Tag: food

Homemade Cheesy Samosas

~ Sophie ~ 36 Comments

 

As a child, samosas were a special treat. Something we did not have occasionally. It was back when we still bought good samosas filled with flaky rice for mere 100 shillings. When we would save all the 50 shilling coins we could find (because back then they could still buy something) so that we could splurge on an assortment of samosas. Even samosa vendors were hard to come by. They could not sell samosas anyhow because it took great care and patience to make a mouth-watering filling and a crunchy phyllo-like shell. Samosas still are a treat these days because they require an amount of time and effort to make. I realized this when I made my first batch. Although they require a lot of preparation time, the process is simple and the after product is unbeatable. Biting into the flaky shell that melts in your mouth and a filling that bursts with different flavors and textures is worth it.

With my friends at Paramount Dairies, I bring you this classic pea samosa or ‘sumbusa’ if you may, but with cheese! This time I am using the Gouda cheese which has a sharp and strong flavor that takes the samosas to whole new level. Everything gets better with cheese.

What you will need:

Pastry

2 C. Baking flour

8 Tbsp. Butter/Margarine

1/2 C. Water

Oil for frying

 

Filling

2 C. Peas, boiled

Paramount Gouda Cheese, cut into sticks

1 Large carrot, finely chopped

2 Green papers, finely chopped

2 Large tomatoes, finely chopped

2 Medium onions, finely chopped

3 Garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 Tsp. of finely chopped ginger

Salt

Observations:

  1. In this recipe, I used dry peas. If you are using dry peas, Soak them overnight and then boil then for 1 hour or until they are soft to the touch.
  2. If you are working alone, I recommend cutting all the vegetables ahead. This will help ease the load.

 

Method

Pastry

In a dish, combine flour with butter/margarine. Keep mixing until the mixture becomes crumbly. Next, add water. A tablespoon at a time while mixing until you form a firm dough. Divide the dough into six equal balls. Roll each ball into a circle (or something close to it) making sure it is as thin as possible but not nearly breaking. Cut the circles into equal halves. Fold all the halves into cones. Seal the edges by dipping a finger in water and running it across the edge and then pressing together, leaving an opening for the filling.

 

Filling

On medium heat, add a sauce pan. Add two tablespoons of oil and wait for it to become hot. Next, add the ginger and garlic and wait for it to brown a little. Once browned, add the onions and stir. Add the tomatoes and cover pan for close to two minutes. Check if the tomatoes are softened. If they are, add the green paper and carrots. Stir. Add the Peas and Stir. Cover the pan for 5 minutes. Remove lid and stir while adding salt. Keep stirring till the mixture becomes dry (without any liquids left). Remove from fire.

Assembling

Hold Open the Samosa cone and insert a stick of cheese then add a tablespoon of filling. Seal the edges by dipping a finger in water and running it across the edge and then pinch closed. Do this for all the samosa cones.

Over high heat, put a pan with oil for frying. Wait for it to become hot (this may take five minutes or more). Fry the samosas until they turn golden brown. Serve warm

Are you convinced to make your own now? Let me know how they turn out in the comments below.

🙂

Sophie

Note: You can find Paramount Gouda Cheese in major supermarkets in Kampala.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

~ Sophie ~ 16 Comments

A few months ago, I found this video on YouTube about discovering Uganda. By the time the video was done, I was awestruck. Amazed by the beauty, I binge-watched all the videos that were available in two days!  It is amazing the beauty that this country has and we don’t even know. In one of the episodes, there was this lodge where all the structures were built with smooth river stones. I personally think that is a neat idea and absolutely creative not to mention environmental friendly. So, in that episode, they served dinner to the host and there was this butternut squash soup. As I watched the chef do his magic, that squash soup called out to my soul. And I was thinking: I have to make this squash/pumpkin soup ASAP. Does that happen to you? When you see a show (cooking particularly) and you just feel the need to be doing something related. It was after many trials that this soup materialized with the perfect blend of flavors and textures. Instead of butternut squash, I used a pumpkin because I am yet to find out the difference between the two.

What you will need:

1 Small pumpkin

3 Tomatoes

1 Large purple onion

4 Garlic cloves

1 Tsp. Ginger

2 ¼ C. Milk

1 C. Water

Cooking oil

Ground black pepper

Chili flakes

Salt

Observations:

  1. Use a mature firm pumpkin.
  2. Mature pumpkins have hard covers which will need to be discarded. But if they are soft and tender, they can be blended.
  3. If you don’t have a blender, use a glass to mash the pumpkin while adding milk so that you can get a smooth consistency.
  4. For better results, you will need to use full cream milk. I recommend the Jesa brand.
  5. For your desired consistency, you will need less or more milk.

