Samosa – Indian Appetizer

If there’s one thing that comes to mind when you think of Indian appetizers, it has to be Samosa. Vegetable Samosas are triangular pastry crusts filled with a spicy potato mixture and deep fried until golden. They are usually served with Tamarind Chutney or Mint Chutney. Try this delicious samosa recipe for your next party or get-together.

Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Makes: 12 (approx)

Ingredients:

For the crust:

All-purpose Flour – 1 1/2 cups
Salt – 3/4 tsp
Ajwain (Carrom Seeds) – 1/4 tsp
Oil – 2 Tbsp
Lemon/Lime Juice – 1 Tbsp
Water – 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp

For the filling:

Potatoes – 1 1/2 lbs, boiled, peeled and cubed
Whole Coriander Seeds – 1 tsp
Fennel Seeds – 1 tsp
Salt – to taste
Garam Masala – 1/2 tsp
Dry Mango Powder – 1/2 tsp
Sugar – 1/2 tsp
Cilantro (Coriander Leaves) – 10 sprigs, chopped
Ginger/Green Chili – 1 Tbsp, minced
Lime/Lemon Juice – to taste
Oil – 2 Tbsp
Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida – 1/8 tsp
Frozen Green Peas – 1/2 cup

Method:

1. Soak Coriander Seeds and Fennel Seeds in a few tablespoons of warm water and keep aside.
2. In a bowl, mix All-purpose flour, Salt and Ajwain.
3. Add 2 Tbsp Oil and mix until all the oil is well incorporated into the flour.
4. Add Lemon/Lime Juice and Water and knead into a smooth firm dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.
5. To the boiled, cubed Potatoes, add Salt, Garam Masala, Dry Mango Powder, Sugar, Cilantro, Ginger/Green Chili, Lemon Juice, and the drained Coriander/Fennel Seeds. Mix well.
6. Heat Oil in a pan on medium heat.
7. Add Cumin Seeds, Asafoetida and Green Peas. Cook for 1-2 minutes until peas are tender.
8. Add Potato mixture and cook for a few minutes until heated through. Keep aside to cool to room temperature.
9. Divide Dough into small portions (slightly bigger than a golf ball).
10. Roll out each portion into a thin oval shape.
11. Cut the oval down the center to make two semi-ovals.
12. Lift one side of the flat edge and brush plain water on it. Lift the opposite side and overlap the two edges to form a cone shape. Press the seams gently to seal.
13. Stuff the Potato mixture into the cone. Brush plain water around the top edge and seal shut.
14. Deep fry until golden.
15. Serve hot with Tamarind Chutney, Mint Chutney or Ketchup.

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199 thoughts on “Samosa – Indian Appetizer

  1. Hi Hetal and Anuja,

    Your website is great.
    I just have a suggestion for the samosas so that they sit on their base naturally. I make the oval a bit more oblong and after making the cone, I make an overlap on the edge(the tuck like thing you have in skirts) in the rounded side and that side then comes naturally and meets the shorter/straighter side. Almost all the hotel-wallas have this tuck at the bottom 🙂

  2. Hi,
    I am definitely going to try the samosa recipe along with other recipes of yours. You guys made the process of making samosa so easy. I always wondered about how in the world is it given that shape. 🙂

    It has been a month since our servant left and we are on our own since then to do the household chores including cooking. And I have been trying my hand at cooking since then. Tried french fries yesterday and will definitely try making samosas tomorrow for brunch.

    Best wishes,
    Anirudh Bahadur 🙂

    1. Hi Anirudh,

      Glad to hear that you are giving cooking a shot. It can be therapeutic as well as addictive at times :). All the best!

  3. Hi Hetal/Anuja,

    I made the dough for samosa as per your instructions. I let it sit for 45 mins. I tried to roll it out but it is not stretching. When I roll it out, it keeps contracting and I am not able to cut and make the funnel. Can you please let me know what I could have done wrong?

  4. hi,hetal & anuja
    i tried your recipe and i cnt belive they turned so good and crispy ..i m so happy . thanks for this recipe 🙂 keep uploading recipes . once again thnx 🙂

  5. Hi Hetal and Anuja,
    you both are doing a wonderful job.
    I tried out this samosa recipie and served it hot to my husband and his relative.I took some for my friends in office the next day…they all liked it a lot.Thanks to you both.
    I have learnt a lot of north indian recipies from your website,(though I basically am a south indian)..
    regards,
    preeti

  6. I followed your formula. The output was awesome. And about the video showing Samosa, something might have happened behind the scenes that’s why Hetal was laughing at the end of the Video. What’s that.. tell us as well….anyways thanks for the Gyan.

