Apple Samosas

Make filling: In a large bowl, toss diced apples with lime juice. Sprinkle with cornstarch and stir to coat evenly. 

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add raisins and cook until they just start to swell up and sear slightly, 45 to 60 seconds. Add spices and sugar and let sizzle 30 seconds, then stir in apples. Increase heat to high and cook until bubbling, then immediately reduce heat. Simmer, covered, until apples are tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and spread out on a baking sheet to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make pastry: Whisk flour with salt in a large bowl, then make a well in center. Drizzle 1/4 cup oil into well, mixing it into the flour with your hands until mixture starts to get crumbly. Mix just enough cold water, 2 tbsp. at a time and up to 10 tbsp, into dough until it starts to come together.

Turn dough out onto a work surface and knead until smooth and pliable, 5 to 6 minutes. Shape into a ball, cover with plastic wrap or an overturned bowl, and let rest at least 30 minutes (and up to 1 day, chilled) to fully hydrate. If chilled, bring to room temperature before continuing.

To shape samosas, divide dough into 8 equal parts and shape each into a ball. Working with one ball at a time (keep others covered), roll out into a 6-in. circle about 1/8 in. thick. With a sharp knife, slice circle in half. Moisten straight edge of one semicircle lightly with water. Roll semicircle to form a cone and press seam to seal it; pinch tip to seal.

Fill cone with 1 tbsp. apple filling and moisten inner side of top edge with water. Pinch top edges together to seal, then roll seam over on itself. Roll and fill remaining samosas the same way.

Add enough oil to a wide dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan to come 2½ to 3 in. up sides. Insert a deep-fry thermometer and heat over medium-high heat until it registers 350°. Fry samosas in batches, 3 to 4 at time so they’re not crowded, until pale golden, about 2 minutes.

With a slotted spoon, lift samosas to a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and let cool 10 minutes; then return to hot oil and fry until evenly golden, about 5 minutes more. (This will make them extra crisp.) Lift to rack and cool briefly. Serve warm.

* Find funky, earthy Indian black salt and jaggery (unrefined sugar) at Indian grocery stores. Toasting cumin seeds and then grinding them will make their flavor and aroma pop. Toast in a small (not non-stick) frying pan over medium-high heat just until you can smell them, about 45 seconds. Remove from heat and grind to a fine powder using a mortar and pestle or electric coffee/spice grinder.

Make ahead: Apple filling, up to 1 day, chilled.