Gobi manchurian
Treat friends or family to this popular Indo-Chinese starter where crispy cauliflower florets are tossed in a hot, sweet and sour sauce
Aloo’r shingara
Makes 12-16
More effort
Prep:
Cook:
plus resting
These look like samosas, but are made with shortcrust pastry filled with cauliflower or potato cooked with panch phoron (five spices)
Skip to ingredients
- 450g Maris Piper potatoesunpeeled, cut into 1cm cubes
- 20g gingerpeeled and roughly chopped
- 1 green chillifinely chopped (deseeded, if you prefer less heat)
- 2 tbsp food grade mustard oilor other neutral oil
- 50g unsalted peanuts
- 2 tsp panch phoron(available in Asian supermarkets)
- ½ tsp asafoetida
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp chaat masala
- 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
- 1 ½ litres vegetable oilfor frying tamarind chutney, to serve
For the pastry
- 250g plain flourplus extra for dusting
- ¾ tsp caster sugar
- 25g cold ghee
- 1 tsp black nigella seeds
Nutrition: Per serving (16)
- kcal198
- fat13g
- saturates2g
- carbs17g
- sugars1g
- fibre1g
- protein3g
- salt0.67g
Method
step 1
Boil the potatoes in salted water for 5-6 mins until tender. Drain well and leave to steam-dry.
step 2
Meanwhile, roughly crush the ginger and chilli using a pestle and mortar. Heat the mustard oil in a wok or large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the peanuts for 2 mins until golden. Remove using a slotted spoon and set aside.
step 3
Cook the panch phoron in the wok for 30 seconds. Add the ginger and chilli mix and the asafoetida, and cook, stirring, for 1 min. Stir in the dry spices and fenugreek leaves (rub the leaves between your palms briefly first to release the oils), then add the potatoes, stirring to coat. Cook for 4 mins, then stir in 11/2 tsp salt and 100ml warm water. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 10 mins until the potatoes are fully tender. Mix in the peanuts, then remove from the heat and cool fully.
step 4
Meanwhile, put all the pastry ingredients in a food processor with ½ tsp salt. Pulse to fine crumbs. Add 90-100ml water. Pulse to form a smooth dough. Cover with a damp tea towel. Leave to rest for 30 mins.
step 5
Line a large baking tray with baking parchment. Roll the dough into 50g balls (about 6-8). Working with one at a time, roll out on a lightly floured surface into a 25 x 17cm oval, keeping the rest of the dough covered to stop it drying out. Cut in half through the middle crosswise. Dab water along the cut side of one of the half-ovals, then bring the points of the shortest side up to slightly overlap, creating a cone shape. Holding the cone between your finger and thumb, fill with 1 tbsp of the filling. Press the open end together, then fold in half to seal. Put on the tray and cover with a damp tea towel. Repeat with the rest of the balls.
step 6
Half-fill a large, deep pan with oil and heat to 100C. Fry the shingaras in batches for 4-5 mins, then flip over and cook until golden, about 10-12 mins total. Drain on kitchen paper. Leave to rest for 15 mins, then serve with tamarind chutney.
