Sweet Indian Dumplings

After two tries at deep frying without injury, I think I can call myself a professional. Even when these wontons inflated to the point at which I thought they just might explode, sending scalding hot stuffing in the direction of my eyes, I kept my cool. These fried wontons come to you courtesy of the last page of May's Gourmet magazine. Believe me when I say that I was thinking about them even in Africa. I thought they might make the perfect appetizer for Sarah's slumber party. I chose the vegetarian variety, for which I already had nearly all the ingredients (I substituted coconut milk for actual coconut meat). However, I was a bit disappointed with the quantity of stuffing required for the wonton (it was probably me not following the directions). The recipe said it made 24 wontons, but I only came out with 18 with a meager teaspoon of the savory-sweet coconut sauce dropped in the middle of each round. My adaptation of the recipe adjusts the issue. Indian Sweet Coconut Dumplings: adapted from Gourmet 2 cups coconut milk 1/2 cup brown sugar 4 tablespoons blanched and chopped almonds 4 tablespoons sultanas 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 24 round wonton wrappers Combine all ingredients (aside from wonton wrappers) in a small saucepan on medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer until sauce is thickened and liquid has nearly evaporated, it should take 15 to 20 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and let cool. Lay the wonton wrappers out on a flat surface. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of sauce onto the middle of the wonton. Using a brush, spread water on the edge of the wonton wrapper. Fold wonton in half and pinch shut. Bring about 2 cups of vegetable oil to a boil in a medium frying pan--it should be about an inch deep in the pan. Carefully drop the stuffed dumplings into the hot oil, turning with a slotted spoon to brown both sides. Remove from oil when browned--it should take less than 5 minutes.