Keemar Shingara (Keema Ka Samosa)

Samosas! God knows how many addas (chit-chat) it has seen over hot cups of tea, how many evenings it had filled people's stomachs and how many times it has made people salivate for that one crispy bite....

Samosas are perhaps the favorite bengali snacks.

But here is a small twist in the tale. Being a non-veg bengali, I would want to add a bit different touch to this typical aloo samosa. My recipe deals with mutton keema samosa or as it is known in bengal, shingara:

Ingredients:

Mutton Keema - 500 gms
Potato - 250 gms finely chopped
Green Peas - 250 gms
Maida - 500 gms
Curd (optional)
Dabur Homemade Ginger-Garlic Paste - I pouch
Onion - 1 big, finely chopped
Ghee - 1 cup
Cooking soda - 1 tbsp
Milk - ½ cup
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
Aamchur powder - 1 tsp
Whole Jeera - 2 tsp
Heeng - 1 tsp
Ajwain - 1 tsp
Green chillies - 3 to 4
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

For the coating: To make the Shingara (samosa) coating in a bowl pour the maida. Add cooking soda, ajwain, heeng and salt to it. Mix well. Then add ghee and again mix. You can also add curd/dahi into it. But that is optional. Then with the help of milk and water make a tight dough. Keep it aside for 2 hours, covering it with a wet cloth.

For the Keema filling: Boil green peas and chopped potatoes separately. In a kadai heat oil. Add whole jeera, heeng, chopped onion and fry till brown. Add ginger-garlic paste. Keep stirring. Add the washed keema and boiled potato and peas and cook well. Add red chilli powder, aamchur powder and green chillies. Add salt to taste. Stir till its cooked. The mixture will be a dry one. Keep aside to cool.

How to make it: Punch the dough a few times. Then make round semi-big balls out of it. Flatten them with a belan as you do while making puri or kachuri or luchi. Make sure the flattened puris are not too thick. Then take a spoon full of keema mixture and place it in the centre of the round puri. Cover the mixture in all side with the help of water till its sealed inside. Bring the shape of a Shingara (samosa). Heat oil in a kadai. Deep fry the Shingaras (samosas) till they are deep brown in color. Serve hot with tomato ketchup or chutney.

Your Keema-r shingara (Keema Ka Samosa) is ready to eat.