Method

Wash pumpkin and cut it into squares. On high heat, put the pumpkin pieces with water in a pan and bring to a boil. Remove from fire once pumpkin is tender and a fork can go right through the pieces. Drain water and let them cool. Chop the tomatoes, crushed garlic,  and onions. Using a large spoon, scrape the pumpkin out if its cover. Measure three cups of pumpkin flesh and then put them in a blender.Add the milk and blend till smooth. In a sauce pan, add two tablespoons of oil. Add the garlic, ginger and salt and stir till slightly browned. Add onions and tomatoes and keep stirring till tomatoes are soft. Add curry powder and stir well. Next add the pureed pumpkin and stir well. Keep adding a little water while stirring until you reach your desired consistency. Sprinkle in a generous amount of black pepper and chili flakes. Let the soup boil for 10 minutes. Remove from fire.

For the garnish: Thinly slice radish. Thinly chop a garlic clove. On high heat, put a teaspoon of oil in a pan. Add the radish and garlic  and let one side of the thinly sliced radish brown while the garlic darkens. Sprinkle with salt. Remove from fire and add to the soup just before serving.

I personally think that the show is amazing because it showcases beauty that we sometimes take for granted. As I add visiting these amazing places to my bucket list and day-dream, I will be enjoying this pumpkin soup.. Join me!

🙂

Sophie

 

Brunch Pizza Sandwiches

~ Sophie ~ 8 Comments

For most of us pizza lovers, there are times when we wish we had pizza for every meal of every day. Wouldn’t that be splendid? But then reality hits and we realize as much as we want this dream to happen it is impossible. Almost. There is still the task of perfecting pizza dough, having great cheese at hand at all times and waiting for that pizza to get ready. We all realize we don’t have time, enough time for that luxury. Again, almost.

I am always dreaming of fabulous brunch parties and in those parties, there will be scrumptious foods that if I started naming them, this would never end. Those parties would include the brunch pizza sandwich because to me that is the epitome of a lazy but fulfilling brunch. Sandwiches are so satisfying depending on how they are crafted because one ingredient can make or break a sandwich (story of my life). With the wish to eat pizza daily and the lack of time to make one, I introduce you to the pizza sandwich. It is basically everything pizza on a slice of bread. Once I discovered this, now every sandwich is a new adventure.

I partnered with Paramount Dairies to create this brunch pizza sandwich. Paramount Dairies makes good quality cheese in Uganda. Aside from their mozzarella (which I used for this recipe) they have a wide variety of cheeses to choose from to make your meal extra special.  Now, let us make sandwiches.

 

What you will need:

1 Loaf of bread

Paramount Mozzarella Cheese

2 C. Oyster Mushrooms, shredded

½ Avocado, peeled

6 Large Tomatoes, chopped

2 Large green papers, thinly sliced

3 Large purple onions, thinly sliced

Spring onions, chopped

1 Tsp. Ginger, crushed and chopped

1 Tsp. Garlic, crushed and chopped

1 Tbsp. Cooking Oil

Ground black pepper/ chili flakes

Salt

Observations:

  1. I preferred using a non-sliced loaf so that I can slice it myself and determine the thickness.
  2. Any kind of mushrooms will work but I prefer fresh oyster mushrooms for their flavor.
  3. Make sure you have cut all the vegetables to go on top of the bread.
  4. Make sure you grate a generous amount of cheese on the sandwiches to get maximum flavor.
  5. I use an oven toaster, the temperature may be different if you are using an oven.
  6. Another alternative (when ovens are out of the picture) is to use a saucepan on high heat. For a non-stick pan, just place the sandwich carefully in the pan on high heat and cover it. Wait till the cheese melts and then remove from fire. For a non-nonstick pan, add a teaspoon of either butter or margarine for every sandwich.

Method

On high fire, put a saucepan and add oil. Add the garlic, ginger and salt and wait for it to brown a little. Next, add the mushrooms and keep stirring them till they slightly turn brownish. This will take 5-7 minutes. Add the black pepper or chili flakes. Remove the mushrooms from fire and set aside.

Slice the bread according to your desired thickness.  Arrange the tomatoes on top of the bread slices, add the sautéed mushrooms, the sliced green papers, the sliced onions and top with a generous amount of grated mozzarella.

For the avocado sandwich, top the bread with tomatoes, then slice the avocado on top. Make sure the avocado slices are thin. Next, top with onions, and grate mozzarella on top. Garnish with spring onions.

Bake the sandwiches till the cheese melts. Serve Warm.

Get creative with your meals by purchasing Paramount cheese from a major supermarket near you. Also, there is a special offer off  of paramount mozzarella. Check out their Facebook Page for more information.

 

What do you think about brunch and what is your ideal brunch like?

🙂

 

Sophie