Somasi

No, it’s not a spelling mistake. I did mean “Somasi” and not “Samosa”. It’s surprising how many people get confused. But it’s understandable. While Somasa is a widely popular savory pastry, Somasi is a lesser-known sweet that resembles a Samosa in shape. It is yet another South-Indian sweet which didn’t catch up to much fame, although I’m not sure why. It’s quite easy to prepare and tastes really good. Plus, it’s deep fried! The outer shell is made from either wheat dough (chapathi/poori dough) or from a mixture of semolina and all-purpose flour, and the inner stuffing is a sweet powder. My in-laws sent us a whole lot of this stuffing, making life extremely easy for me to prepare some Somasis! So, here is the recipe for both the stuffing and the entire Somasi, thanks to my mother-in-law.

Ingredients 
For the Stuffing

1. Pottu Kadalai (roasted split chickpeas) - 2 cups
2. Dessicated coconut (grated) - About 2 - 3 tablespoons (approximately worth 1 coconut)
3. Poppy seeds - 2.5 tablespoons
4. Cardamom powder -  1 - 1.5 teaspoons
5. Sugar or brown sugar or powdered jaggery - 2 ¼ cups

The above stuffing can be stored for a few months in an air tight bag/container placed in the refrigerator or freezer.

For the Shell

1. 2 cups of wheat flour (Aata flour) OR equal quantities of semolina flour (rava) and all-purpose flour (maida). The latter makes the shell more crispier, but I tried it with wheat flour.
2. ½ teaspoon of salt
3. 1 cup of water or as needed to knead the dough

Preparation

    For the Stuffing
Separately roast the pottu kadalai, coconut, and poppy seeds as below:

1. Slightly roast the pottu kadalai till it becomes warm to the touch. Remove from heat, and let it cool. Once cool, powder it in a coffee grinder or a mixer until fine. Don’t over grind for the bean may start to release some oil. Sift the ground flour and keep aside.
2. Roast the dessicated coconut (or regular shredded coconut) till all the moisture is removed, and the gratings are dry and slightly brown. Do not burn, so roast over low-medium heat. We roast in order to dehydrate the ingredients, thus lengthening the shelf-life of the stuffing. Grind the roasted (and dried) coconut for a couple of whirls in the grinder/mixer. Again, do not over-grind for the coconut will start releasing oil.
3. Roast the poppy seeds till they are warm to touch. Cool, then grind a bit. Do not over-grind.

Mix all the roasted powders along with the sugar/brown sugar/powdered jaggery, and the cardamom powder. The stuffing is ready. 

  
    Making the Somasis (yields 24 somasis)

1. Mix two cups of wheat flour (or 1 cup each of all-purpose flour and semolina flour) and some salt in a bowl. Keep adding a bit of water and start kneading the dough until it comes together as an even, non-sticky, soft mass.
2. Take a small marble-sized dough, roll it out into a thin circle, and place a teaspoon or so of the stuffing (powder) in the center. While rolling the dough, dust some flour on the board to avoid the dough from sticking.
3. Line the outer rim of the dough with some water, and close the dough as a semi-circle. Firmly seal the corners by crimping the sides (as you would a pie crust). You can fold the excess corners on top of each other and using a fork crimp the edges. It’s important to firmly seal the edges to avoid any spilling of the stuffing.
4. Heat 4-5 cups of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, gently drop the somasis and fry till golden brown (like a poori). Drain on paper towels. Adjust the heat between medium to medium-high. 

   

And that’s all there is to it. Store the somasis in an air-tight container (preferably wrapped in paper towels) so that they remain relatively crisp. But they are best eaten when they are hot and crunchy!