Indian · Authentic-ish Indian
Samosa
244 kcal a serving, against 335 for the traditional version. That is 91 kcal off, or 27%, with 14.2g of protein. Serves 8. 75 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Crispy, deep-fried pastry triangles stuffed to the bursting point with a heavy mixture of spiced potato and green peas, blistered from a bath in boiling vegetable oil.
What changed, and what each change costs
118g of absorbed frying oil for 20g of oil brushed on the pastry
Submerging dough in boiling oil forces fat into every single pore of the pastry. Brushing the samosas with a tiny bit of oil and blasting them in a very hot oven cooks the flour and gives you a golden crust without the massive slick of grease.
What it costs you. I won't lie to you. Baked pastry is simply not the same thing as fried pastry. What you've got is a slightly harder, crunchier shell. A flaky, blistered masterpiece is a different dish and you know where to find it. You lose that shatteringly crisp texture that only a deep fat fryer can provide.
300g of potato for 300g of skinless chicken breast
Potato wrapped in dough is just starch wrapped in starch. By dropping most of the potato and folding in lean diced chicken breast instead, the filling becomes much more substantial and satisfying.
What it costs you. You lose the soft, fluffy interior of a classic vegetable samosa. Chicken brings a meatier, denser chew, which changes the entire character of the snack from a vegetable side to a proper meaty starter.
50g of vegetable oil in the dough for 50g of whole milk yoghurt
Traditional samosa dough uses rubbed-in fat to create a short, crumbly texture. Using a spoonful of yoghurt instead binds the flour with a fraction of the fat, while the acidity keeps the baked pastry reasonably tender.
What it costs you. The pastry loses that rich, oily aroma entirely. It becomes much plainer, acting purely as a functional vessel to deliver the spicy chicken filling to your mouth.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 335 | 244 |
| Protein | 6.3g | 14.2g |
| Fat | 15.5g | 4.4g |
| Saturated fat | 2g | 0.8g |
| Carbohydrate | 42.4g | 36.2g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 1.9g | 5.8g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Indian prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, milk.
The method is in the book
This is a brilliant starter that won't leave you feeling sluggish. I ditched the deep fat fryer and swapped the heavy potato filling for lean chicken breast. You definitely lose the shatteringly crisp shell of the traditional version, but the trade is entirely fair. It's a fiery, meaty parcel packed with flavour that sets you up perfectly for a main course.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Indian, along with 54 more. Buy the paperback