Derived from the Persian word sanbosag and mentioned as sanbusak, sanbusaq, and sanbusaj in 10th–13th century Arab cookery books, India’s favourite snack ‘samosa’ has a Central Asian origin and every year, World Samosa Day is marked on September 5 to celebrate this mood-lifting food. Packed with the savoury fillings of spiced potatoes or onions or peas or meat or lentils, the triangular coned samosas are an appetising sight that can make anyone go weak in the knees.
World Samosa Day celebrates this crunchy oily food and here’s your excuse to to try samosa for the first time or share it with friends by following this easy recipe to whip up a delicious snack of Chole Samosa Chaat that serves 6.
Ingredients:
-1 cup dried chickpeas or 3 cups cooked or canned chickpeas
-3 tablespoons oil
-½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
-⅔ cup finely chopped onions or 2 medium sized onions, chopped or 100 grams onions, chopped
-1 cup finely chopped tomatoes or 150 grams tomatoes or 3 medium size tomatoes
-2 teaspoons Ginger Garlic Paste or 1 inch ginger and 7 garlic cloves – crushed to paste in mortar pestle
-2 to 3 green chilies, slit or sliced
-¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
-1 teaspoon red chili powder
-1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
-2.5 cups water – if chana takes less time to cook then add 2 cups water
-1 teaspoon Garam Masala or chana masala powder
-1 teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder)
-½ teaspoon black salt
-½ teaspoon rock salt (edible and food grade) or regular salt or add as per taste
-10 to 12 small samosas or 5 to 6 large samosas
-1 small bowl Tamarind Chutney
-1 small bowl red chili garlic chutney
-1 small bowl coriander mint chutney
-sev as required, optional
-½ cup finely chopped onions
-chaat masala as required
-¼ cup chopped coriander leaves
-lemon juice as required
-Curd (yogurt) – optional
-Fried green chilies – optional
Method of preparing Chana Masala:
Soak 1 cup dried chickpeas in enough water for 7 to 8 hours or overnight. Next day drain all the water and rinse the chickpeas with fresh water. Keep aside. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 3 litre pressure cooker. Add ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain) and let them splutter. Then add ⅔ cup chopped onions and sauté them till they turn translucent.
Next add 2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste. Sauté till the raw aroma of both ginger-garlic goes away. Then add 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes. Mix well. Next add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chili powder and 1 teaspoon coriander powder. Mix very well. Saute this onion-tomato masala till the tomatoes soften and become pulpy. You will also see some oil releasing from the sides of the masala paste.
Then add 2 to 3 green chilies (slit) and the chickpeas. Mix very well with the masala and then add ½ teaspoon black salt, ½ teaspoon rock salt or regular salt or add salt as per taste. Add 2.5 cups water. If chana takes less time to cook then add 2 cups water. Depending on the quality of chana, it may take less or more time to cook. Pressure cook for 12 to 14 minutes on medium flame.
When the pressure falls down on its own in the cooker, then open the lid and check the doneness of the chana. If the chana still feels uncooked, then pressure cook for some more time. Keep the cooker on the stove top and simmer chana masala on a medium flame. Mash a few chickpeas so as to thicken the gravy. When the chana masala starts simmering, add 1 teaspoon garam masala powder or chana masala powder & 1 teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder). Mix very well.
Continue to cook till the gravy has become thick slightly. There should be no watery consistency in the chana masala and the gravy should be medium to medium-thick. Keep aside.
Method for assembling Samosa Chaat:
Take the samosas and the chutneys. Warm the samosas in an oven, microwave or in a pan if they are at room temperature. In a serving plate, add the hot chana masala. Break or smash 1 small to medium sized samosa and add it on top of the chana masala layer. Top with some green chutney, some red chili garlic chutney and some sweet tamarind dates chutney
You can add the sweet and spicy chutney less or more and as per your requirements. Now add some chopped onions. Sprinkle some chaat masala powder and some coriander leaves. Drizzle with some lemon juice. Serve samosa chaat immediately. Prepare remaining servings of the samosa chaat this way.
(Recipe: Chef Vinod Rana )