Irresistable Irani Samosas

I recently found out that Hyderabad placed #3 in Lonely Planet's list of Top 10 cities to visit in 2013. So, in honor of my birthplace and its 15 minutes of fame, I've decided to add a baked twist to a Hyderabadi fried favorite, the Irani samosa.

These little onion-filled cocktail samosas are all over Hyderabad, from train stations to movie theaters and tea shops. They are so good to eat, but so very bad for you. So, I got the idea for baked Irani samosas with a cilantro goat cheese dip.

My version uses wonton wrappers, which means they become just as crispy in the oven as they would if fried. And the coolness of the goat cheese dip really adds another dimension to the sweet and spicy onion filling.

While I do admit that biting into a real, deep-fried irani samosa with oil dripping down your face brings out a Paul Deen-esque excitement...these baked ones are a very close second.

For Recipe (Click Read More)

(Makes 20-25 samosas); Prep time: 15 mins; Cook time: 7 mins

For the baked samosas:

What you need:

1. Wonton wrappers, 16-18 thawed
2. 2 medium onions - sliced finely
3. Poha/flattened rice - 1 cup
4. 2 green chillies, finely chopped
5. Green onion - 2 tbsp, finely chopped
6. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
7. Spanish paprika - 1 tsp
8. Salt - 1 tsp
9. 1 egg, scrambled (also can use corn flour and water to seal the wontons)
10. Butter, 2 tbsp melted

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan on medium heat.
3. Add the sliced onions and fry for 2-3 minutes, until translucent. 
4. Add the turmeric and salt and take off the stove.
5. Add the paprika, green onion, green chillies and the poha. Mix and set aside for 10 minutes. 
6. Take the wonton wrapper cut into four square pieces.
7. Add 1 tbsp of the onion mixture to the middle of one square sheet.
8. Close into a triangle shape and seal with the egg or corn flour wash.
9. Place the wontons on a greased baking sheet.
10. Brush with melted butter.
11. Bake for 6-7 minutes. Check to see they don't burn. 

For the cilantro goat cheese dip:

What you need:

1. Goat cheese, 5 oz, crumbled
2. Low fat sour cream - 2/3 cup
3. Cilantro - 2 tbsp, finely chopped
4. Dill - 1 tbsp, finely chopped
5. 2-3 green onions, finely chopped
6. Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Salt and pepper

What you do:

1. In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Enjoy!