- 375g/13oz plain flour
- 150g/5½oz self-raising flour
- 125g/4½oz butter
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp finely chopped fresh root ginger
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp dried mango powder
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and diced and parboiled until just cooked
- 100g/3½oz peas
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
- vegetable oil, for deep-fat frying
- 75g/2½oz caster sugar
- 2 red chillies, roughly chopped
- 3 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 8 lime leaves
- 2 lemongrass stems, tough outer leaves removed, finely chopped
- 25g/1oz roughly chopped fresh root ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled, left whole
- 2 small shallots, roughly chopped
- 4 tbsp Thai fish sauce
- 40ml/1½fl oz sesame oil
- 50ml/1¾fl oz dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp clear honey
- 3 limes, juice and zest
- 110g/4oz crème fraîche
- For the vegetable samosas, preheat a deep-fat fryer to 180C/350F. Or half-fill a deep, heavy-based pan with vegetable oil and heat until a breadcrumb dropped in sizzles and turns golden-brown in 30 seconds. (Caution: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
- For the pastry, mix the plain flour, self-raising flour and butter in a bowl. Add a splash of warm water and knead well to make an elastic dough.
- Divide the dough into 12 small balls and roll each out into a circle. Cut each into two half-circles. You should have 24 half-circles.
- For the filling, heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and fry until golden-brown. Add the ginger, spices and tomato purée and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the potatoes and peas and season with salt. Cook the mixture over a low heat, stirring regularly, until the mixture is soft. Finish with the chopped fresh coriander.
- Add a teaspoon of the filling to the middle of one semi-circle and fold into a triangle. Repeat to use up all the dough and filling.
- Deep fry the samosas in the hot oil or deep-fat fryer. Fry in small batches for 4-5 minutes, or until golden-brown and crisp. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
- For the chilli sauce, heat the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat until it melts and forms a golden-brown caramel.
- Meanwhile, blend all of the remaining chilli sauce ingredients, except the crème fraîche, in a food processor to a smooth purée.
- Once the sugar has caramelised, add the puréed mixture to the caramel and stir well. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until sticky and jam-like. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- Serve the samosas on a plate with a bowl of chilli sauce and a spoonful of crème fraîche.