Keema Samosa Recipe,

 

Keema Samosa

Samosa can be considered as another drool-worthy snack, this monsoon. Gone are the days, when people had only potato samosa on their list, now you can choose from the wide range of specialized samosas. You can choose from Pasta samosa, chilly-paneer samosa, nutria- samosa, keema samosa and numerous other varities. So, without giving a second thought just drool on them.

This delicious recipe for Keema Samosa is the perfect handheld snack. Filled with a bright, spicy and smoky meat filling and fried to crispy golden perfection, you will love this tasty and savory appetizer.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Keema means "mince," and in this case refers to the minced mutton (lamb) or beef filling. In my humble opinion, my smoky Keema filling makes the best samosa. Who doesn't love a crispy, handheld pocket of delicious and dip-able meat?!?

Perfect for parties, get together, game day or Ramadan Iftar, this traditional Indian and Pakistani snack is sure to please the whole crowd. Serve with your favorite green chutney or tomato sauce for a delicious appetizer, no matter what the occasion.

Ingredients & Possible Substitutions

This meat samosa recipe may look daunting, but it is likely that you have many of the spices and ingredients already on hand. Here is everything you need:

A few notes on the ingredients

• Samosa Pattis - while pattis are the traditional wrapper used for samosa, you can easily substitute spring roll wrappers, phyllo dough or even puff pastry depending on what you have on hand.
• Ground Meat - I personally prefer mutton/lamb or beef for this recipe, but if you are avoiding red meat, ground chicken or turkey can be used instead.
• Ginger Garlic Paste - while I love keeping this on hand as a great time saver, you can opt to use minced garlic cloves and freshly grated ginger instead.
• Flour Paste - to seal the samosas, you need to make a paste of flour and water. All purpose, whole wheat or even gluten free all purpose flour can be used for this purpose. Mix together 4-6 tablespoons of water with 2-3 tablespoons of flour for your samosa sealing paste.
• Spice Powders - to season the keema filling, use ground turmeric, coriander, chili powder and garam masala. Feel free to adjust the spices to your preferred levels.
• Dill - this recipe calls for fresh dill, which I love for it's bright green color and fresh, herbaceous flavor. If necessary, substitute 2 teaspoons of dried dill.
• Lemon Juice - whenever possible, use fresh lemon juice for the best possible flavors.

How To Make Keema Patti Samosa

Step 1 - Make Meat Filling

In a heavy bottom pan, heat oil. Add ¼ cup sliced onion and fry well till light golden brown.

Then, add ground meat, browning it and breaking it up with your spatula.

Now, add ginger garlic paste, all the dry spice powders, and salt. Mix and sauté on high heat for 1 minute. Cover and cook on low heat until just done and all liquid is evaporated.

Take the cooked meat mixture off the heat and immediately add chopped cilantro, dill leaves, scallion, green chili, remaining sliced onion, lemon juice to hot meat mixture and mix well.

Now, place a small steel bowl in the center of the mixture, and put the heated charcoal into the bowl.

Pour 1 teaspoon ghee over the heated charcoal to create smoke, and immediately cover with the tight-fitting lid to allow the smoke to penetrate into the meat. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes.

After 15 minutes, discard the coal. The meat mixture is now ready for filling the samosas.

Step 2 - Fold Keema Samosa

Take one patti and make a cone by wrapping one corner around as illustrated below.

TIP: Be sure to keep stack of pattis covered with plastic wrap or a damp towel while you work. They will become dry and brittle if exposed to air for too long.

Add a spoonful of mixture to the cone.

TIP: Do not overfill the cone with the mixture as it may cause the patti to tear or overflow.

Wrap the sides to form a triangle.

Now seal the edges using the prepared flour paste. Wet the exposed edges with the paste, then gently press shut as though you were sealing an envelope.

Repeat the same procedure till all the mixture is used up.

Step 3 - Fry The Samosas

Heat enough oil to fully immerse the samosas in a deep pan or a wok. Once the oil gets hot (~175-190C/350-375F), reduce the heat to medium-high and fry the samosas until crisp and golden brown.

TIP: Oil temperature is very important when frying. When possible, use a frying thermometer to ensure proper temperature. If the oil is too hot, the samosas can burn. If it is too cold, the samosas will take on extra oil and become soggy. Don't have a thermometer? You can approximate oil temperatures with a wooden spoon.

Remove fried samosas to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Serve hot with green chutney or tomato sauce.

Expert Tips & Tricks

1. For perfect Keema Samosa, you want the meat filling to remain moist without having any excess liquid. Be sure to remove the meat from heat as soon as the meat is *just cooked* through. If needed, cook on high heat for a minute to dry out any remaining liquid.
2. Samosa pattis can become dry and brittle when exposed to air. Keep them covered with a damp towel until you fold them.
3. Be sure to fry your samosas on medium heat. Oil should reach 175-190C or 350-375F for best results. Additionally, do not overcrowd the frying pan when frying samosas. Work in batches to keep the heat constant.
4. If you are planning to freeze the uncooked samosa, then make sure all of the onions are cooked. So, after you add the greens and sliced onions, I would recommend sautéing everything together for a minute until onion is just translucent. Raw onion and uncooked greens may give you stale aroma after freezing.