special delivery: gluten-free samosas

i'm very fond of parcels. it's a rare joy, receiving a package in the mail: there's something so loving about the gesture of wrapping something up and sending it across space and time to someone you miss. the receiving is an event in itself that imprints itself on my (admittedly sentimental) memory. and many of the packages i remember have involved food — like the shoebox full of vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies sent by my mom during my freshman year of college, which i excitedly shared with everyone i knew (i even remember leaving a cookie perched on the doorknob of an elder vegan cutie that i admired from afar — my college years being marked by an immoderate amount of admiring from afar).

it might seem silly to link parcel post to samosas. but my special affection for wrapped-up foods is just another mode of my affection for packages. dumpling-type foods require some serious time, attention, and manual labor, and i love them for it. this kind of meal prep takes work — carefully tucking filling into wrapper, folding and sealing up each dumpling like a little letter. the result is a kind of package to yourself and your dinner guests — a parcel from the you-of-meal-prep-time-past to the you-of-the-meal-time-future!



so, samosas. with coconut-cilantro chutney. these are gluten-free: a spicy mash of potatoes and peas folded into tapioca-rice paper wrappers — the kind used for spring/summer rolls — brushed with peanut oil, and baked until nicely browned and crispy. this method is a stroke of genius from kittee and it worked wonderfully. there is a very helpful video, along with the recipes, here at everyday dish.



some chana masala with your samosas? yes please! and brown basmati rice. oh, and mango lassi to drink. it was a gluten-free vegan indian banquet!

chana masala = redolently spiced chickpeas, simmered in a rich tomato broth. recipe, again from kittee, here. kittee knows her stuff!

the mango lassi is a blend of canned mango chunks, soy milk, a pinch of cardamom powder, and fresh lemon juice. super cool, refreshing, and creamy. even better after stirring in a shot of dark rum. definitely something to revisit in summertime kind of any damn day of the year.