Spicy Chicken Samosas

Crisp, golden pastry filled with ground chicken and an irresistible combination of spices — these samosas are a staple in baker Elora Khanom's home. And she likes to serve it with a savoury yogurt dip to balance out the heat.

A patient hand is needed to weave the dough in a lattice pattern, but it's worth the effort when you want to impress.

Elora’s Spicy Chicken Samosas helped earn her the title of Star Baker for Savoury Week in Season 8 of The Great Canadian Baking Show.

Spicy Chicken Samosas

By Elora Khanom

Ingredients

Dough:

• 3 cups (426 g) all-purpose flour
• 1¼ tsp salt
• ¼ cup canola oil
• ⅔ to ¾ cup water, as needed

Filling:

• 6 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• Salt, to taste
• 454 g (1 lb) ground chicken, preferably thighs
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• 2 cups onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground mace
• 2 Thai green chillies, minced
• Oil, for frying

Dipping Sauce:

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp mint leaves, finely chopped
• ½ tsp black salt
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 Thai green chilli, minced

Preparation

Dough:

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add oil and mix with a rubber spatula or your hands until it resembles coarse meal. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until a dough forms. Roll the dough into a ball, cover it with a damp kitchen towel and let it rest while you make the filling.

Filling:

Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ginger-garlic paste and ½ teaspoon salt and stir. Add chicken, cumin, coriander and chilli powder and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add soy sauce, ketchup, garam masala, nutmeg and mace. Cook for 5 minutes. Season with more salt, if needed. Add chillies and stir to combine. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and cool completely. 

Assembly:

Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and one by one, roll each piece into a rough 6-inch square about ​​⅛ inch thick. Cover with a damp towel until ready to use. 

Working with one square, trim uneven edges with a sharp knife. Then cut the square into four even quadrants, stopping ½ inch from the centre. Spoon a few tablespoons of filling onto one quadrant, then press down on the filling until there’s a ½-inch border on all sides. 

Using your finger or a brush, moisten the edges of the dough with water. Fold over the opposite quadrant of dough so it covers the filling, pressing down lightly on the edges to seal. 

Cut each of the remaining quadrants into ½-inch strips perpendicular to the quadrant with the filling, leaving ½ inch attached. Moisten the edges of the filled quadrant with water. 

Starting with the strips closest to the centre, fold one over the filled portion, then alternate folding strips from each of the scored quadrants to create a lattice pattern.

Once all the strips of dough cover the filled quadrant, lightly press down on the edges with your fingers and trim any excess. Repeat with remaining sheets of dough and filling.

Heat a deep fryer to 325 F and set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Working in batches, fry the samosas until deep golden brown, about 4 to 6 minutes. Then transfer them to the prepared rack while you fry the remaining samosas. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Dipping Sauce:

Add all ingredients to a small bowl and stir until combined. 

Makes 12 samosas