MANGSHOR SHINGARA / MUTTON SAMOSA

Samosa or Shingara is an extremely popular tea-time snacks, to be precise evening tea-time. Though my memories give a different picture. In my humble place, early morning in all the sweetshops....one can see in big woks, those frying samosas.....oops they are as soothing as humans swimming in a pool of water during summer. I am not a poet, a big foodie....so could not think beyond this. To compliment these samosas there has to be the jalebis coated in sugar syrup, and slurp ..... is possibly the only sound that comes out wholeheartedly..... Saturdays and Sundays there would be a beeline in front of these shops. With a satisfied smile back home these would be finished in minutes with hot tea.

Our mother / parents seldom allowed us buy food from outside. She loved trying and doing it at home for us. I have picked up this habit from her and thank her for that. Preparing something with our own hands expresses our love and care for the people who mean to us. Again if you do not take interest in cooking does not make you care less for your family. I believe each one of us do it in one way or the other. I remember I first learnt making Chapatis and Puris after my son started going to school as I vowed I will never pack his lunch box with store bought things. My naughty witty husband reminds me often it is for son he gets to have home made chapatis in a foreign land forgetting its for him I learnt rest of the cooking. Jokes apart, he was the guinea pig for all my experimental cooking. Had he being little critical I would become a better cook.

 Back to track, our mother used to make shingara with fillings as per the season. Like in winters, she would make samosas with a cauliflower, potato and green peas fillings. In those days, cauliflowers and green peas tasted heavenly, grown without those strong fertilisers used nowadays. Being a strict non-vegeterian, I made a variation and prepared these minced mutton samosas which is common in our place, even at the Indian stores here in the island,we get it.. If you are not fond of mutton, you can use minced chicken. I actually tasted mangshor shingara first at the club canteen of the Gun & Shell Factory, our school was also a part of their educational venture.

An honest confession, my samosa cones are not as perfect as the store ones or like my cooking expert friends, but its not a compromise with the taste and its crispiness , that I can assure.

INGREDIENTS :[ for the filling ]

Minced Mutton : 400 gm
Potato : 1 big
Minced Garlic : 2 tbsp
Minced Ginger : 1 tbsp
Onion : 1 big
Minced Green Chilli : 1 tbsp [adjust as per your requirement]
Green Peas : 50 gm
Cumin Seeds : 1tsp
Coriander Seeds : 1 tsp
Dry Red Chilli : 2
Green Cardamom : 2
Cloves : 3
Cinnamon : 1 one  inch stick
Oil : 3 tbsp
Salt : As per taste
Turmeric Powder : 1 tsp

 INGREDIENTS : [ for the dough ]

Refined Flour : 2 coffee mugs
Salt : 1/4 tsp
Ghee[clarified butter] : 2 tbsp
Nigella Seeds : 1tsp[optional]
Water : 1 small cup.

INGREDIENTS : [for the mutton samosa]

The Filling

The Dough

Oil to deep fry

METHOD :

Take the flour in a wide mouthed vessel. Make a hole in the middle with your finger and put in the ghee and the salt. Add the nigella seeds.

Mix with the flour for about 2 minutes. Now add water little by little and make good use of your palm to turn into a smooth dough.

Cover the dough with a wet  cloth for about 1/2 an hour.

Wash the minced mutton through a strainer very well. Take in a bowl. Marinate with lemon juice, little salt and turmeric powder for about 1 hour. If you are using minced chicken, no need to marinate.  Dry roast the cumin seeds, dry red chillies, cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves and coriander seeds together and powder in a blender. Powder needs to be a little coarse. Wash, peel and cut the potato into small pieces. Thinly slice the onion and wash.

Heat oil in a wok. Add the minced garlic and ginger. Fry for 1 minute and now put the sliced onion and minced green chillies. After frying for 2 minutes, add the minced mutton along with the marinade. Stir well and cover. Lower the heat to minimum. After 10 minutes, open the cover and add the potato pieces, turmeric powder and salt as required. Cover again.  After 5 minutes add the green peas. Stir every 3 minutes to avoid burning from bottom. Do this till the mutton is about to dry.

At this level, use your ladle to mash the potato pieces. Add sugar and the dry roasted spice powder. Mix well and switch off. Transfer into a bowl and let it cool.

Now remove the cover from the dough. Use your palm once again over the dough which is a good exercise. Make balls and dust lighty with flour. Do the dusting only if it is required.

With a rolling pin make round shapes, little bigger than puris.  Cut half from the middle.

Shape into a cone. Put in filling carefully with a spoon.

Seal the edges nicely so that they do not open while frying.

Heat oil in a wok . Fry in batches. The wok should not be overcrowded with samosas. Whenever the wok is too heated up, keep the gas mark at medium to lower.

Once done transfer onto a double layer of tissue papers.

For the Coriander Chutney, blend some pre washed, freshly chopped coriander leaves, a clove of garlic, two green chillies together to a paste. Add little salt and lemon juice and serve.

As any other snacks, we will have it hot and fresh with our preferred chutney or sauce!