remove from the oven, separating the leaves one from the other.
The filling: take a large onion and dice finely, add crushed chilis, curry powder, garlic and ginger paste and fry until the onions are soft. Now add minced meat (optional: add peas or cooked potatoes).
Once the filling has been cooked and has cooled, place a little on the one end of each strip and then fold diagonally one way and then diagonally the other way, making a triangle. Repeat this process for the length of the covering. The end piece will then be tucked under one of the folds, thereby sealing the samoosa.
Fry in hot oil until brown and crispy. Allow to drain on kitchen paper and enjoy.
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