Indian-Spiced Potato Samosas with Curry Lime Yogurt

My favorite part of any meal is the appetizer.   For some reason, these small tasting portions hold a spell over me, tempting me from the left side of the menu to abandon the large entrees on the right and run away together.  Be it a relish tray, appetizer, tapas, tasting menu, amuse bouche, or any other small-plate derivative, if it comes before the main course I'm dying to have a love affair with it.

I think the love comes from the smaller size - for, logically, if it's smaller than an entree I need to eat more of them.  Thus, I get to try more food, instead of being stuck with just one type of food on my plate.  Gluttony, it seems, knows no bounds.  Of course, with the way serving sizes have grown exponentially, an appetizer from a restaurant is usually more than enough food for a normal person's meal.  Even a not-so-normal person like me.

But aside from their adding more food to a meal, appetizers have a different sort of feel than a main course.  They're smaller, more playful.  Many are made to be eaten with fingers, so wrapped up in a pastry or on a stick. Dolloped with sauce or dipped into a bowl, they're just more FUN than big food.

Because of this fascination with appetizer foods, I have tons of recipes bookmarked to try.  Problem is...i just don't make appetizers in my day-to-day life.  And who does?  I'm going to come home from work and assemble a ton of mini crab cakes before making dinner?  NO.

So when C asked me to bring an appetizer to her dinner party on Saturday, I just about leapt with joy.  Finally the excuse I've been craving - I get to make a finger food!  Whatever one I want!  And I can eat as many of them as I want before I go to the party too!

Scanning through the bookmarks, I was instantly drawn to a Cooking Light makeover of samosas, the traditional Indian snack.  Typically filled with curried potatoes and peas, then deep-fried and served with chutney, Samosas seem exotic but are a food common across many cultures - dumplings.  And who doesn't like a dumpling!?  This version replaced deep-fried dough with phyllo dough, keeping the crunch while removing the calories.  I made many tweaks on the spices, potatoes, and amounts, but otherwise stuck fairly close to the recipe as written.  I also decided that any finger food worth its salt needs a dip, so I combined some curry and lime with greek yogurt for a cooling, different twist.

Maybe because the three couples at the party with us are about the nicest people on earth, but these samosas got rave reviews.  I almost wish I had been a shadester and stolen the leftover dumplings to take them back home with me...but knowing that our kind hosts got to have an extra helping is more important.  Besides, I have another roll of phyllo dough in the freezer and no scruples to stop me from making another batch.



Indian-Spiced Samosas with Curry Lime Yogurt
Makes about 36 samosas and 1 cup sauce.

2 cups chopped yukon gold or baking potatoes, or a mix
3 Tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp minced ginger
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2-3 Tbsp butter, melted
1 roll (20 sheets) phyllo dough

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan with 1 tsp salt and cover by 1" with cold water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Drain.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Add onion and saute until starting to brown, 5 minutes.  Add garlic, ginger, and all spices, stirring well; saute 3 minutes or until spices are very fragrant and onions are soft.  Add potatoes and peas and stir well to coat evenly, using the back of spoon to break up and mash the potatoes.  You don't want big chunks of potato, but don't try to mash every piece either. Remove from heat.

Unroll phyllo dough from roll and immediately cover with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel.  (Work quickly with phyllo dough to avoid drying out and tearing the delicate sheets; keep remaining sheets covered at all times.)  Remove one sheet and brush with melted butter; top with a second sheet and smooth out.  Cut crosswise into four strips.

Put a heaping Tablespoon of potato mixture along the bottom edge of each strip.  Fold one bottom corner over filling, folding up each strip into a triangle (like you fold a flag) until filling is completely enclosed.  Use a dab of melted butter to help seal the edge.  Place each samosa seam side down on a greased baking sheet; mist tops lightly with cooking spray.

Bake samosas for 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees or until golden brown and crispy.  (Samosas can be made in advance and reheated for 10 minutes at 400 until dough crisps back up again.)  Serve with Indian Chutney or Greek yogurt, for dipping.

Curry-Lime Yogurt
1 cup 2% greek yogurg
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
juice and zest from 1 lime

Mix together; season with S&P.  Chill until serving.