Veg and recipe - samosa

Veg and recipe - samosa

If you’re bored of steaming your runner beans, why not try something a bit more exciting by making tasty samosas?  Runners go well with Indian spices, and combined with fluffy pastry and comforting potato make a winning combination - perfect for summer picnics

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Peel and quarter a potato, put into a saucepan of cold water, bring to the boil and simmer until cooked.  Mash and set aside.

For the filling, heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan and add cumin seeds until they start popping then add a finely chopped onion for about 5 mins.  Add three crushed garlic gloves and 2 tsp of garam masala or curry powder.  Top and tail and finely chop 20g or so of the runner beans, add to the mixture and fry until soft.  Stir in the mashed potato, a handful of fresh coriander, 2 tbsp of mango chutney, salt and pepper and set aside to cool.

To make the samosas, lay one filo sheet on a large chopping board.  Fold the filo pastry in half lengthways.  To make a triangular cone shape, take the right-hand corner and fold diagonally to form a little triangle, then fold the triangle again and again until you have created a filo pastry cone shape.  (You might want to find a video of how to do this to follow along to).  Fill the cone with the mixture and stick the edges together with a glue made of a mixture of a tablespoon of flour and the same of water to make a little pocket.  Place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment.  Repeat the process until all of the filo sheets and mixture is used up.

Finally, brush all the samosas with oil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until golden.  Serve with mango chutney.  Great as a picnic lunch with fresh tomato salad or spicy lentils.


Modern heroes of horticulture - Manoj Malde

With many British gardens often characterised by muted tones and traditional cottage garden designs, Manoj Malde is undoubtedly a breath of fresh air in the world of garden design.  His...
Read More

Plant profile - snakeshead fritillary

We’ve planted hundreds of snake's head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris) over the years.  A member of the Lily family, they’re distinguished by their uniquely patterned cup-shaped flowers and wiry stems.  A...
Read More

Wildlife in the garden - toads

Discovering a toad in the garden is always a moment to celebrate.  It’s almost impossible to spot one and not recount the tale over the dining table that evening.  Who...
Read More