Discussion
A question re Samosas.....
Is there regional differences when it comes to Samosas? Not in terms of being meat or veg for religious reasons, but in terms of size and the type of pastry?
The reason why I ask is that I went to Southall yesterday and had one that was totally different to any other I have tried. The pastry was thicker and shorter and the filling (Veg) was more chunky and very spicy!!
Is there regional differences when it comes to Samosas? Not in terms of being meat or veg for religious reasons, but in terms of size and the type of pastry?
The reason why I ask is that I went to Southall yesterday and had one that was totally different to any other I have tried. The pastry was thicker and shorter and the filling (Veg) was more chunky and very spicy!!
No "regional" differences as such - just different chefs & methods of cooking, especially with the pastry.
There is also a big difference betwen "home made" & "shop bought" samosas - what a lot of takeaways do is buy in bags of frozen samosas to be fried (or re-fried) when the customer orders them. Some restaurants do this as well, IME the pastry is a lot crispier and not as nice. Another thing that impairs the quality of the pastry is how fresh the samosa is - if it was made as part of a batch a couple of days ago it won't taste as nice (obviously
). Another thing to watch out for is shops using frozen veg in the filling - not as nice (again IME)
For me the ideal samosa is ; dry (almost crumbly) pastry with a moist lightly spiced filling of meat & potatoes mmmmmmm
There is also a big difference betwen "home made" & "shop bought" samosas - what a lot of takeaways do is buy in bags of frozen samosas to be fried (or re-fried) when the customer orders them. Some restaurants do this as well, IME the pastry is a lot crispier and not as nice. Another thing that impairs the quality of the pastry is how fresh the samosa is - if it was made as part of a batch a couple of days ago it won't taste as nice (obviously
). Another thing to watch out for is shops using frozen veg in the filling - not as nice (again IME)For me the ideal samosa is ; dry (almost crumbly) pastry with a moist lightly spiced filling of meat & potatoes mmmmmmm
Countdown said:
No "regional" differences as such - just different chefs & methods of cooking, especially with the pastry.
There is also a big difference betwen "home made" & "shop bought" samosas - what a lot of takeaways do is buy in bags of frozen samosas to be fried (or re-fried) when the customer orders them. Some restaurants do this as well, IME the pastry is a lot crispier and not as nice. Another thing that impairs the quality of the pastry is how fresh the samosa is - if it was made as part of a batch a couple of days ago it won't taste as nice (obviously). Another thing to watch out for is shops using frozen veg in the filling - not as nice (again IME)
For me the ideal samosa is ; dry (almost crumbly) pastry with a moist lightly spiced filling of meat & potatoes mmmmmmm
Thanks for that. The one I had yesterday sounds very similar to the one you discribe. YUM!!There is also a big difference betwen "home made" & "shop bought" samosas - what a lot of takeaways do is buy in bags of frozen samosas to be fried (or re-fried) when the customer orders them. Some restaurants do this as well, IME the pastry is a lot crispier and not as nice. Another thing that impairs the quality of the pastry is how fresh the samosa is - if it was made as part of a batch a couple of days ago it won't taste as nice (obviously
). Another thing to watch out for is shops using frozen veg in the filling - not as nice (again IME)For me the ideal samosa is ; dry (almost crumbly) pastry with a moist lightly spiced filling of meat & potatoes mmmmmmm
Countdown's post it spot on. Price is also a factor. Used to live near a family quite a few years back who made and supplied samosas to shopkeepers. Since they were aiming for maximum profit the filling used to consist mainly of potatos and chillis with very little meat whereas the ones my mum makes are packed with good quality mince. Also store bought ones have crunchy filo pastry whereas home made pastry is a lot nicer
Countdown said:
No "regional" differences as such - just different chefs & methods of cooking, especially with the pastry.
