Some recipes are inspired by a dish at a restaurant. These chicken curry samosas are my version of a starter from Clyde’s Restaurants in Georgetown a long time ago.
Samosas are a triangle-shaped pastry with a savory filling. Usually, the filling is made up of spiced potatoes and peas, but this version is made with chicken, mushrooms and green onions seasoned liberally with Madras curry seasoning and they are addictive.
Madras Curry Powder
Any curry powder is a blend of spices common in Indian foods, namely turmeric which provides the bright yellow coloring to foods; fenugreek which gives a complex flavor profile of nutty, sweet (reminiscent of maple syrup) and a hint of bitter at the end; and cumin which adds a smoky note to the spice mix. Since curry is a mix of flavors every manufacture has there own take on what it should taste like. Madras curry powder is the spicier big brother of the common curry mix. It is a deeper shade of yellow-orange and has some heat from dried chiles. Since curry is a spicy dish, I tend to use Madras curry powder and adjust the amount used to control the heat. Although, you can substitute straight across Madras curry powder and regular curry powder in any dish, make sure you taste as you go and adjust the spice level as needed.
These samosas are easy to make and please even the pickiest eaters. Even those who are shy of spices enjoy them. What is even better is on the rare occasions that there are leftovers, they taste at least as good the next day, cold or re-heated.
How to Wrap Chicken Curry Samosas
Serve them with bottled duck sauce, sweet chili sauce or for the full effect, make a sauce of rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and red chili pepper flakes to dip the triangles in.
Since the filling is cooked quickly and then spooned into the egg roll wrappers which are then deep-fried. It is important to have all the ingredients prepped before you start cooking. This is a secret to successful cooking. Set up all your ingredients in the order they will be used and prepped as directed in the recipe and the final cooking and assembly is a breeze.
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Chicken Curry Samosas
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
Description
An addictive starter of chicken curry, mushrooms and green onions wrapped in an egg roll wrapper to form a triangle and fried until golden brown,
Ingredients
- 12-ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 3), or 1 chicken breast if you prefer
- 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced both green and white parts (3/4 cup)
- 1–1/2 cup mushrooms, minced (about 6 ounces)
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 teaspoons – 1 tablespoon Madras curry powder (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 package egg roll wrappers
- Canola or vegetable oil to fry
Dipping Sauce
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Chop green onions and mince mushrooms. Peel and mince garlic and ginger and set aside.
- Cut chicken into small pieces of about 1/4”.
- Heat wok or large frying pan over medium high heat, add chicken and stir fry for 1-2 minutes until meat is not longer pink.
- Stir in garlic, ginger, 2 teaspoons curry powder, lime zest and juice and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add green onions and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have released their liquid and are dark.
- Add the salt and pepper and check for taste. Stir in the remaining curry powder as desire.
- Remove the pan from the heat and drain any excess liquid. Let cool for 5 minutes while you set up a folding station.
- Cut the egg roll wrappers in half so you have long rectangles.
- With you finger, paint with water across the top of a store edge, down the long edge of one side and halfway down the long edge of the other side.
- Place a scant tablespoon of filling in the bottom corner of the wrapper.
- Fold the opposite corner up over the filling to enclose it. The water will act as glue to seal the wrapper.
- Flip the triangle filled corner up and then fold it over the last flap of wrapper to form a triangle-shaped bundle.
- Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers.
- Heat 2” of oil in a heavy deep pan to 350° F.
- Fry the samosas in the oil until golden brown (4-5 at a time). Remove to a paper-towel lined platter to soak up any excess oil as they cool slightly.
- Serve warm with dipping sauce or sweet chili sauce.
Notes
The lime juice and zest brighten the curry. It makes the filling taste fresh. Use a thermometer to measure the temperature of the oil. When the samosas are fried at the correct tmepature, they do not get greasy, just crisp. Draining on a paper towel lined platter will soak up any excess oil.
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