Mince Samoosas

== How to make mince samoosa filling ==
Our meat samosas are similar to Indian Keema Samosa, although we don’t add any peas or potato to the minced meat.
* Dry fry the minced meat (beef or lamb) until no liquid reminds. My mother always bought steak mince for her samosas because it had just the right amount of fat.
* Rub finely chopped onions with salt and then blanch with hot water and drain and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. This will remove what my mum referred to as ‘wild onion taste’.
* Basic spices like garlic, ginger, cumin powder and NO garam masala.
== Top tips when making home made mince samoosas ==
* Use a clean unused fabric kitchen towel for squeezing the liquid from  the onions. I found that cheesecloth works for small batches of onion but you may require a tea or dish towel for bigger amounts . Soak the bag in soapy water immediately after use to remove the smell and yellow onion stains.
* Don’t use the onion cloth for anything else and when it has dried, store it in a ziplock bag for future use.
* When folding a minced meat samosa make sure the filling is tightly packed but not overfilled and that the pastry can be folded over to make a tight corner.
* Check that all the corners are tight and small enough to hold any back any small fragments of filling. If the corners are wide open the filling will escape during frying and turn black in the oil. Remove any burnt bits with a skimmer or spider strainer.
* When removing the cooked samosas from the oil let them drain on a plate or baking sheet lined with kitchen paper towel.
* Do not stack the hot samosas against or on top of each other as the steam and heat will cause the pastry to become soft.
* The uncooked samosas can be frozen for 3-6 months if you do not want to use them immediately. I normally pack 10-12 samoosas laying flat in a ziplock bag and then freeze. It takes up less space this way.
* Defrost in the fridge before use in summer and on the counter for a few hours during winter.
== How to make samosa pockets ==
There are two ways to fold samosas using pastry strips, and you should use the method you find easiest. While you are folding the samosas ensure that the unused pastry sheets are covered with a clean damp tea towel to prevent them drying out and cracking.
Method 1
* Fold one end of the strip over and fold it over again to form a triangle pocket. Spoon in the minced meat filling then fold over the long end until the triangle is sealed and the corners are tight. Smear the glue across the last portion to seal the samosa.
Method 2
* Lay the samosa strips on the work surface and spoon on a bit of the minced meat filling. Fold over the short edge to form a triangle and keep folding towards the long end until a short piece remains. Smear the glue across and seal. Ensure that all the corners are tightly sealed.
== How to make crispy mince samoosas ==
Minced meat samosas can be deep fried, shallow fried or baked from frozen and will stay crispy as long as they are properly drained of oil after frying and not piled on top of each other. The heat and steam will make the pastry soft.
Serve your delicious crispy mince samoosas with spicy chutney or samoosa dip.
=== How to Deep Fry mince samoosas ===
* Heat the oil in a deep fat fryer or deep saucepan on medium high until the temperature is between 170C-185C.
* Test if the oil is hot enough by inserting the back of a wooden spoon into the oil and if bubbles form around it you can start frying.
* Take each room temperature samoosa and lightly press against the sides to puff them up, taking care not to press too hard and split the pastry.
* Place the samosas carefully in the oil and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden.
=== How to Shallow fry mince samoosas ===
* Heat the oil on medium heat in a shallow frying pan.
* Test if the oil is hot enough by inserting the back of a wooden spoon into the oil and if bubbles form around it you can start frying.
* Take each samoosa and lightly press against the sides to puff them up, taking care not to press too hard and split the pastry.
* Place the samoosas carefully in the oil and fry until golden then turn and fry until the second side is the same color.
* The samoosas will be darker where the pastry is closer to the cooking surface of the pan.
=== How to Bake mince samoosas ===
* Heat the oven to 200 Celcius / 180 Fan / 390 F / Gas Mark 4 about 10 minutes before you want to bake your mince samosas.
* Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray or brush the paper with oil.
* Place the meat samosas on the parchment paper and brush or spray the top with a light coating of oil.
* Bake for 8-10 minutes then flip them over and bake for another 8-10 minutes or until golden and crispy.
=== How to cook frozen samosas ===
* If deep or shallow frying from frozen, put the mince samoosas into cold oil and it will heat up together with the oil. This ensures that the samoosa pastry doesn’t burn while the filling remains cold.
* Fry on both sides until golden.