The crispy Cheese and Corn samoosas exterior gives way to a lush, complex interior, where each bite is a celebration of creamy, cheesy goodness accentuated by the freshness of herbs, the warmth of spices, and the sweet crunch of corn.
Perfect for any occasion, these samoosas are a testament to the rich culinary heritage of Cape Malay cuisine, offering a contemporary twist on traditional flavours.
I recall the first time my mum made cheese and corn samoosas and called me in hysterics to tell me about one of her rare kitchen fails. The filling had leaked out while frying and she was left with nothing but shells. I suspected that the type of cheese she used became oily when cooked and because there was no stabiliser added it became stringy.
I have long lost the recipe that a colleague sent me shortly after I came to Dubai that included processed cheese to achieve the smooth creamy cheesy filling. As much as I loved the mouth feel, processed cheese just has too many preservatives and other additives for my peace of mind.
Basic Cheese and Corn samoosas filling ingredients
The combination of mature cheddar and mozzarella cheeses provides a wonderfully gooey and stretchy texture, offering a delightful contrast to the crispy outer shell. The cheeses melt together to form a rich, creamy filling. The mature cheddar cheese brings a deep, tangy, and slightly salty flavour that anchors the filling with its robust cheese essence, while the mozzarella adds a mild, creamy taste that balances the stronger flavour of the cheddar.
The sweetcorn kernels introduce a gentle pop and sweetness, adding a lovely bite that complements the softness of the melted cheese. The finely chopped onion, having had its liquid squeezed out, contributes a subtle crunch, enhancing the texture complexity without introducing excess moisture that could compromise the filling’s consistency. Sweetcorn kernels not only introduce a textural contrast but also imbue the filling with a natural sweetness, balancing the savoury depth of the cheeses and the aromatic spices.
Fresh garlic and coriander infuse the mixture with aromatic layers, the garlic offering a pungent, earthy undertone, and the coriander introducing a bright, citrusy note with a hint of peppery spice. Garam masala and chilli flakes weave in warmth and gentle heat, respectively. The garam masala, with its blend of ground spices, contributes a complex bouquet of flavours ranging from sweet to spicy, while the chilli flakes add a subtle but discernible kick that tingles the palate without overwhelming the other flavors.
Salt is used judiciously to enhance and marry all the flavors, ensuring each ingredient’s taste profile is pronounced yet harmonious within the filling.
Tips for making Cheese and Corn samoosas
Here are some expert tips to ensure your samoosas turn out perfectly:
- Drain Ingredients Well: Especially for the onions and sweetcorn, make sure they are well-drained and dry. Excess moisture can make the pastry soggy and prevent it from crisping up properly when fried.
- Cheese Selection: Use high-quality mature cheddar for its robust flavor and good melting properties, and pair it with mozzarella for stretchiness and a milder taste. The combination ensures a gooey, flavorful filling. Keep the cheese cold and work quickly so that it doesn’t become warm before frying.
- Low-Moisture Cheeses: While mature cheddar and mozzarella are great for flavor and texture, ensuring the mozzarella is a low-moisture variety can help prevent the filling from becoming too watery when heated, which contributes to a clumpy texture upon cooling.
- Incorporate a Stabilizer: A small amount of cornstarch mixed with the cheeses before adding them to the filling can help stabilize the mixture, keeping it smooth and preventing separation or clumping. About 5-10 ml (1-2 teaspoons) for the total cheese quantity should be enough.
- Spice to Taste: Adjust the garam masala and chili flakes according to your preference for heat and spice. The listed amounts provide a balanced warmth, but you can tweak them to suit your taste or the tolerance of your diners.
- Seal Properly: Use the cornflour mixed with a little water to create a paste for sealing the edges of your samoosas. This helps prevent them from opening up while frying.
- Fry Temperature: Heat the oil to the right temperature (medium-high, around 350°F or 175°C) before frying. If the oil is too hot, the samoosas will brown too quickly without melting the cheese inside. If it’s too low, they’ll absorb too much oil and become greasy.
- Prevent Overcooking: Cheese becomes hard and clumpy if overcooked. Fry the samoosas just until golden brown to ensure the outside is crisp and the inside remains melty. Overcooking leads to the cheese releasing its oils and becoming hard upon cooling.
- Do Not Overcrowd: Fry the samoosas in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Overcrowding lowers the oil’s temperature and can lead to soggy samoosas.
- Drain Excess Oil: After frying, place the samoosas on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil. This helps maintain their crispiness.
- Freshness of Ingredients: Use fresh garlic and coriander for the best flavor. The freshness of these ingredients significantly enhances the overall taste of the filling.
- Filling Consistency: Avoid overfilling the pastry. A teaspoonful of the mixture is usually enough. Overfilling can cause the samoosas to burst open during frying.
- Practice Folding: If you’re new to making samoosas, practice folding them with plain paper first to get the technique down without wasting your filling. A well-folded samoosa will have a tight seal and a triangular shape.
- Serve Warm: Cheese and corn samoosas are best served warm, not hot. Allowing them to rest for a few minutes after frying will ensure the cheese is melty but not overly liquid or clumpy.
