• 1/2 cup lentils
• 200 to 300 grams ground chicken, optional*
• 1/2 cup carrots
• 1/2 cup cauliflower
• 2 Tablespoons green peas (I used frozen peas), optional
• 1/2 white or yellow onion, chopped
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric, optional
• sea salt to taste
• cooking oil
• 12 rice wrappers (more if adding chicken)

Directions:

1. Heat 1.5 cups water to boiling and add lentils.  Reduce heat to simmer for about 20 minutes, until lentils soften.  Drain excess water.  Stir in sea salt to taste, then chili powder, ginger, and turmeric.
2. Add a tablespoon of cooking oil to a skillet and saute onions, carrots, and cauliflower until tender.  Add ground cumin and cook for one more minute.  Combine vegetable mixture with lentils.  Add cooked ground chicken if using.  Let filling cool for a few minutes.
3. Add about 1 cm of very warm water to a dinner plate.  Dip one rice wrapper in the water until it is completely moistened on both sides.  Carefully move the softened rice wrapper to a flat work surface and place filling in the center of the wrapper (click on the slide tutorial below).  Wrap the filling to form a triangular samosa.  Continue making samosas until filling is gone.
4. To fry samosas, heat 2 cm oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat.  Carefully place as many samosas as will fit without touching each other. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until crispy.
5. To bake instead of fry, baste each samosa with oil.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190C). Place samosas onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake for about 15 minutes, until wrappers are slightly crisp.
6. Serve samosas warm, with chutney sauce on the side (see chutney recipe below).

NOTES:

*If adding ground chicken, brown it in an oiled skillet, add salt and curry powder or curry paste to taste, and continue cooking until cooked through.  Stir into cooked lentils.

** The fried samosas freeze well!  Wrap them individually before putting them in a freezer bag or sealed container.  Unwrap and reheat in the oven at 375 degrees (190 C) for about 10 minutes.  Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

• 1 cup red onion, sliced and quartered
• 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• ground ginger, to taste
• paprika, to taste
• ground cumin, to taste
• ground chili powder, to taste
• sea salt, to taste
• 2 Tablespoons cooking oil, such as olive oil, grapeseed oil, or sunflower oil

Directions:

1.  Over medium heat, heat oil in a medium to large skillet or wok.  Add onion and saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add garlic, and cook for another minute.  Add tomatoes and cook them until they are soft, about 7 to 10 minutes.  Season with spices and salt, stirring to mix well.
2.  Turn off heat and transfer the tomato and onion mixture to a heat-proof bowl.  Let cool for 5 to 10  minutes before pouring everything into a food processor.  Pulse the chutney until the desired smooth or chunky texture is reached.  Spoon into a serving bowl to accompany the samosas.  Or serve as a spread for naan bread.