Edible Alphabet is a free English Language Learning (ELL) program offered by the Free Library's Culinary Literacy Center. The mission is to teach English language and literacy skills through hands-on cooking projects. While Free Library locations remain closed to the public in the interest of public health and safety, we will be sharing weekly recipes from our class curriculum and past participants.  

The herbs in my garden are taking off this week, so I decided to make a green herb dipping sauce and a batch of potato-pea samosas from Edible Alphabet’s global recipes workbook. This recipe is one of my favorites and it takes two shortcuts that reduce the time and mess: it calls for pre-made pie dough and the samosas are baked rather than fried. The recipe makes 16 samosas; I cut the recipe in half because I’m no longer cooking for a crowd. The samosas can also be wrapped and frozen before baking—just add an additional few minutes to the bake time in the oven. If you have leftover filling, it can be served over rice or with a side of naan and raita.  

I am very excited to announce that in two weeks, we will be starting a summer session of Edible Alphabet English as a virtual program! If you or someone you know is interested in learning and practicing English through cooking, you can register today or email kitchen @ freelibrary.org for more information. If you are not an English language learner but are still interested in learning and connecting through food and the Free Library, I recommend you check out the Virtual Library Dinners happening weekly at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday evenings or the Book Feast taking place tomorrow, Wednesday, July 15 at 4:00 p.m., where they will be making banana pie inspired by Gabriel García Márquez’s Cien Años de Soledad (One Hundred Years of Solitude).

Samosas and Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

Samosas

• 2 ready-made pie crusts (9-inch round)  
• 2 small baking potatoes (or 1 large potato)  
• 1 small onion  
• 1 jalapeño pepper  
• 1 clove garlic  
• 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger  
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin  
• ½ tsp. ground allspice  
• ½ tsp. cinnamon  
• 1 Roma tomato  
• ½ cup frozen peas  
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 1 egg  
• Salt (to taste)  
• Black pepper (to taste)  
• Flour (for rolling dough) 

Dipping Sauce

• 1 bunch fresh mint  
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro  
• 1 lime (juice only)  
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil  
• 1 jalapeño pepper (seeds and stem removed)  
• 2 Tbsp. fresh ginger  
• 2 cloves garlic  
• 1 tsp. sugar 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. 
2. Peel and dice potatoes and onion. 
3. Seed and dice tomato. Finely dice jalapeño pepper and garlic. Grate ginger. 
4. Boil potatoes in a large pot of water for 5–7 minutes. Drain. 
5. Heat oil in a pan and add onions. Sauté until tender (4–5 minutes.) 
6. Add jalapeño pepper, garlic, ginger, and spices. Cook for 2–3 minutes. 
7. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, peas, and 1 Tbsp. water, cook for 2 additional minutes, and then remove from heat. Use a fork to mash some of the potatoes and peas and stir to combine. 
8. Sprinkle flour on a clean surface. Place pie crust on a floured surface and cut each pie round into 8 wedges. 
9. Beat egg and small splash of water with a fork in a small bowl. 
10. Spoon 1 Tbsp. of the filling onto each wedge. Brush the edges with egg wash and pull the corners up to form a pyramid. Place on a baking sheet. 
11. Brush the samosas with egg wash and bake for 15–20 minutes, or until golden brown. 
12. While the samosas bake, add all the ingredients for the dipping sauce to a blender or food processor and purée until smooth.

For more information about Edible Alphabet and the Culinary Literacy Center, visit freelibrary.org/cook or email kitchen @ freelibrary.org. Enjoy this recipe? Leave a comment and stay tuned for another Edible Alphabet recipe next week!