October 30, 2026. Afternoon. Roasted Buttercup Squash Discovery I discovered this squash earlier in the season when I was shopping for carving pumpkins at my local grocery store. Nestled among all the seasonal cooking pumpkins and squashes were these Buttercup Squashes. I was curious and …
June 28, 2021. Sunny summer day. Giant Spicy Potatoes Nest & Eggs. I love spicy potato nest eggs and this is one of the recipes that I’ve been obsessing over for the past few weeks. The inspiration recipe is from Yotam Ottolenghi’s website and I …
March 10, 2021. Sunny winter day. Spicy Potato Samosas.
Jump to RecipeMy family loves Indian food, so much so that both of my kiddos requested Indian meals for their birthdays! One of the items we enjoy tremendously is the little packets of stuffed pastries called Samosas. The menu on our favorite local Indian restaurant describes them as “Vegetable Samosa – Spiced Potatoes and Petite Pea Turnover“. They are absolutely little yummy hot pockets of spicy deliciousness!
I decided to try my hand at making them from scratch today. The overall process is not dissimilar to making hand pies or any filled pastries (like making these crescent rolls) – first, make the dough for the crust, next the filling, and finally assemble and cook.
My homemade samosas may not look pretty, but they tastes so good! My family devoured them all within a day and asked for more. This will stay firmly in our cooking baking rotation! I hope you’ll give these a try. They are definitely worth the effort.
Samosa Dough
2¼ cup All purpose flour
3 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Salt
6 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, very cold, cut into small cubes
2/3 cup Cold Water
Spicy Potato Filling
5 Potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 Onion, diced
3 cloves Garlic, minced
2 inches Fresh ginger, minced
1 Green chili
1 Lemon juice
3 tsp Curry Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Red chili powder
salt to taste
1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
Vegetable Oil, for frying
Gather all the ingredients. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. With a pastry blender, or your fingers, work the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like bread crumbs. Add 1/2 cup of water into the mixture. Continue mixing while slowly adding the rest of the water until a dough is formed. You may not need to use all the water. Knead the dough for about 5 more minutes. Form into a ball. Cover and let it rest. Next, let’s prepare the filling.
Put a large pot of water to boil. Optional: Add a bay leaf to the water.
Peel and cube the potatoes. Boil until tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Prepare the onions, garlic, ginger and green chili. Heat the vegetable oil in a large fry pan on medium. When hot, fry the onions until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Then add in the garlic, and ginger. Fry for another minute. Finally add in the green chili. Stir until everything is soft and golden. Add in the drained potatoes Squeeze in the lemon juice. Add in the chopped cilantro leaves. Then, add in the spices – curry powder, turmeric, red chili powder and salt. Cook for another minute. Mix well to combine. Take the pan off heat. Set aside to cool.
While the filling is cooling, start to work on the samosa wrappers. Tilt the dough onto a clean work surface. Divide dough into 9 equal pieces. Roll them into little balls. Using a rolling pin, roll out a ball into a 5 inch circle. Cut in half. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls. You should have 18 half circles.
To assemble, take one piece of wrapper, moisten the straight edge (cut edge) with a little water. Fold in half, aligning the edges. Pinch together to seal and form a triangle shape. Spoon in about 1 tablespoon of filling. Moisten the top edges of the dough and pinch the edges together to create another tight seal. You have made your first samosa! Place on a tray and repeat with the remaining dough wrappers.
Video below shows step-by-step on how to assemble a samosa:
In a deep saucepan, heat vegetable oil. You should use enough oil so that the entire samosa can be submerged into the oil. When the oil is hot*, fry several samosas at a time. Depending on the size of your saucepan, do not overcrowd them. When the samosas are golden, flip it over so it can brown evenly on both sides. Drain on wire rack with drip tray. Serve hot or at room temperature.
*How to check if the oil is ready for frying? Place the handle of a wooden spoon or chopsticks into the oil. When bubbles begin to appear around the tip of the handle, the oil is ready for frying. Remember not to overcrowd when frying food. Overcrowding means it takes longer to fry and the food tastes oily. Fry in small batches for the best outcome.
My husband and I got into a discussion about the correct way to spell “Chile”. I think it should be “Chile” and he thinks it ought to be “Chili”. I did a search and found a few articles on this exact topic.
This one is from Merriam-Webster => https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/usage-chili-chilli-chili
Another opinion from a grammar blog =>https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2013/09/chili-chili-or-chilli.html
And this one from a website called chillipeppermadness => https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/frequently-asked-questions/how-do-you-spell-chili-pepper-is-it-chili-chilli-or-chili/
Interesting, right? Location matters.
Recipe lightly adapted from Shoba Narayan and Michelle Greenwald’s Spice Potato-stuffed Pastries: Samosas.
