These samosas have a nice kick to them and because they are baked, not fried, they are much healthier and lower in calories than the fried ones. This recipe makes 8 large or 16 small samosas. This is a vegan recipe.
Ingredients:
1 pkg of fresh whole wheat pizza dough---enough to make two pizzas (readily available at Italian grocery stores)
2 tsps olive or canola oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 red sweet pepper, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
One 28 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup of water
1 tsp dried crushed hot chili peppers
1 tsp picante hot sauce
2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1. Place the dough in a very lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a clean tea towel & let stand at room temperature for about one hour to allow it to rise.
2. To prepare the filling, place the drained chickpeas in a food processor or blender. Add 3/4 cup of water and puree until fairly smooth (this is a personal choice as some may prefer their filling to be more chunky).
3. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high. Add the cumin and stir constantly for about 30 seconds. Add the onion, sweet red pepper, carrot and garlic; cook, stirring as needed, until the onion and vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chickpeas, dried chili peppers & hot sauce; cook, stirring gently until most of the liquid is absorbed, 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and gently stir in the green peas, lemon juice, salt and pepper, taking care not to mash the peas. Let stand about 15 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 425F. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Sprinkle a work surface with flour. Have a small bowl of water close by.
5. Divide the dough into four equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Using a dusted rolling bin, roll out each ball into a thin 8 inch round & cut each in half. Scoop two tbsps of filling into the centre of each round of dough. (You can make 16 smaller samosas by cutting the 8 inch round into quarters and using one heaping tbsp of filling in each one). Dip your fingers in the bowl of water and moisten the edges of dough with a few drops. Fold dough over the filling and pinch edges firmly together to seal. Repeat until all samosas are made. Brush all sides very lightly with vegetable oil. Place on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until lightly browned.
