Indian snack food rates a 'yum'

Nicole Towers with Samosa

JOHN DAY – Here’s a recipe from Nicole Towers for Samosa, a typical Indian snack food served to guests at home and at weddings and parties.

Towers, a former resident of John Day and a graduate of Grant Union High School, first tried this recipe while visiting Pujab, India.

In January last year she married Mohan Pal in Punjab.

She observed her husband’s aunt making Samosa and after returning to the United States a year ago found a recipe online with a similar taste.

Many people from the Punjab region, including Pal and his family, are vegetarian. Towers has also adopted vegetarianism.

"It’s fun to try out vegetarian recipes on people who are not vegetarians," she said, noting that the taste-testers think they will get a bite of something bland.

That’s not the case with Samosa which is traditionally made with garam masala which means “hot paste.” It’s a basic blend of ground spices common in India and other South Asian dishes. If this spice is not available, curry may be substituted.

The heat of the spices may be customized according to your own taste.

Samosa is served with a green sauce, Cilantro Chutney.

The crunchy triangles may also have meat, such as beef or chicken, added to the potatoes, if desired.

Towers usually makes her own pastry and fries the Samosa, but says Puff Pastry can also be used - just bake until golden.

After trying Towers’ recipe, all I can say is, "Yum!"


Samosa Recipe