There is also a big difference betwen "home made" & "shop bought" samosas - what a lot of takeaways do is buy in bags of frozen samosas to be fried (or re-fried) when the customer orders them. Some restaurants do this as well, IME the pastry is a lot crispier and not as nice. Another thing that impairs the quality of the pastry is how fresh the samosa is - if it was made as part of a batch a couple of days ago it won't taste as nice (obviously). Another thing to watch out for is shops using frozen veg in the filling - not as nice (again IME)
For me the ideal samosa is ; dry (almost crumbly) pastry with a moist lightly spiced filling of meat & potatoes mmmmmmm
M&S Samosa are lovely.There is also a big difference betwen "home made" & "shop bought" samosas - what a lot of takeaways do is buy in bags of frozen samosas to be fried (or re-fried) when the customer orders them. Some restaurants do this as well, IME the pastry is a lot crispier and not as nice. Another thing that impairs the quality of the pastry is how fresh the samosa is - if it was made as part of a batch a couple of days ago it won't taste as nice (obviously
). Another thing to watch out for is shops using frozen veg in the filling - not as nice (again IME)For me the ideal samosa is ; dry (almost crumbly) pastry with a moist lightly spiced filling of meat & potatoes mmmmmmm
There are lots of differences. Why would you expect them to be all the same? It's not a McDonalds burger. All sorts of differences in the filling, amount of seasoning, type of pastry and the actual shape and size.
Just as an example; Punjabi samosas tend to be shaped more like a Cornish pasty with similar shortcrust type pastry. My favorite are Gujerati style delicate triangle parcels.
pp
Just as an example; Punjabi samosas tend to be shaped more like a Cornish pasty with similar shortcrust type pastry. My favorite are Gujerati style delicate triangle parcels.
pp
Mobile Chicane said:
Pickled Piper said:
My favorite are Gujerati style delicate triangle parcels.
pp
Mine too. Anyone know of a supermarket version which are like this?pp
The other option is to befriend some Gujeratis and follow them home for dinner.
pp
Best samosas (veg) in Southall have to be from a takeaway place called Shahanshah (pronounced Sha-Hen-Shah), 60 North Road, Southall. Nothing else comes close.
With regards to differences, North Indian (Punjabi) samosas tend to have a more 'solid' filling and generally are larger in size with a thicker pastry.
South Indian ones are usually filled with fillings that are cut a lot smaller and packed tightly into the samosa and have a more crispy, thinner pastry.
Think I'll have to make a detour to the above mentioned samosa vendor on my way home tonight!
With regards to differences, North Indian (Punjabi) samosas tend to have a more 'solid' filling and generally are larger in size with a thicker pastry.
South Indian ones are usually filled with fillings that are cut a lot smaller and packed tightly into the samosa and have a more crispy, thinner pastry.
Think I'll have to make a detour to the above mentioned samosa vendor on my way home tonight!
JAGS said:
Best samosas (veg) in Southall have to be from a takeaway place called Shahanshah (pronounced Sha-Hen-Shah), 60 North Road, Southall. Nothing else comes close.
With regards to differences, North Indian (Punjabi) samosas tend to have a more 'solid' filling and generally are larger in size with a thicker pastry.
South Indian ones are usually filled with fillings that are cut a lot smaller and packed tightly into the samosa and have a more crispy, thinner pastry.
Think I'll have to make a detour to the above mentioned samosa vendor on my way home tonight!
And Ritas on Adelaide Road for a ThaliWith regards to differences, North Indian (Punjabi) samosas tend to have a more 'solid' filling and generally are larger in size with a thicker pastry.
South Indian ones are usually filled with fillings that are cut a lot smaller and packed tightly into the samosa and have a more crispy, thinner pastry.
Think I'll have to make a detour to the above mentioned samosa vendor on my way home tonight!
Haven't made them for ages, been very lazy and used frozen ones. Any pointers on the pastry? I normally use flour, oil, bit of salt and cold water to bind. Then I use my pasta machine to get it wafer thin so I can fold several times and still get a very thin and crispy casing. Any secrets worth knowing?
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