Street food now trendy little bites

(Samosas are fried pastries stuffed with potatoes and veggies/Larry Crowe photos, Associated Press)

Call it finger food or street food, but ethnic foods you can pick up and go with have been a favorite of mine since I met an egg roll at first bite.

Tasty street food is the feature on today’s Busy Cook in the Poughkeepsie Journal. This story piqued my interest because it talks about how little bites of food have developed over the years from more than what you'd find at a hot dog cart on the corner of a busy city street.

In New York, one is likely to find an array of fast foods that spell pure comfort, from Middle Eastern falafel and Mexican arepas to burritos and ramen noodles.

Indian samosas are one of my favorite street foods – to make and to eat.
I still remember one of the best compliments I received years ago when I made them for a friend who had recently returned from a long trip to India.
He took a bite and said it reminded him of being at a train station there, where authentic samosas were readily available.
Click here for step-by-step directions from a past post of mine for making these tasty little pastry pillows.

The street vendors in Nicaragua offered great fare when I visited my brother there years ago when he was in the Peace Corps. We would wake each morning and walk to the corner where a vendor’s singsong call of “La Reinitas” beckoned. These “little queens” were cornmeal cakes stuffed with a local cheese and grilled in a makeshift half-barrel over a wood fire and served in a banana-leaf wrapper. They were so delicious, I can almost taste them as I write this.

Here is recipe from The Associated Press for samosas, which is a quintessential street food. They are served with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce that complements this fried pastry.
After the recipe, check out the list of restaurants that feature updated street foods.

Potato and Pea Samosas

Start to finish: 1 hour 15 minutes (45 minutes active)
Servings: 4

For the dough:

1. 2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1/2 teaspoon salt
3. 5 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter), room temperature
4. 1/2 to 1 cup ice water
5. For the sauce:
6. 3 tablespoons garlic jelly
7. 2 tablespoons lime juice
8. 2 tablespoons water
9. 1/2 tablespoon hot sauce
10. For the filling:
11. 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
12. 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
13. 1 tablespoon ghee
14. 1 teaspoon turmeric
15. 1 teaspoon garam masala
16. 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
17. 1/4-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
18. 6 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and cut into 1/3-inch cubes
19. 1 cup peas, steamed
20. Salt, to taste
21. Vegetable oil, for frying
    

• To make the dough, in a food processor combine the flour and salt. Pulse several times. Add the ghee and pulse until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
• With the processor running, drizzle in enough water to form a dough that is soft and elastic.
• Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover and let rest for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the jelly, lime juice, water and hot sauce. Set aside. If desired, the sauce can be heated briefly just before serving.

• To make the filling, in a large saute pan over low, toast both mustard seeds. Once the seeds begin to pop in the pan, add the ghee, turmeric, garam masala, pepper and ginger. Saute for 2 minutes, then add the potatoes.
• Remove the pan from heat, then stir in the peas and season with salt. Set aside.

• When the dough is ready, shape it into a log and cut it into 16 pieces.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a 5-inch circle. Use a finger dipped in water to moisten the edges.
• Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture in the center of each circle, then fold the edges together to form a half-circle. Use a fork to crimp and seal the edges.
• In a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high, heat 2 inches of oil to 300 F.
• Working in batches, add the samosas and fry until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes, using a spoon to turn them as needed in the oil.
• Transfer the samosas to paper towels to drain. Serve with the dipping sauce.

Check out these links for more info on eateries, conferences and cool chefs that feature innovative street food:

Susan Feniger’s STREET
Rick Bayless’ XOCO
Pizza Politana
Frontiers of Flavor: World Street Food, World Comfort Food conference
Eat Real Festival
Momofuku
John Besh
Kogi BBQ
Fatty Crab