gluten-free vegetable samosas

in light of all the attention on invisible children’s now viral kony2012 video, i’ve spent the week reflecting on the trip i took last summer with the organization. this group is very near-and-dear to my heart as my fiance is their COO, and i have had the incredible opportunity to witness first-hand the passion, countless hours, and undeniable determination that this group has put into ending and bringing necessary light to this war.

and to that point, since i translate everything in my life to food, one of the things i ate every day during my time in uganda was samosas. i heart samosas! however, what i do not heart that they contain gluten and are fried. but fear not, i have come up with a healthy solution. i hope you enjoy the recipe, (adapted from emeril lagasse) along with images and video from invisible children’s programs and the people effected. and to all the critics out there, i urge you to ask yourself how happy faces, singing mouths, and dancing bodies could be a bad thing. perhaps i might even make a gentle suggestion to remove yourselves from your computers, turn on a top 40 pop hit, and wiggle it, just a little bit.



vegetable samosas
prep time: 30 minutes
cooking time: 20 minutes
grocery list:
1/4 cup ghee
1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1/2 cup chopped yellow onions
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 hot green chile peppers, minced
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 - 1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
2 large baking potatoes, like russets, about 1 1/2 pounds, peeled, diced into ½ inch pieces, and boiled until just tender
1/2 cup green peas,cooked and drained
1 cup of greens, chiffonade (i used chard, but spinach would work well)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons fresh lemon or lime juice
1 package spring roll wrappers (rice paper wrappers)

  1. to make the filling, in a large saute pan or skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of clarified butter over medium-high heat. add the coriander seeds and cook, stirring, for 10 seconds.
  2. add the onions and ginger, and cook, stirring, until starting to caramelize, about 5 minutes.
  3. add the garlic, chile peppers, garam masala, salt, turmeric, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 to 45 seconds.
  4. add the potatoes and cook, stirring until the potatoes start to color and become dry, about 3 minutes.
  5. add the peas and greens, cook, stirring, for 3 minute.
  6. remove from the heat and add the cilantro and lemon juice. stir to combine, then adjust the seasoning, to taste.
  7. fill a large bowl with hot water. dip one wrapper into the hot water for 1 second to soften. lay wrapper flat.
  8. fold wrapper in half. spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling in the upper quadrant of the wrapper. fold over and press the edges together to seal.
  9. place samsoas into a hot skillet and brown on each side, 3-4 minutes
  10. serve