Bikram Yoga & Baked Vegetarian Samosas

I'm a total gym rat - going to the gym to get my daily dose of cardio is practically an addiction.  But lately I've also been really getting into Bikram yoga, which is 90 minutes of yoga practiced in a 105-degree F room.  Sounds fun right?  (Actually the heat is awesome in the winter time...not so much during the sweltering Baltimore summers, though)  Anywho, it's rather a nice break from the intense cardio workouts I'm used to at the gym, and my mind and body both feel awesome after the hot yoga sessions. 

The session I went to this morning felt especially good, and it sort of set me on a health kick for the rest of the day.  After the class, I had a tasty Moroccan-inspired spaghetti squash and chickpea salad and a baked sweet potato for lunch.  At the grocery in the afternoon, I was totally geeking out in the produce and natural foods section.  So when dinner time rolled around, I wanted to make a healthy complement to my mom's Burmese coconut curry noodle soup (sounds good, right?), and I was inspired to make some baked vegetarian samosas after seeing this recipe for chile pea puffs.

Samosas - deep fried pastries, typically stuffed with spiced potatoes, peas, onions, and (sometimes) ground meat - are a popular Indian snacks/appetizers.  I absolutely love samosas, but I hate the fact that they're deep fried.  So, I decided to experiment by making a healthier baked version.  I used wonton wrappers as the pastry shell, and you'll see from my pictures that these samosas are half moon shaped, rather than the usual triangular shape of typical samosas.  That's kind of because I only had round wonton wrappers on hand. But really, why sweat the small stuff?  Before the samosas went into the oven, I brushed them with a little bit of olive oil - definitely much healthier than the quart of oil I would need to use to fry them. 

So the verdict?  The samosas actually turned out surprisingly well.  They were quite flavorful and had a nice golden brown color to them.  Of course they weren't as crispy as their deep fried cousins, but they still had a good crunch to them.  And they still taste the same as regular samosas, just less guilt!

(And why yes, I'm experimenting with Instagram pics...like or no?)

Baked Vegetarian Samosas

Yields about 20 samosas

2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 green chiles, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup green peas (thaw, if frozen)
1 medium potato, cooked and mashed
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
Salt and pepper
Wonton wrappers
Olive oil, for brushing


Preheat oven to 400 F, and lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.


In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over med-high heat.  Add the onions and saute, until the onions start to become translucent.  Add the chiles and garlic, and cook for about another minute. 


Add the peas, potato, and spices, and cooked until warmed thoroughly.  Season with salt and pepper.

Place one teaspoon of the mixture into a center of a wonton wrapper. Lightly brush the sides of the wrapper with water. Fold the wrapper over to form a triangle (or a half-moon, if you have round wrappers, like me). Press the edges with a fork, to secure the seam/

Place the samosas in a single layer on the baking sheet. Brush with a little bit of olive oil (or if you must, spray with cooking spray).  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until they are crispy and golden brown, turning once, halfway through baking. Serve immediately.