Samosa Cups with Mango Chutney

This Valentine’s Day, I thought it would be fitting to take another look at potato samosas, the first Indian recipe I attempted when I began dating my husband.

I was so proud of myself for painstakingly rolling out the dough, carefully shaping the samosas and deep frying them, smoking up the house and scorching a favorite pan in the process. The result was a huge hit at parties: after they disappeared, guests descended with spoons on the leftover filling.

Then I visited Shravan’s ethnically Indian family in Nairobi for the first time and realized that nobody actually makes their own samosas – it’s such a pain. How could I serve the popular potato mix in a simpler shape?

My quick and easy solution: baked wonton skins, shaped into cups. These bite-size cups lack the deep-fried decadence of the original thing, but they’re simple and they open up the option of additional toppings.

Cue the mango chutney. My obsession with mangoes is well-documented, but I had never actually cooked with green ones before, which may explain why I knicked two fingers while trying to peel them. (Note: stand them on end on a cutting board and skin with a sharp peeler before dicing).

I set the mangoes on to simmer, and then turned to the samosa filling, a departure from Shravan’s dash-of-this dash-of-that mix that I can never properly replicate. The end result was subtly spicy, with an unusual creaminess from the yogurt and minced tomato stirred in at the end.

And piled in the cup with the mango chutney and a sprig of coriander on top… wow! I cannot WAIT to serve this at my next party – they’re going to be gone before you can say samosas.

An unprecedented Valentine's Day blossom bonanza.

Samosa Filling
All recipes are loose adaptations from Epicurious.com

3/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
2 minced Thai bird chillies
1 1/2 inch ginger, peeled and grated
1 3/4 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large boiling potatoes (1 pound), peeled and finely chopped (1 cm cubes)
1 small tomato, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
2 tablespoons plain yogurt

In a large skillet cook the onion, the chilies, the ginger, the curry powder, the chili powder, the cumin, the cloves, the cinnamon, and the salt in the oil in a large nonstick pan over medium low heat. Stir frequently until the onion is softened, at least 10 minutes.

Add the potato cubes and a tablespoon of water, cover, and simmer until potato is very soft, about 20 minutes. (Potatoes cubes can also be quickly boiled beforehand if time is an issue). Stir occasionally to make sure the potato isn’t sticking.

Stir in the tomato, the coriander, the yogurt, and black pepper to taste, cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute (do not let it boil), and let it cool. (The filling may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered and chilled.)

Wonton Cups
1 package (12 oz.) of frozen wonton squares, defrosted
Preheat oven to 325°F. Brush mini muffin tin with oil. Press wonton squares into miniature muffin cups. Bake until wonton cups are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool completely in tins. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Remove cups from tins and store airtight at room temperature.)

Mango Chutney
3 large, unripe mangoes
1/2 cup distilled vinegar
1/3 cup sugar plus additional to taste if mango is very sour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/4 cup dried cranberries (or raisins if you prefer)
For seasoning paste
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
2 fresh Thai bird chilies
5 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
3-inch piece cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Peel mangoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. In a small bowl toss mangoes with vinegar, sugar, salt and craisins.
For seasoning paste: Cut gingerroot into 4 pieces. For a milder chutney, remove seeds and veins from chilies. Puree ginger, chilies, and remaining seasoning paste ingredients in a food processor.

Heat a 4-quart heavy kettle over moderately low heat until hot. Cook seasoning paste and cinnamon stick in oil, stirring frequently, 10 minutes, or until very fragrant. Stir in mango mixture and simmer, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until mangoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick and cool chutney completely. Chutney keeps, covered and chilled, about 1 month.