Want to try more curry and spicy recipes? Check this out => Jacques Pepin’s Amazing Spicy Lamb Curry with Apples and Potatoes
Dreaming of warmer weather? See how I made this Key Lime Pie => How to Make Key Lime Pie with Nut Crust
Fancy a quick and healthy snack? Check out this kale chips => How to Make Quick & Easy Kale Chips (20 Minutes)
Butter Cruffin = Croissant + Muffin =>How to Make Butter Cruffins (Croissant + Muffin)
January 18, 2021. Cold sunny winter day. Adjaruli Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread). It’s MLK day and the kids don’t have school today. So, it’s a busy day making and feeding the family more delicious stuff. We started off with our favorite Colorful and Happy Veggie …
November 26, 2020. Thanksgiving Day. Jeweled Rice. I discovered this gorgeous jeweled rice festive dish last year when I read the November 2019 copy of Bon Appetit magazine. On page 92 the magazine had an article on how to add something new to the table. …
Autumn just arrived and I started to look through all the recipes I’ve collected and made over the years. This colorful Veggies Ratatouille Casserole was just waiting to be made again – it is a family favorite!
After watching the movie Ratatouille for the first time way back when my daughter was still in elementary school, she was all fired up to try this dish. Remy, the leading mouse in the movie, is a top class French chef who has a penchant to put together mouthwateringly delicious dishes. He was quite the quirky and lovable character. She begged and asked in the nicest way possible and so how could I say no?
I did a bit of research and found a recipe by Julia Child that calls for slicing the vegetables thinly and then laying them neatly in a baking dish. It makes a beautiful dish to serve at the table. After making this the first time it has been tweaked and adjusted with each bake since.
I like that ratatouille is so flavorful and beautiful to serve and eat. Even though it looks difficult, it is NOT so. A kitchen slicer mandoline is your friend for this recipe. The base has 5 veggies: eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, colorful peppers and tomato paste. Add in some garlic and some seasoning and that’s it! Let’s cook!
1 can tomato paste, 6 oz.
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced
3-4 Tbs olive oil for sauce and drizzling
½ cup water
2 small, or 1 large eggplant, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
3 peppers – 1 each red, orange and green pepper, sliced
6 fresh basil leaves or fresh herbs of your choice
1 tsp dried parsley, thyme, basil or your favorite herb
salt and pepper to taste
You will also need a small sauce pan to cook the sauce, a mandoline or a very sharp kitchen knife, and a large casserole dish for this dish.
Gather all the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease casserole dish with olive oil. Heat the small sauce pan on low.
Start by preparing the onions and garlic. Heat the pan to medium and drizzle with about 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté the onions till translucent, 1-2 minutes. Add in the chopped garlic, and stir for another minute. When fragrant, remove pan from heat and set aside.
Add tomato paste, water, and 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to the sauté-ed onion and garlic in the pan. Stir to combine until you have a nice thick sauce. Add salt and ground pepper to taste. When ready, pour this sauce evenly across the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Set aside.
Wash and pat dry the vegetables. Thinly slice the vegetable with the kitchen mandoline or a very sharp kitchen knife, about ¼” thick. Then, lightly salt eggplant slices to remove moisture. Drizzle all veggies lightly with olive oil.
Start arranging the sliced vegetables from the far edge of the casserole dish, working inwards in a spiral manner. Alternating the veggies will give them a beautiful pattern and color. I love this part of the making this dish – I get to play with my food!
When done arranging, drizzle with remaining olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and sprinkle on the dried herbs.
Next, bake in preheated oven for 40 – 45 minutes, or until the veggies are soft and roasted. Finally, remove from heat and enjoy. Bon Appetit!
Here are a few more pictures of variations I’ve made using slightly different patterns and casserole dishes. Have fun making your own design!
I was curious to see which are the top casseroles popular in the US.
Apparently, Green Bean Casserole, Tater Tot Casserole, and Million Dollar Chicken Casserole rank as America’s most popular and most-saved comfort food dishes.
Here is another opinion about the top casseroles enjoyed in the US =>TasteAtlas
With the weather cooling down in most of the Northern hemisphere, try this Japanese meat and potatoes stew for a delicious dinner =>Japanese Nikujaga: The Best Meat And Potatoes Comfort Dish
Do you like your bread with a bit of heat? Check out how I made this delicious Spicy Spiral Cheese Bread from scratch => Spicy Spiral Cheese Bread
Have you ever tried cooking a dish in a foil packet? This technique is called “en papillote” in French. See how I whip out delicious dinner that requires short hands-on prep and let the foil and oven do the rest =>Quick Sausage En Papillote: Awesome Recipe from Jacques Pepin
Have you ever tasted a crescent roll stuffed with cream cheese? I was experimenting with new filling and came up with a plain and spicy version. See how I made them from scratch here => How to make Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls: Spicy and Plain!
