Tiscali Lifestyle Food and Drink

8 oz frozen puff pastry, defrosted
2 fresh salmon steaks
1½ cubic inches fresh green ginger
3 green chillies
2 potatoes
1 cup green peas
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp coriander seeds (dhania)
2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp mango powder (available from Asian stores)
White flour
Salt

Method

Filling

Place salmon steaks on an oiled baking tray. Cook in a pre-heated oven (medium heat) for five minutes. Take out the tray, remove the skin and bones and cut into small pieces. (Don't worry if the fish looks a little undercooked.) Set aside in a large mixing bowl.

Peel and parboil potatoes for ten to 12 minutes - so that they are still firm. Dice the potatoes into tiny pieces - the filling for the samosas must be quite fine.

In a pestle and mortar (or with a quick whizz in the food processor) crush the coriander and cumin. Scrape off the ginger's woody skin and dice into tiny pieces. Dice the chillies finely.

In a saucepan or wok heat three tablespoons of oil over a medium heat. First add ginger, then the cumin, coriander and chillies. Continue to heat and stir for a minute, then add the potatoes, garam masala, mango powder and salt (to taste). Fry the mixture for four minutes, add salmon and peas and cook for a further three minutes, stirring all the time. Set aside in a mixing bowl and let it cool.

Samosas

Make eight dough balls from one slab of puff pastry. Roll out one of the balls into a thin, flat round shape three inches in diameter. Use flour for dusting if needed.

Using a sharp knife, cut the circular shape into half. Take one of the semicircles and lay it flat in the open palm of your left hand, making sure that the circular edge is away from you and the cut edge is nearest to you. Pick up the left corner and fold it inwards to the topmost point of the semicircle. With your finger, dab water down the folded cut edge. Pick up the right corner and fold it across so that the pastry now forms a cone shape.

Open the pastry cone and hold like an ice cream cone. Fill with the salmon mixture so that it is two thirds full. Dab the inside top edges of the samosa with press them firmly together.

Place the samosa on an oiled baking tray. Repeat for each. Beat an egg and lightly brush the top of each samosa. Put the tray in the oven at 180 degrees C (350 degrees F, Gas Mark 4) for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve hot or cold with salad.

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