- Reheat Carefully: If you need to reheat them, do so in an oven or air fryer rather than a microwave. A gentle reheating process can help maintain the creamy texture of the cheese.
- Serving Suggestion: Serve hot with a dipping sauce of your choice, such as a tangy tamarind sauce, a refreshing mint yogurt, or a sweet chili sauce for an extra flavour dimension.
Cheese variations
The type of cheese used in samoosa filling significantly impacts its gooeyness, texture, and overall flavor profile. Different cheeses melt in unique ways and at different temperatures, contributing to the filling’s final consistency.
Here’s how various types of cheese can influence the gooeyness of your samoosa filling:
- Mature Cheddar: Aged cheddar melts well and adds a sharp, tangy flavor. However, it’s less gooey than some other cheeses. It can become oily if overcooked, so it’s often combined with other, more gooey cheeses to balance texture and flavor.
- Mozzarella: This cheese is known for its excellent meltability and stretchiness, thanks to its high moisture content. Low-moisture mozzarella is preferable for a gooey texture without making the filling too wet. It’s ideal for achieving that desirable cheese pull effect.
- Cream Cheese: While not traditionally used in samoosas, adding a small amount of cream cheese can enhance creaminess and gooeyness, preventing the filling from drying out or becoming clumpy. It melts smoothly and adds a slight tang.
- Gouda and Havarti: Both of these cheeses are known for their smooth melting qualities and can add a nice, creamy texture to the filling. Gouda brings a sweet, nutty flavor, while Havarti offers a mild, buttery taste. They can make the filling more uniformly gooey compared to using cheddar alone.
- Monterey Jack: This cheese has a mild flavor and melts very well, making it a good choice for a gooey texture. It’s often used in Mexican cuisine for its excellent meltability and can be mixed with other cheeses for a more complex flavor.
- Fontina: Fontina cheese has a rich, creamy texture when melted, contributing significantly to the gooeyness of the filling. It has a slightly nutty and mild earthy flavor, which can add depth to the cheese mixture.
- Provolone: Provolone offers a nice balance between flavor and meltability. It has a smooth texture when melted and a slightly sharper taste than mozzarella, adding character to the filling without compromising gooeyness.
- Brie: While unconventional in samoosas, small amounts of Brie (without the rind) can introduce a creamy, luxurious texture and a rich, buttery flavor to the filling. It’s very gooey when melted, making it an interesting choice for a gourmet twist.
- Processed cheese: While processed cheese can enhance the texture and melting quality of your filling, relying on it solely may compromise the overall flavor complexity of your samoosas.
To achieve the optimal gooeyness, consider blending cheeses with different melting characteristics. A combination of a stretchy cheese like mozzarella with a flavorful, well-melting cheese like cheddar, and a creamy cheese like cream cheese or Brie, can create a rich, gooey, and flavorful filling. The key is balancing meltability with flavor to suit your taste preferences while ensuring the filling’s texture complements the crispy exterior of the samoosas.
Other recipes you may like
- Cape Malay Potato samoosas
- Delectable Mince Samoosa recipe (keema samosa)
- Scrumptious Chicken Samoosa recipe – 2 ways
- Cape Malay Daltjies (Chilli bites)
Cape Malay Cheese and Corn samoosas
Ingredients
Cheese and corn samoosa filling ingredients
- 250 gram onion, finely diced 1 large onion
- 500 ml mature cheddar cheese grated
- 500 ml mozzarella grated
- 500 ml sweetcorn kernels drained
- 15 ml minced garlic 4 cloves
- 90 ml fresh coriander leaves and stems finely chopped
- 7.5 ml garam masala
- 2.5 ml chili flakes
- 5 ml cornflour
- 5 ml salt, to taste
- 1 red chilli, to taste finely chopped, optional
Assembly
- 25 samoosa pastry strips
- 60 ml cake flour
- 30 ml water
Instructions
Cheese and corn filling
- Finely dice the onions then wrap it in a clean dishtowel and squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can.
- Transfer the diced onion to a bowl and add the drained sweet corn kernels, chopped coriander and other spices and herbs.
- Add in the grated cheese and the cornflour and mix lightly without mashing the cheese.
- If the cheese has started to soften, refrigerate it again for 20 minutes before you fold the samoosas.
Assembly
- Mix the flour and water for the glue when the cheese and corn filling is chilled and you are about to assemble.
- Keep the length of the pastry facing away from you and fold the bottom right corner across to the left edge.
- Now fold that across to the right side again to form triangle shaped pocket. Ensure that the bottom tip of the pocket is tightly sealed or all the filling will escape during frying.
- Fill the pocket with two tablespoon of samoosa filling. Use more or less depending on the width of the samoosa pastry strips.
- Fold the long end of the pastry strip over the pocket and continue folding the triangle until only a short flap remains.
- Use your finger or the back of a teaspoon to spread samoosa glue onto the pastry strip.
- Fold the glued section against the triangle and ensure that all the corners are tight.
- Pack flat into zip lock bags and freeze until required or fry immediately.
- Fry the samoosas in hot oil at least 2 cm deep for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes until golden.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information for the recipe is an approximation and varies according to the ingredients and products used.
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