ramyaramesh3007These easier version of samosas filled with a generous amount of jackfruit and oyster mushroom rendang filling and are paired with spicy sambal ijo.
Though I love all types of samosas, I especially loved samosa chaat which is basically crushed samosas lathered in chickpea curry, tamarind sauce, mint chutney and yogurt. It’s an indulgent snack or can even be considered a meal given it has all the components of a balanced meal – protein, carbs and fibre.
The part that requires more time to make is the samosa crust itself which is why I’m always looking for easier hacks to prepare the crust – you can check out the recipe for my Air Fried Samosas made with spring roll wrappers.
For this recipe, I definitely want to try something different – I love rendang which is a traditional Indonesian dish originating from the Minangkabau ethnic group in West Sumatra. The traditional version is a rich beef stew made with many spices and slow-cooked until tender. In 2011, a survey by CNN International ranked rendang as the “world’s most delicious food” – how cool!
In this plant based version, we will be using shredded oyster mushrooms and pulled jackfruit. You can have the rendang as is or stuffed them in these easy samosa crusts for the ultimate flavourful snack.
We’ll be pairing these samosas with an easy sambal ijo – which is a vibrant, tangy, and slightly spicy condiment from Indonesia, made from green chilies. Unlike the more common sambal merah (red sambal) that uses red chilies, sambal ijo is made using green peppers, giving it a milder heat and a fresh, slightly citrusy flavour.
Ingredients You Need
- samosa crust – we’ll be using frozen parathas for this recipe. Alternatively, you can use spring roll wrappers too.
- neutral oil for frying
- filling – canned green jackfruit & oyster mushrooms
- rendang paste – shallots, garlic, fresh red chilies, dried red chilies, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass stalks (purple inner core)
- toasted ground coconut – process include toasting fresh grated coconut and grinding it into a fine powder
- coconut cream
- aromatics – kaffir lime leaves
- sweetener – palm sugar or coconut sugar
- 10-minute sambal ijo – large and small green chilies, shallots, garlic, green tomatoes, agave or coconut sugar, salt
Gluten free substitutions: Use rice paper instead of instant paratha.
Allium free substitutions: working on this!
Vegan Rendang Samosas
Ingredients
Vegan Rendang Filling
- 1 can jackfruit
- 1 pack oyster mushrooms
- 5 shallots
- 5 cloves garlic
- 5 dried red chilies
- 3 fresh red chilies
- 4 stalks lemongrass
- thumbsized galangal
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- splash of water
- 4 kaffir lime leaves
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar or palm sugar
- 200 ml coconut milk
- 100 ml water
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
Samosas
- 6 instant paratha
Sambal Ijo
- 4 large green chilies
- 2 small green chilies
- 4 shallots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 green apple or 2 medium green tomatoes
- 1 tbsp agave or coconut sugar
- salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Deseed and soak dried red chilies in hot water for 5 minutes.
- Blend all the spices – dried chilies, fresh chilies, galangal, turmeric, garlic, shallots and lemongrass with a splash of water to get a smooth paste.
- Shred oyster mushrooms and pull apart rinsed and drained jackfruit.
- Toast fresh grated coconut until slightly brown and dry. Grind into a powder.
- Heat oil in a large pot or wok over medium heat. Add the rendang paste and sauté for about 3-4 minutes, until it becomes fragrant and darkens in colour.
- Add other parts of lemongrass (for extra aroma), mushrooms, jackfruit and mix well.
- Add the water, coconut milk, dark soy sauce and kaffir lime leaves (tear them along the stem). Add ground coconut.
- Stir everything to combine, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom. Let it cook for 10 minutes on the heat. Stir occasionally and allow the sauce to reduce and thicken – add water if too dry.
- While that's cooking, making your sambal ijo – combine all green chilies, shallots, garlic, green apple into a paste.
- Saute in oil until cooked and fragrant – add sweetener and salt towards the end.
- Take frozen parathas from the freezer – slice them in half. Roll one half into a cone shape and fill them with 3-4 teaspoons of the rendang filling. Seal the open edge by pressing it tightly with your fingers.
- Repeat for the rest.
- Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat. Once hot, carefully add the samosas in batches.
- Fry until golden brown and crispy, about 4-5 minutes per batch. Remove and drain on paper towels.
- Garnish with sliced red chilies and serve with sambal ijo. Enjoy!