I currently do not have my wok with me and would like to make a healthier version of the vegetable samosa recipe. Would it work baking them rather than frying them? If there are any recipe adjustments, just let me know.

Hello syrshovelbum

You could make Samosas without frying by using shortcrust or Filo or puff pastry, but do remember that those doughs also have a lot of fat in them.

Filo Pastry Samosa

Samosa Sausage Rolls

Vegetable Sausage Rolls

Sweet Samosa Rolls .

Mamta

Hi. I have made baked samosas using home made dough. i just made the samosas exactly The same as normal and just brush some oil over them and put in the oven. Really tasty.

Very nice Simi, did you use your own recipe or one from here? Any pictures for us to drool over ;-)?

Mamta

Well i made them a few months ago when my daughter eas going through her phase of not eating any fried food so i havent tried them again. Im making some regular ones at the weekend.

I made some onion bhajis in the other day, but instead of deep frying them I baked them in the oven and they turned out okay. When I deep fry them I use quite a lot of different spices in the mixture, but because I was baking them I wasn't too sure if the spices would cook in the same way.

The spices I used were ajwain seeds, garam masala, cumin powder and turmeric. I diced the onion (when I am deep frying them I thinly slice the onion because I find the mixture is easier to shape into small balls), mixed everything together and greased a non-stick baking tray. I divided the mixture into equal parts and ended up with six average-sized bhajis, then I drizzled a little oil onto the top of each one and placed them in the oven at 200C until they turned nice and golden on the top. They took a lot longer to cook this way, and while the result was good, I don't think they tasted as nice as the ones that are deep fried.

Someone told me that if the oil is hot enough when you put them in, the outside will be sealed and it stops any oil getting into the centre. If this is true, then would the above method be any healthier? I still had to drizzle them with oil because I knew that they wouldn't cook very well if I didn't...

I have tried making pakoras/bhajis in the oven too, they just aren't the same. It is true (no scientific proof) that if you cook them on low heat, they absorb a lot of oil and do not get as crisp. The oil has to be similar to the oil for frying chips; hot so they sizzle to the top quickly, but not smoking.

Incidentally, why do you have to make balls of your pakora mix? Pakoras are usually flat...ish. Wouldn't balls be koftas?

I have no idea, Mamta. It is the way I have always made them and when I have bought them in the past they have mostly been rounded. I will be making a mixed vegetable curry shortly for later tonight, I might make a batch on onion bhajis to go with it. :-)