Steal This Recipe® Samosa Chaat

From Gaurav Anand, owner of Desi Galli restaurant in NYC

This week, ‘stolen with permission’ from Desi Galli’s owner Gaurav Anand, in NYC, is a mouth watering, delicious recipe for a classic Indian appetizer, or light meal; Samosa Chaat. The chutneys in the recipe can be store bought to save time, but we thought it would be great to know how to make your own at home!

The cuisine of the vast subcontinent of India varies widely from one region to another, but one food is universally appealing—parantha—the soul-satisfying bread that is the first thing Indians around the world eat in the morning, afternoon and evening. Whether they reside in the UK, US or Canada, South Africa or Australia, Trinidad or Tobago, the people of the South Asian Diaspora, known in the vernacular as “Desi,” never lose their craving for the authentic spices, flavors and textures of Indian food.
To satisfy the Desi hankering for soul food, the owners of Bhatti Indian Grill, have come up with an exciting new take on Indian street food at Desi Galli.

The menu includes customizable sandwiches and casual snacks that are true to authentic Indian flavors, with layers of spices and includes a new wave of vegan options. At Desi Galli, chef and owner Gaurav Anand is satisfying the Desi hankering for soul food and is bringing an exciting new take on Indian street food.

About the chef: Desi Galli is headed by Gaurav Anand, a talented chef and restaurateur who was born into a renowned culinary family in Punjab, India, where he trained with India’s master chefs, including Jiggs Kalra. His restaurant portfolio in New York includes the popular Bhatti Indian Grill and the first U.S. location of the renowned Moti Mahal Delux Indian restaurant chain, which he recently opened on the Upper East Side.

Desi Galli
101 Lexington Avenue at 27th Street
New York, NY 10016
212 683 2292

Samosa Chaat is served for $3.29 at Desi Galli.
This recipe makes up to 6 servings.

This is a 5 part recipe.
Step 1: Prepare Samosa Filling and Crust.
Step 2: Prepare Channa.
Step 3: Prepare Tamarind Chutney.
Step 4: Prepare Green Chutney.
Step 5: Assembling For Samosa Chaat.

Step 1: Prepare Samosa Filling

Samosa Filling Ingredients:
6 medium potatoes, diced
½ cup frozen peas
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp chopped cilantro
3 tsp oil
Salt to taste

Samosa Filling Directions:
Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and let brown.
Add ginger and garlic paste and brown slightly.
Add diced potatoes.
Mix in chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, cumin powder and coriander powder.
Cook potatoes on medium heat until they are tender and mix in peas.
Garnish with cilantro.

Step 1 cont’d: Prepare Samosa Crust

Samosa Crust Ingredients:
4 cups all purpose flour
½ cup water
2 ½ tsp vegetable oil for frying
½ tsp salt

Samosa Crust Directions:
Mix all purpose flour, oil and water and kneed into a soft dough.
Cover with moist cloth and set aside to dough.
Divide the dough into 2 inch balls and roll into round circles.
Cut the circles in half and fold into a cone shape.
Seal sides of cone with water and fill with potato mixture.
Seal with water.
Deep fry samosa on medium heat until they are golden brown.
Drain on a paper towel lined colander.

Step 2: Prepare Channa

Channa Ingredients:
1 ½ cup of canned chickpeas
½ cup of diced onions
¼ cup of diced tomatoes
2 tsp ginger paste
¼ cumin seeds
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp garam masala
¼ tsp red chili powder
1 cup water
3 tsp oil
Salt to taste

Channa Directions:
Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and let brown.
Add onion and cook on medium heat.
Stir in ginger and garlic paste and fry until slightly brown.
Add cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric and garam masala and stir.
Add tomatoes and fry slightly.
Add in chickpeas and cup of water.
Boil for 5 to 10 minutes until water thickens slightly.

Step 3: Prepare Tamarind Chutney

Tamarind Chutney Ingredients:
¼ cup Imli paste (tamarind paste, available at specialty markets or online)
1 ½ tsp salt
4 tsp sugar
¼ tsp roasted cumin seeds
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp ginger paste

Tamarind Chutney Directions:
Blend all ingredients together to make chutney.

Step 4: Prepare Green Chutney

Green Chutney Ingredients:
1 package cilantro leaves
3 cloves of garlic
½ inch ginger root cut into small pieces
2 green chilies
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp roasted cumin seeds
¼ cup water

Green Chutney Directions:
Blend all ingredients together to make chutney.

Step 5: Assembling Samosa Chaat

Samosa Chaat Ingredients:
1 cup diced onion
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup diced tomato
¼ cup plain yogurt
Salt to taste
½ cup thin sev (crispy lentil noodles, available at specialty markets or online)

Directions for Samosa Chaat Plate:
Place diced onions and tomatoes in a serving plate.
Cut up 2 Samosas in 6 pieces each and place them on top of diced onions and tomatoes.
Place Channa on top of Samosas.
Drizzle with yogurt, Green Chutney and Tamarind Chutney.
Garnish with Thin Sev and Cilantro.
Repeat for more portions.