  7. Hi Hetal/Anuja..

    Thanks for the receipe. I would like to know where did u get the red colour pan which you used to make potato filling.

    Thank you.

  8. Hi ladies! Love this website:) quick question, I have two little ones and am expecting again. I would love to have homemade snacks on hand for my husband but am short on everyday time. What would be the process to freeze these for reheating and how long do you think they will keep in the freezer? I would really appreciate this, and my husband too 🙂

    1. Hi Stacie,

      You can prepare the samosa and bake them lightly so that the crust is no longer sticky. This will allow you to freeze them in a ziploc bag without each one sticking to the next. When you are ready, you can either defrost them on the counter top or the refrigerator (takes longer) and them fry them. They will keep fresh in the freezer for about 4 months if you seal them in a ziploc freezer bag.

  9. Hey Hetal and Anuja,
    I love samosas , they are the love of my life!!!!
    I was so happy that finally i could make em at home!! The results were awesome! Thanks for the lovely receipes!

    Can you girls also post the receipe for apple pie!

    Thanks
    Tina

  10. Hello! nice video! just want to ask, can I refrigerate the samosa dough? if yes, how many days can i keep them in the fridge? thank you!

    1. Hi Kath,

      You should be able to refrigerate the dough for about 1-2 days if you wrap it properly so that it does not dry out.

  11. Hi Hetal & Anuja,

    Your cooking is great, I normally don’t measure and cook, but its a good Idea for perfect quantity.

    One more thing your frying vessel is good looks different, can you tell me what it is called and where i can get this since this looks neat and clean…. my non stick khai burns from top and very difficult to clean….

    how do you manage oil that we use for frying????

    Thanks & regards,

    Prati

    1. Hi Prati,

      Our frying pan is decades old and we don’t where we got it from…sorry. You really should not use frying oil again once it has cooled down. The chemical makeup changes and it is bad for your health. We try to organize a bunch of different things we need to fry so that it can all be done at once…while the oil is still hot. Things like paneer can be fried and kept in the freezer for later use. Even papads….but do those last.

  12. Hi Hetal and anuja
    Loved your samosa recipe and mine came out perfect.Your measurments rock.
    Is there any tip on freezing these and fying later and they still taste the same……Was wondering
    Let me know

    Thanks

    Priya

    1. Hi Priya,

      Though we have not tried it, some people lightly bake the samosa and then freeze them. This prevents the samosa from sticking to each other. You can then defrost them and fry when you are ready.

  13. Heya ladies…
    Made samosas n everyone loved it so much…!!!! They actually ended up licking off their fingers as well…

    Keep up d awesome work… !!!!

    Happy cooking..!

  14. Can you give me some tips in making samosas ahead of time for a gathering. I want to make around 100.
    Thanks

  15. Hi Anuja and Hetal,
    Thank for the Recipe..
    I never imagined that i could make Samosa…
    They came out really good..
    Thank for you the Exact measurements.. Of how much water should be added to the dough..
    Thanks

  16. Hi hetal & Anuja,

    If I lightly bake them and freeze the samosas like you you have suggested before, what I wanna know is do I need to defrost or thaw them before frying or is it okay to fry them rightaway?

  17. Hi,

    When are you posting Kachori recipe ? Please post it soon. Looking forward to it. I have tried few recipes from your website. It’s always a hit. Thanks for that.

  18. Hi Anuja and Hetal,
    I hope to make this dish soon and just had one small request, although I know it may be too much to ask. When you are filming your videos is it possible that when deep frying a dish, could you possibly include in the video or on the recipe the temperature of the oil? Perhaps you could use an deep fry thermometer so that we can be sure we have our oil at the correct temperature. I realize that experts such as yourselves can tell if oil is too hot or too cold, but for newbies like myself, trial and error can produce a lot of errors. I love your show, and you have helped me learn to cook some wonderful Indian food which friends and family have enjoyed. Thanks so much for listening to my suggestion and for adding a pinch of spice to my life!!! We love you!!

