ACK 10.20: Mithe samosa

In a large mixing bowl, rub half the melted butter into the flour with your fingertips, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the salt. Gradually add the cold water. (Some cooks make a richer dough by substituting yogurt for the water, or by using half cold water and half yogurt). Mix with your hands to form a dough. If the dough is too sticky, coat your hands with flour. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead it until it's smooth and firm. Then gather the dough together in a lump, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside for half an hour.

While the dough rests, stir-fry the apples and the other half of the butter over medium heat for 5 minutes. Then add the spices and sugar. Lower the heat and continue to stir until most of the liquid cooks off and the mixture thickens. Then turn it onto a plate to cool.

Knead the dough again and form it into 10 balls. Grease the rolling board and roll out the balls like thick puris. Place a tablespoon of filling on half of each round and fold the round in half over the filling. Moisten the dough where the two edges will meet, then press the two layers of dough together along the edge of the filling and pare away the excess. Now pick up a samosa in one hand and use the other to pinch and twist the sealed edge in successive folds to form a pleated top. Each samosa should have 10-12 pressed-down folds. Make sure there are no holes by which the filling can escape during the deep-frying. Prepare all the samosas in this way and arrange them on a plate.

Heat the ghee or vegetable oil over medium heat in a vessel for deep-frying. Put in as many samosas at a time as will fit without touching one another. Fry them for 10-12 minutes, turning them gently with a slotted spoon until they are golden brown on both sides. Remove them and put them in a colander to drain.

You can serve mithe samosas either hot or cold. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, or sugar-coat them by dipping them in thick syrup.