Make Shingaras

Shingaras, the Bengali take on samosas, take some time to make and perfect, but the effort is well worth it. You start off by making the pastry dough and prepping ingredients for their filling. Making the filling is simply a matter of sauteing the ingredients in skillets. Then you shape and fill your pastries, chill them in the fridge, and fry them in a wok.

Ingredients

Pastry Ingredients:

• 1.75 cups all-purpose flour (219 g)
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon nigella seeds
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• ¾ cup water (178 ml)

Filling Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon Panch phoron (Bengali: পাঁচ ফোড়ন)
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
• 1 small red onion
• 3 medium-sized potatoes
• ½ head cauliflower
• ¼ cup green peas (85 g)
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ¼ cup water (59 ml)
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 to 2 dried red chilies
• ¼ cup unsalted peanuts
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

(makes 20 shingaras)

Steps

Prepping Your Ingredients

1. Combine your flour, salt, and seeds. Pour your flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and nigella seeds. Stir to combine.
2. Add oil and water to make your dough. Add the oil first and stir to mix until the texture turns crumbly. Next, mix in the water. Stir and/or knead it to form a firm but malleable dough.
   • Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap, then set it aside.
3. Prep your veggies, cilantro, and ginger. Peel your potatoes. Then chop them into small cubes. Also chop your cauliflower and onion into small pieces. Finally, chop up your cilantro and grate your ginger.
4. Roast your peanuts. Coat the bottom of a small skillet with cooking oil. Heat the oil over medium heat. Then add the peanuts and fry until they brown.
5. Grind the peanuts. Transfer them to a paper towel. Let the towel absorb the excess oil. Then transfer them to a small bowl and grind with a mortar.

Cooking the Filling

1. Saute your panch phoron, ginger, and onion. First, coat the bottom of a large skillet with cooking oil and set the burner to medium heat. Once the oil heats up, add the Panch phoron . Once it begins to crackle, stir in the ginger and then the onions. Cook until the onions turn translucent (approximately three to four minutes.)
2. Add the potatoes. Once the onions have turned translucent, stir in the potatoes. Cover the skillet with its lid. Then let the potatoes cook until they begin to turn tender (roughly five minutes).
3. Add the cauliflower, peas, salt, and turmeric. Uncover the skillet. Stir in each new ingredient into the mixture until evenly combined.
4. Add water and cook for ten minutes. Pour the water in. Cover the skillet again. Let the mixture cook for roughly ten minutes, or until the vegetables have softened.
5. Toast the cumin, fennel, and chilies in a separate skillet. While you wait for the vegetables to soften, coat the bottom of a small skillet with cooking oil. Set the burner to medium heat and add the cumin, fennel, and chilies once the oil heats up.
6. Grind your spices and add them to the vegetables. Transfer them to a small bowl once they become fragrant. Use your mortar to grind them up. Then stir the powder into your vegetables.
7. Check the moisture level of your vegetable mixture. Wait for the water to reduce. Then press a spoon into the mixture. You want the mixture to be moist enough to yield easily to pressure, but otherwise fairly dry.
8. Add your peanuts and cilantro and remove from heat. Stir your peanuts and cilantro in once the mixture has reached the desired consistency. Remove the skillet from the burner. Let the mixture cool off.

Frying Your Shingaras

1. Shape your pastries. Divide the dough into evenly sized balls (each one should be about the size of a lime). Flatten each one into a disc roughly {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} thick. Slice the disc in half, then fold each half into a cone shape. Pinch the cone’s tip together to seal it completely and prevent leaks.
   • This is probably the most difficult step for a beginner, so don’t beat yourself up if your cones aren’t uniform. Just concentrate on making sure that each one is sealed tight.
2. Fill each cone. Add roughly 1.5 teaspoons of filling to each cone. Err on the side of too little filling than too much. Avoid overstuffing, since this may cause your pastry to rupture when cooking. Once filled, pinch the opening shut to make a tight seal.
   • Since you’re using your fingers here, be sure to wait until the mixture has cooled off enough so you don’t burn yourself.
3. Chill your shingaras. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place your shingaras on that, then place the baking sheet in the refrigerator. Let them chill for a half hour.
4. Heat oil for frying. Pour 2 cups (473) of cooking oil into your wok. Set the heat to medium-low and wait for the oil to heat up. Test the temperature by tossing it a scrap piece of dough or a bread crumb. The oil is ready when the dough or crumb immediately starts sizzling upon contact.
5. Fry your shingaras in batches. Use tongs to dip three or four shingaras in the oil. Be careful not to drop them in, since this will cause hot oil to splatter. Fry each batch until the pastry turns golden brown. Transfer them to paper towels so the excess oil to drain while the next batch cooks. Once the last batch is finished, serve them while they’re still hot.

Things You’ll Need

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Large mixing bowl with lid or plastic wrap
• Cutting board
• Knife
• Small skillet
• Paper towels
• Mortar
• Small bowl(s)
• Stovetop
• Cooking oil
• Large skillet with lid
• Spoon for stirring
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Refrigerator
• Wok
• Tongs

Sources and Citations

See also

• Make Paneer (Indian Cheese)
• Make an Emergency Curry
• Stock up Your Kitchen for Making Indian Food
• Make Palak Paneer
• Make Poppadoms
• Make Indian Style Basmati Rice
• Make Indian Curry
• Make a Basic Indian Gravy
• Cook Rice in an Indian Style Pressure Cooker
• Make Bread Upma

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