Samosa Curry

I have been playing with samosa-twists lately, largely due to more than a few pounds of sprouting potatoes in my pantry. First, I did a Samosa Rice for the CSK, using chunks of potato, green peas and curry spices in brown basmati. The next night I tried Stuffed Samosas for dinner, baking a few russets, scooping out the insides and mixing them with peas, sauteed tempeh and onions and turmeric, cumin and coriander before re-stuffing. Now the kitchen smells of a Samosa Curry, that could be served over rice or stuffed inside a won-ton wrapper for a more traditional packet. For those of you going to Waterbury's Winter Farmers Market tomorrow, you will get a chance to try it there as I do some demos with the recipe. The idea here is to un-wrap and un-fry, while celebrating the local potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic that still grace the market tables.

Potatoes have taken a bad rap over the last half a century, as a white starch to be avoided in a healthy diet. Turns out, it is what we have turned them into (french fries, buttery mashes, tater tots) that strips them of their nutrition. As a whole package, skin on, potatoes are quite high in fiber, magnesium and potassium.

So my "when life gives you sprouting spuds....." lesson of the day is: potatoes freeze well! Not too surprising, when you think about the freezer aisle of your grocery store, filled with homefries, sweet potato fries and shepard's pie. Simply prepare them as you normally would, cool and freeze in an airtight container or bag. I did roasted cubes as well as wedges, tossed with a touch of salt and olive oil. Simple, so that they can be dressed up on a whim once defrosted and re-roasted. The cubes are actually what I am using today for this Samosa Curry. The disclaimer may be that the thawed potatoes will lose a bit of their sturdiness in the freezer, resulting in a different mouth-feel. But all in all, much better than a pantry of rotten potatoes.

Fresh curry leaves are a traditional Indian ingredient, completely different from the curry spice blend. I have noticed them showing up on co-op shelves with more frequency lately, and have found them at both Hunger Mountain Co-op and City Market, if you are a VT resident. The good news is they freeze beautifully, and can be pulled out sprig by sprig as needed. If you can't find them, no worries, your dish will still be delish.

Ingredients
Serves 4-6


1 tbs. unrefined coconut oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
2 cups yellow potato, in 1/2 inch cubes

1 garlic clove, minced
1-inch ginger root, minced

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. tumeric

1 cup green peas, frozen

1 tbs. tamari

1 tbs. sherry

a few sprigs of curry leaves, optional
a dash of cream or lime juice, optional

Directions
In a medium cast-iron skillet (or heavy bottomed stainless steel), heat oil over medium heat. When it will sizzle when spritzed with water, add the mustard seeds and coriander. As the seeds begin to pop, cover and cook 1-2 minutes. Add minced onion, potato and carrot and continue to cook until soft 5-8 minutes.

Add garlic, ginger, cumin and tumeric, stir for one minute, until spices have toasted. Add frozen peas, tamari and sherry, stir to deglaze pan, cover and let cook for one minute or until heated through. Add curry leaves if using. Taste, and adjust seasoning as desired, adding salt, heat, acid (lime juice) or cream to taste.

Relax. Enjoy