Twice-Baked Potato Samosa
A samosa, a spiced potato mixture stuffed inside a triangular pastry then deep-fried, is one of those foods that the health-conscious tend to avoid. What if you could get all the flavors without the high-heated carcinogenic oils and gluten? Yup, it's true and in this recipe, baking and cooling a potato increases its resistant starch, which feeds the friendly bacteria in your gut. For all of those who have shunned the humble potato, this recipe will make you think twice.
Servings: FOUR OR EIGHT APPETIZERS
INGREDIENTS
4 Russet potatoes, washed
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely minced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon lemon juice (about 1 quick squeeze of a lemon)
1 tablespoon cilantro leaves
4 tablespoons non-dairy sour cream or yogurt of choice
salt and pepper to taste
CILANTRO-MINT CHUTNEY
2 cups cilantro leaves, tightly packed
1/4 cup mint leaves, loosely packed
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 jalapeño, deseeded, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chia seeds
1/4 cup of water (use less if you are not using chia seeds)
DATE CHUTNEY
10 Mejool dates, pitted, soaked
1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
PREPARATION
1 Preheat oven to 450°F. Pierce the potatoes with a fork all over, then slather with oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 45-60 minutes, depending on size, until a knife runs through easily. Set aside to cool so you can handle it.
2 Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice down the middle to make two halves. Then scoop out the insides leaving about 1/4 inch of the potato jacket to refill later.
3 Heat a pan to medium and add oil. Once it shimmers, add the cumin seeds. Cook for 1 minute, then add the onions and lower the heat. Cook for 5 minutes or until translucent.
4 Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, salt, and pepper to the pan and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute). Then add the inside of the potatoes to the pan and mix until the spices are incorporated.
5 Add the frozen peas to the pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes until cooked through.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the lemon juice and cilantro leaves. When cooled, add in the sour cream or yogurt (you can use less than 4 tablespoons).
6 Refill the potato jackets with the samosa filling and bake for 5-10 minutes at 325°F until warmed through.
7 Serve with cilantro/mint and date chutney (optional).
8 For the cilantro-mint chutney, combine all ingredients into a small blender and blend through. The chutney will thicken as the chia seeds expand.
9 For the date chutney, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend through. Add more water as needed to smooth out the consistency.
NOTES
Baking and cooling potatoes increase their resistant starch, but you need to cool the potato for a long time. Reheating the potato reduces some of that resistant starch even though we are twice-baking at a lower temperature. To maintain as much of the resistant starch as possible, cook the frozen peas first before adding in the cooked potatoes to reduce the cooking time. Also, pop the stuffed potatoes back in the oven just until the inside is warmed.