Instructions:

Preheat oven to 200 'C. Sift flour, borrie and salt into a mixing bowl.

Combine water and vinegar and mix with flour to a fairly stiff mixture, The consistency of bread dough. Divide into 12 balls. Working with four balls of dough at a time, roll each into a round the size of a large saucer (15 cm in diameter). Using your fingers, spread a little oil on each round, covering it well so that it does not stick during cooking. Sprinkle lightly with flour and place one round on top of the other, oily sides together. You will now have two rounds, each made up of a double layer of dough. Oil and flour the tops in the same way as before. Sandwich these together to form a single pile of four rounds. Each layer of which has been oiled and dusted with flour. Repeat with remaining balls of dough.

Gently roll out piles of rounds on a lightly floured board to a 25 cm diameter circle or oval. Turn the pastry from time to time. Place the rolled out pastry on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 2-3 minutes or until the pastry has puffed up slightly. Remove from oven and cut into strips 6 cm wide and 25-30 cm long. Then separate into thin layers before the pastry cools down. Cover with a damp cloth to prevent the pastry from drying out.

Now hopefully I don't confuse you on this next part! My diagram is supposed to represent the strip of pastry 6 cm wide 25-30 cm long. Fold #1 corner over # 2, Then fold the # 2 triangle over # 3 this will have created a pocket where the filling goes into.

________________________________ /\ /\ 3 /\ 1 / \ / \ / / \ \ _/________\/________\/___2____\_

Fill the pocket with one of the samoosas filling recipes. You then continue folding the triangles to seal off the opening. Seal off the small remaining edge with a paste of flour and water, Then lightly pinch two bottom edges together to puff it up before you fry it.

Once the filling and folding has taken place, You deep-fry the samoosas in hot oil over medium heat, turning once or twice to ensure that they are evenly cooked. When golden brown, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.

Makes 48 samoosas.

From the Cape Malay Cookbook. By Faldela Williams

Courtesy of Jim Jamieson