Potato + Pea Samosas

Needs to be done at least overnight in the fridge.

Read the back of your puff pastry; it’s likely 425 degrees.

Chop up ½ of a head of cauliflower, you can use the tender green leaves and most of the stems too. If you have a head that whole is larger (about 6 - 7 inches in diameter) - save some of the florets for another meal.

Peel the potato and dice it into 1 inch cubes.

Add both the cauliflower and potato to a large pot and cover with water; add a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, combine the spices in a small bowl. 1 Tablespoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon garam masala, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon cayenne, if using. Set aside.

Remove pastry from the fridge and carefully unfold the dough. While it’s still quite cold, gently roll it out a bit more if you have a rolling pin, or stretch it gently a bit. Cut into 8 or 12 even rectangles - you choose how many you want to have. Larger ones will take a bit longer to cook and smaller ones are slightly more challenging to fold. One slice down the middle the long way. Then into 3 or 5 smaller slices perpendicular to the middle slice.

Keep dough cold! You can move it back into the fridge once it’s cut and laying flat if your filling isn’t ready.

Finely dice the onion. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and melt the butter. Sauté the onion for 4 minutes until it’s translucent. Meanwhile, mince the garlic and add that. Add the spice blend to the pan and stir to cook the spices for about 60 - 90 seconds or until fragrant. Add the frozen peas and cook for another minute or two to make sure they don’t release any water; they don’t need to cook through. Scrape this mixture into a large bowl.

After boiling the potatoes and cauliflower for about 10 - 12 minutes, everything should be soft. Drain well and return to the hot pot; let it sit for about 3 minutes. This helps any residual water evaporate. Mash with a fork or masher as coarsely or finely as you like; I like about half smooth and have smaller chunks

Mix the mashed potatoes into the bowl with the onion and spices and stir well to combine. Add about ½ - 1 teaspoon of salt, taste as you go so it’s not over salty

Pick up a rectangle of dough. Hold the center of the rectangle in the palm of your hand, so if you ever so slightly cup your fingers, it makes a nice bed for the filling. Place about 2 – 2 ½ Tablespoons of filling into the center. Fold one corner across and press into the opposite corner. Since it’s a rectangle, the shape becomes a bit wonky, but that’s ok. Working down one side, gently stretch the dough and match up the edges, pressing them firmly together. Once one side is sealed, press the filling deeper into the pocket you’ve created, or if it doesn’t seem like enough filling, you can add a bit more here. Seal up the other side. One you have a roughly triangular shape that’s filled, pull the two bottom edges together in front and pinch together. The top of the triangle (the first place your pinched it together) will still be loose and at the top. The bottom will now be a stable base, like a giant tortellini shape.

Place on a lined baking sheet and repeat.

Bake at 425 (unless your puff pastry package recommends a different temperature) for about 25 minutes, rotating halfway, or until golden, puffed and baked through.

If you have extra filling, you can either freeze it and make these again, or form into patty shapes, and dredge in a little bit of panko. Sear these in butter until they’re golden and crisp on both sides. They freeze well after being seared too.

Toss greens with vinaigrette.

Let the puffs cool a few minutes, then serve with salad on the side.