Singara(Kolkata sweetmeat shops' style):

Singara also known as shingara is a popular tea time snack from bengal. The stuffing for the vegetarian version of singara is made from potatoes and peanuts or potatoes, cauliflower, potatoes and green peas.For this shingara recipe, i have used dry red chilli and panch phoron which is the authentic tempering of Kolkata sweetmeats shops' style Singara. Panch phoron is a mix of five spices – Fenugreek seeds (methi),Wild celery seeds (radhuni),Fennel seeds (saunf),Cumin seeds,Nigella seeds (kalonji).

If you do not have panch phoran, then just add 2 pinches of these five spices. Instead of wild celery seeds (radhuni) you can use carom seeds (ajwain) or mustard seeds (rai).

Ingredients:

For outer part/shell:

All purpose flour/maida - 2 medium bowl

Salt - 1/4th table spoon

Vegetable oil - 5 table spoon

Chilled water

Par boiled potatoes with skin - 3 medium size

Bengali Panch phoron/Five spices - 1½ table spoon

Ginger-green chilli paste - 1½ tea spoon

Whole dry red chilli - 2

Peanut - 30 gms

Turmeric - 1pinch

Salt and sugar - as per taste

Vegetable oil for frying (it is usually deep fried)

Method:

Making the Stuffing:

Rinse, peel and chop 225 grams potatoes (3 medium potatoes) in small cubes. You will need 1.25 cups small potato cubes.

Heat a pan. Add the red chillis and the panch phoron.

Let the spices become aromatic and splutter.

Now,make a coarse powder of it and keep aside.

Then make the ginger-chilli paste and keep aside.

Now,heat oil in the same pan,fry the peanuts and keep them aside.

Now,temper rest of the oil with the coarse spice powder.Then add the ginger-chilli paste to it.Mix and saute till the raw aroma of ginger goes away.

Now,add the parboiled potatoes and turmeric powder to it.Mix all the ingredients very well and saute for a few seconds. 

Add the peanuts, mix and saute for 1 minute.

Season with salt as per taste and add little sugar to taste. Mix very well.

Add 4 to 5 tablespoons water and mix again.

Cover the pan with a lid.

Then switch off the flame. Just cook the mixture to give it a perfect texture like the sweet shops.Do not make them mushy or overcook them.

Now,let this stuffing cool at room temperature.

Making the Singara Dough:

In a large parat (plate) or a bowl take 2 cups all purpose flour (maida). Add 4 tablespoons oil and 1 teaspoon salt or add as required.

Mix the oil in the flour with your fingertips till you get a bread crumb like consistency in the flour.

When you press a portion of the mixture in your palm, it should hold together and not crumble.

Now add ½ to ⅔ cup water or add as required. Add water in parts.

Knead to a smooth dough. The dough should be smooth but slightly firm. It should not be too smooth. Cover the dough with a moist cloth or kitchen napkin and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, lightly knead the dough again and make a log. Cut the dough log in 7 equal pieces. Cover the pieces with a moist cloth or kitchen napkin.

Stuffing and making Singara:

Take one dough piece and roll in a ball. Flatten and keep on the rolling board (chakla).

With a rolling pin (belan) roll to a 7 to 8 inches round.

Cut the rolled dough from the center. now with your fingertip or with a small brush spread water on the edges of one of the cut dough.

Bring together the straight edge with one of its end overlapping a bit the other end. Press and seal the edges. Press the edges well, so that they get sealed. It will look like a cone.

Now with a small spoon, stuff the potato filling in the samosa cone.

Pinch a part in the edge and press both the sides. This helps the singaras to stand when placed on a tray.

Make sure there are no cracks. The edges should be joined very well.

Make all singaras this way. Cover them with a moist cloth or kitchen napkin before you begin to fry them.

Frying the Singaras:

Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai on medium flame. Add a small piece of the dough and it should come up gradually and steadily.

Now gently add the singara. Add 2 to 3 or 4 shingara depending on the size of the kadai.

Once all the singaras are added, then lower the flame. begin to fry them on a low to medium-low flame.

When one side is light golden then turn over each singara.

Continue to fry and when the second side is light golden, turn over again.

This way keep on turning them and fry till they have a nice golden crust.

Remove with a slotted spoon draining the extra oil.

Place them on kitchen paper towels to absorb extra oil. While frying other batches of shingara, slightly increase the flame. Add samosa and again reduce the flame.

Serve the Singaras hot or warm with some fried salted green chilis, tamarind chutney or coriander chutney or mint chutney or green chutney or you may have some puffed rice with it.