Potato Samosa Bites with Raita Sauce

PARTNER POST: Reinvent potato recipes to be fresher and lighter in the new year. Make it your resolution to try these dishes as nutritious packed lunch ideas.
A perfect appetizer with some spice, these Indian samosa bites with potatoes are served with a cool raita sauce.
By Becky Winkler

These samosa bites showcase the best part of the classic Indian appetizer—the perfectly spiced potato filling! They’re baked, not fried, and are served with a cooling cucumber raita.

I love Indian food, and am a huge fan of going to Indian buffets for lunch. Indian food uses so many great spices and flavor-packed vegetables like ginger, garlic, and chiles.

Samosas, though, have always been a sticking point. The potato filling is so delicious, especially with some raita on top, but I’ve never been a fan of the heavy, gluten-laden, deep-fried wrappers. I decided to take matters into my own kitchen

Potatoes are a nutrient-dense food and a great source of healthy carbohydrates since they’re naturally gluten free. They have more potassium than bananas, and a serving of potatoes also gives you almost half of the Vitamin C you need for the day (for more info, check out the Potato Board’s nutritional facts page).

I knew immediately that I wanted to make grain-free samosa bites that were baked, not fried, and could be enjoyed by paleo and vegetarian eaters alike. And since these samosa bites pack a little bit of heat, I decided to make raita to go along with them. If you haven’t tried raita, I bet you’ll love it. It’s a yogurt and cucumber sauce that goes amazingly well with spicy food. Raita’s cool, creamy texture tones down the heat while complementing the other savory flavors of curries, kebabs, samosas, and whatever else you can think of. Since I’m doing a Whole30 this month, I developed a dairy-free raita made with cashews, but have also included instructions for how to make the traditional raita with real yogurt. (And don’t worry–I tested the yogurt raita last month, before my Whole30 began.)

These samosa bites take a bit of advance planning since the potatoes need to cool in their cooking water after they’ve been boiled, so if you’re short on time I recommend doing that part the day before you plan to serve them. You can also soak the cashews for the raita beginning the day before–just make sure to cover and refrigerate them if they’ll be soaking for longer than four hours or so.

You may have already thought of this, but in case you haven’t: this is the perfect Super Bowl appetizer! It’s fun, unexpected, and flavorful, but super healthy. (In case you want to make some wings, too, though, I recommend these.)

Potato Samosa Bites with Raita Sauce

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• Author: Becky Winkler
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: Serves 30 1x
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

Spicy potato samosa bites baked to perfection. Served with a cool, creamy raita sauce for a delightful contrast.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 lbs (907 g) red potatoes
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 2 tbsp ghee or olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 shallot
• 1 jalapeño
• 1 piece fresh ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 scallions
• 1 large egg
• 1 cups (177 ml) cashew halves and pieces
• 2 tbsp lemon or lime juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• Half of a large cucumber
• 2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro

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Instructions

1. Scrub the potatoes. Halve or quarter larger potatoes so all pieces are about the size of the smallest potatoes.
2. Put the potatoes, garlic cloves, and kosher salt in a large saucepan. Pour in cold water until it reaches one inch above the potatoes. Set the heat to high. Once boiling, cook for 3 minutes, then turn off the heat. Allow potatoes to cool to room temperature in the water.
3. Put the raisins in a heatproof bowl and pour in about a cup of very hot water.
4. Preheat oven to 450°F (225°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Finely chop the cooked potatoes (about 5 cups).
6. Put ghee in a very large skillet over medium heat and add cumin seeds. When sizzling, add shallot and sauté for 3 minutes until softened.
7. Reduce heat slightly, add jalapeño and ginger. Cook, stirring constantly, until the raw aroma subsides (about 2 minutes).
8. Stir in coriander, black pepper, cardamom, and cinnamon. Raise heat to medium-high and add potatoes. Stir until heated through, then mix in scallions.
9. Drain the raisins, reserving the soaking liquid. Add raisins to the potato mixture, stir well, and turn off the heat.
10. Mash the mixture slightly to help it hold together. Stir in the egg.
11. Portion out rounded tablespoonfuls of the samosa mixture onto the baking sheet (about 30 samosa bites).
12. Bake for 15 minutes, or until sizzling and nicely browned.
13. Raita
14. If using cashews, soak in warm water for 2-4 hours. Drain and rinse.
15. Place soaked cashews, lemon juice, water, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth.
16. Put cashew cream or yogurt in a bowl and stir in minced cucumber and cilantro. Add more salt if desired.
17. Serve cool or at room temperature.

Notes

• For optimal flavor, use freshly grated ginger and minced garlic.
• To make ahead, prepare the samosa filling and raita separately and assemble just before baking/serving.
• Substitute plain Greek yogurt for the cashew cream in the raita for a quicker, tangier version.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Roasting
• Cuisine: Indian

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 samosa bite
• Calories: 150
• Sugar: 5
• Sodium: 200
• Fat: 8
• Saturated Fat: 4
• Unsaturated Fat: 4
• Carbohydrates: 20
• Fiber: 2
• Protein: 4
• Cholesterol: 10

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