Ingredients

• 375g/13oz plain flour
• 150g/5½oz self-raising flour
• 125g/4½oz butter
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 red onion
• finely chopped
• 1 tsp finely chopped fresh root ginger
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp dried mango powder
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 3 large potatoes
• peeled and diced and parboiled until just cooked
• 100g/3½oz peas
• ½ tsp salt
• 4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
• vegetable oil
• for deep-fat frying
• 75g/2½oz caster sugar
• 2 red chillies
• roughly chopped
• 3 plum tomatoes
• roughly chopped
• 8 lime leaves
• 2 lemongrass stems
• tough outer leaves removed
• finely chopped
• 25g/1oz roughly chopped fresh root ginger
• 2 garlic cloves
• peeled
• left whole
• 2 small shallots
• roughly chopped
• 4 tbsp Thai fish sauce
• 40ml/1½fl oz sesame oil
• 50ml/1¾fl oz dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp clear honey
• 3 limes
• juice and zest
• 110g/4oz crème fraîche

Directions

• For the vegetable samosas
• preheat a deep-fat fryer to 180C/350F. Or half-fill a deep
• heavy-based pan with vegetable oil and heat until a breadcrumb dropped in sizzles and turns golden-brown in 30 seconds. (Caution: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
• For the pastry
• mix the plain flour
• self-raising flour and butter in a bowl. Add a splash of warm water and knead well to make an elastic dough.
• Divide the dough into 12 small balls and roll each out into a circle. Cut each into two half-circles. You should have 24 half-circles.
• For the filling
• heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and fry until golden-brown. Add the ginger
• spices and tomato purée and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the potatoes and peas and season with salt. Cook the mixture over a low heat
• stirring regularly
• until the mixture is soft. Finish with the chopped fresh coriander.
• Add a teaspoon of the filling to the middle of one semi-circle and fold into a triangle. Repeat to use up all the dough and filling.
• Deep fry the samosas in the hot oil or deep-fat fryer. Fry in small batches for 4-5 minutes
• or until golden-brown and crisp. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
• For the chilli sauce
• heat the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat until it melts and forms a golden-brown caramel.
• Meanwhile
• blend all of the remaining chilli sauce ingredients
• except the crème fraîche
• in a food processor to a smooth purée.
• Once the sugar has caramelised
• add the puréed mixture to the caramel and stir well. Bring the mixture to the boil
• then reduce the heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes
• or until sticky and jam-like. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• Serve the samosas on a plate with a bowl of chilli sauce and a spoonful of crème fraîche.