September 24, 2020. Breakfast time. Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole. I was looking for ideas on what to make for a hearty breakfast that doesn’t involve bacon or sausages, and that uses sweet potatoes (hubby’s favorite) and lots of colorful veggies (daughter’s requirement). I searched online …
September 20, 2020. Morning. Cheese soufflé. I finally made Fluffy Three-Cheese Soufflé the other day! I must confess I have this irrational fear of making soufflé! After hearing all the horror stories about how after spending hours slaving over one and at the moment of …
One of the most popular pantry items in my kitchen are Delicious Soft Flour Tortillas. We often pick up a pack from the local grocery store during our regular weekly run. So, it wasn’t surprising that as we were sheltering at home during the pandemic over the summer, this was one of the items that were constantly being consumed and depleted.
I never ate tortillas growing up – we had plenty of other flat-breads: roti canai/pratha, roti jala, chapati, or naan. The first time I ate a “real” tortilla was probably when I first came to school here in the US. It was at a Mexican restaurant and the tortilla came with an order of sizzling chicken fajitas. I remember eating them, expecting the tortilla to taste like a chapati, which it resembles. Anyway, I was bowled over by the softness and chewiness of the tortilla. I can understand why it is so popular here in the US.
Tortillas are extremely versatile. My daughter loves to top a tortilla round with some shredded cheese, zap it in the microwave, and voila, you have an instant quesadilla! Or you can fill it with your favorite sandwich fillings, roll it up and you have a wrap. I like to cut it into wedges and top it with cream cheese and smoked salmon for a quick appetizer. And of course, serve it with your favorite grilled veggies or meat topped with sour cream and salsa for a homemade fajita! Or, you can eat it plain, like what my son likes to do!
Just recently, my son ate the last tortilla from the pack and was asking for more. I wasn’t about to go for a grocery run or get a shopper to just deliver a packet of tortillas! So, with that in mind, I decided to make some at home, from scratch. And boy, that was a good move! Home-made flour tortillas taste 10x better than the store bought ones, and are so easy to make. After the first time making it from scratch, I have consciously decided to make a double batch every week or so. It’s that good!
For this post, I will walk you through how I put this soft pillowy goodness together. It just requires 5 basic ingredients and you can put this together in under an hour!
*Being a geek, I was curious about the origin of tortilla and found this short article on the origin and history of this bread. If you are interested, check out this link => http://www.historyofbread.com/bread-history/history-of-tortilla/
The flour tortilla uses basic pantry ingredients.
You will also need a rolling pin and a large non stick pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Next, add hot water and oil.
If using a stand mixer, fit on the dough hook and mix until a dough is formed, about 5 – 8 minutes. If mixing by hand, stir and combine all the ingredients until a dough is formed. Dough should be soft and Playdo-like in texture, but not sticky. Add more flour as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time.
When ready, tip dough onto a clean work surface and knead for 1-2 minutes till smooth. Next, cover with kitchen towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Then, divide the dough into 12 equal parts and roll into balls. Cover under a kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out. In the meantime, heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat.
Lightly flour the work surface and rolling pin. Use the rolling pin to roll out one piece of dough into roughly 6 to 8-inch round. Then transfer directly to heated pan.
Cook the tortilla for about 1 minute, then flip and cook for another 30 seconds. The tortilla dough will puff up slightly as it is cooking. You want the tortilla to be soft and pliable, with little brown spots on the surface. Do not overcook. Adjust the heat on the pan so that your tortilla doesn’t burn.
Repeat with the rest of the dough and keep cooked tortillas warm under a clean kitchen towel.
If not eating immediately, cool tortillas on rack before putting away in an airtight container.
Did you like this simple and easy “Back to Basics” post? Are there any other basic recipes you would like me to share? Please comment and let me know.
If you are in the mood for something savory, check out my post on zucchini and cheese galette here => Quick Zucchini and Cheese Galette
Or if you feel like something sweet, check out this cool retro upside down citrus cake that uses 4 type of fruits => Unique Retro Upside Down Four Citrus Cake
For something that is colorful and delicious, how about the veggie blossom tart? It makes my mouth happy every-time I eat it, plus it is loaded with veggie, which is good for you too! => Colorful And Happy Veggie Blossom Tart
September 10, 2020. Afternoon. Baked Veggies Cheese Casserole. I experimented with this Fun Size Baked Veggies Cheese Casserole recipe this morning and it was a big success! My family (especially my son) loves the sweet petite Strawberry Craisin Oatmeal cups I whip up on busy …
