Preparation / Directions:
To make the pastry: Combine the 2 cups of flour with 3 tbsp. oil. Add salt and mix. Add 1 cup of water a little at a time until you have a firm dough. Knead the dough well for 10 minutes or until the dough is elastic and smooth. Form into a ball, brush with a little oil, cover with a damp towel and set aside. To make the filling: Boil the potatoes and let them cool. You may peel them if you like, I choose not to. Dice them into bite-sized pieces.
In a wok or very large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. When very hot, drop in the asafetida. Five seconds later, add the fennel and cumin seeds. A few seconds later add in rapid succession the mustard seeds and fenugreek. As they begin to change color and pop, add the chiles. As soon as the chiles swell and darken, add the potatoes, turmeric and salt. Fry gently, carefully turning the potatoes so as not to break them. Fry for 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are unevenly browned. Add lemon juice and mix well. Check the salt.
Remove potatoes from the wok, place in a serving dish and crush coarsely with the back of a slotted spoon. Divide the dough into 28 to 30 equal balls. Flatten each ball and roll it out on a floured surface until it is approximately 4 inches in diameter. Cut each round in half. Taking one semicircle at a time, moisten half the length of the cut edge with a finger dipped in water. Form a wide cone with the semi-circle, using the moist section to overlap 1/4 inch and hold it closed.
Fill samosa 3/4 full with stuffing. Moisten the inside edges of the opening and press it shut. Seal this end by pressing down on it with a fork as you would a pie crust. Do all the samosas this way, keeping them moist in a plastic wrap or under a damp towel until you are ready to fry. Heat the oil for deep frying in a wok. When the oil is hot, slide in 3 or 4 samosas, be careful not to overcrowd.
Fry until the samosas are brown on all sides, about 2 or 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat until you have 60 samosas. The oil should be hot, but do not use a high heat otherwise they will burn.
Serve samosas hot with a sweet chutney or tamarind paste. They can be frozen and re-heated in a 300F oven.
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