jyothi varne
Keema Matar Samosa - Minced meat & peas samosa
The good old Bangalore weather is back, with a bright morning and gloomy evenings. An enchanting spell of rain here & there to pep up any mad eye moody and spike one's craving for yummy fried food. Lets forget the traffic madness and the bad road conditions which never seem to improve and probably never will!! Sigh!!
Walk along any old streets of the city and you will surely find a hawker selling some piping hot fritters, vadas, bondas and all you need is a nice cup of filter kaapi to snuggle up & warm your soul. Yes! we southies love our coffee dearly and a good filter kaapi requires no excuses.

This one's my contribution for the Monsoon madness and is a childhood favourite conjured in Mom's kitchen - the spicy Keema Muttar Samosa. There are many versions and variations to the stuffing used, but this is our family's heirloom recipe - at least I haven't tasted anything like it ever before. They're light, crispy, non oily and the filling has a well blended masala that marries the Kheema like a match made in heaven. Whilst the peas add on their unique texture to the stuffing, you can also substitute it with Chicken Keema/Soya granules/mushrooms. The choice is yours - but I am going to stick to the original recipe, which requires minced mutton meat.

To all the fried food lovers out there - this one's for you :)

INGREDIENTS :
250gms - Minced mutton meat
2 medium sized Onions chopped
1 large cup of green peas
1 tbsp - Coriander powder
1 tsp - Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
For the masala :
4 Green Chillies
1 tbsp - Ginger Garlic paste
1 inch Cinnamon stick
6 chunks of coconut
5-7 sprigs of Coriander leaves
1/2 tsp - Saunf
For samosa dough:
2 large cups of maida/ all purpose flour
1tsp - Carom seeds
1/2 tsp - Sat
Water for binding into a soft dough
Mix all the ingredients mentioned above and make a smooth, soft dough. Cover with a wet cloth and set aside.

PROCEDURE
1. Blend all the ingredients mentioned under "For Masala" into a smooth paste by adding very little water. Remember you do not want your samosa to turn soggy because of the filling.
2. In a frying pan, heat some oil - add the chopped onions and fry until golden brown.
3. Next add the minced meat and cook till all the water from the Keema evaporates - this should take about 10-15mins. on medium simmer.
4. Add coriander powder & turmeric powder and stir well.
5. Combine the finely ground masala, salt to taste and cook till the raw smell disappears.
6. Add in the peas and 1/2 cup of water. Turn the flame to a low and cook till the meat is well done and the consistency is dry.
Your filling is ready !!

7. Heat adequate oil for frying in a deep kadai/wok.
8. Roll out the dough into circles and stuff with filling.

Do check out this step by step video on how to fold samosa with home made dough
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DloX2LDN4QA
9. Fry on medium flame until golden brown. Let them rest on a tissue paper, to soak up excess oil (if any)

Serve hot with ketchup or imli chutney as a Starter/Snack
