Beef Samosas

This is a beef and potato mixture with distinct Indian flavor rolled up and fried in a crispy outer shell. My kids got stuck on the Indian seasonings but loved the fried exterior. My husband wanted to marry them. If you like Indian food, you'll love these! You can make the filling ahead and fry right before serving. Serves 6 to 8.

Beef Samosas

2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 c frozen peas
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds, or 1/4 tsp cumin powder
1 bay leaf, crushed
1 large onion, diced
1 lb ground beef
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger root
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 green chile pepper, seeded and diced
oil for frying
8-oz phyllo dough, defrosted

1. Bring medium saucepan of lightly salted water to boil. Stir in potatoes and peas. Cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, mash together and set aside.
2. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Brown cumin seeds or powder and crumbled bay leaf. Stir in onions and ground beef. Cook until beef is evenly browned and onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Mix in garlic, ginger, black pepper, salt, cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili powder, cinnamon and cardamom. Stir in the potato mixture. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and chile peppers; set aside.
3. Heat oil in large, heave saucepan over medium-high heat. If phyllo sheets are large, fold into fourths. Place 1 to 2 Tbsp mixture into each phyllo sheet, long and skinny and roll up.
4. In small batches, fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.