  19. Hello Hetal n Anuja,

    I just loved your recipe of samosas…I also sent dis website to my Mother-in-law. N she was also very happy to fine out new n instant dishes on ur website. Really good job.

    Thanks
    Mansi

    1. Hi Seema,

      It is probably not a good idea to freeze before frying. Unless you keep them on a tray, away from each other, they will stick together. Also, once defrosted, the coating will be mushy and the samosa will probably lose shape.

  20. Hi Hetal & Anuja,

    Thanks, I tried this recipe. It turned out great, except the dough was a little dry.
    I was thinking it might be because the all-purpose flour I used was old.
    What do you think?
    Thanks,
    Murti

    1. Hi Murti,

      Its possible that the measurement of the flour was off a bit (how you filled the measuring cup compared to how we filled it). That happens when we don’t use a weighing scale to measure.

  21. Loved the video, can’t wait to try.
    Wondering how many potatoes used
    and do you boil with the skin on? For
    how long?
    Thanks again.

    1. Hi Murti,

      We weighed the potatoes so the spice mixture will be exact. People are always confused about small, medium or large when it comes to potatoes. When boiling potatoes, you leave the skin on and then peel it off later.

      1. Ok, thanks. Will have to try.
        Sorry, how long do you boil the potatoes for?
        Also, for the aloo dhum recipe, how long are the potatoes boiled for?
        Thanks so much for the encouragement you give for those of us who are intimidated by indian cooking.

        1. Hi Murti,

          Usually, potatoes will take approximately 10-15 minutes to boil. This time may change depending on how big or small the potatoes and which variety of potatoes you use. A good test to see if they are done…just insert a sharp knife into the potato. If it goes in with out any effort, it is done.

  22. Hi! Thank you guys so much, samosas are my favorite food and this is the best recipe I’ve tried! One question though: there are some people in my family who should not have fried foods, so is there a way to bake them instead?

    1. Hi Kairavi

      Some people have tried baking samosas and swear by them, unfortunately we have not. The biggest challenge you will have is the texture and flavor of the crust. Maybe you can try a few in the oven. You will probably have to flip them half way through the baking process.

  23. Hi Hetal & Anuja ,

    I did the samosas as u explained in ur video & it came out very well. Thank u very much.I enjoyed it.I have a simple question,can we make samosa with wheat flour???will it come out gud??In shops, do they use wheat flour becoz the texture of outer layer of the samosas that i made from ur method look & feels different from what they serve in the shops?Can u please explain this.

  24. I’m frying the somosas…they look wonderful and the stuffing is delicious.
    waiting for my husband to get home; can’t wait to try them.
    Thanks guys for this easy to make recipe!
    Between I used pizza cutter to cut my crust and works better than knife.

    Thanks,
    Liza

  25. Hi! I just stumbled across this video on youtube and i’m in love!! your website is amazing, i’m 17 and trying to learn how to make indian food for my family because we love it:) amazing website! your recipes are fun, clean, and easy, i love it! thanks a bunch:)

  26. Hi,

    Been trying out some of your recipes and find them really informative and easy. I have a request- can you post a recipe for Paneer samosas. Presumably the dough would be the same, just needed the recipe for the stuffing. Also can you post a recipe for Mathri?
    Thanks.

  27. Some questions..

    Hope you can ans them all?

    Can we just bake the samosas completely and not deep fry them at all??

    If so, do we have to apply any oil to the samosas before placing them in the oven?

    What temperature should we use to bake and for how long??

    Can I use whole wheat flour instead of maida?

    My daughter loves samosas ..plan to make them this week

    1. Hi Jyothi,

      We have not tried to bake samosas but they will definitely not have the same texture and taste of fried ones. Even though you can use whole wheat flour, it will not give the same taste and texture as maida.

  28. Hi Anuja and Hetal,
    I like the idea of freezing samosas after cooking halfway. But when you take them out and get ready to finish frying them, do you let them thaw, or put them in still frozen?

    1. Hi Judy,

      Since you will be deep frying the samosas, it is better to defrost them. Otherwise, the ice crystals will crackle and pop in the hot oil and also, the covering will get dark before the inside gets heated through.

  29. hi anuja & hetal,

    i tried this recipe and the samosas turned really well…got the authentic indian flavour…
    must say u gals are doing a great job…thanks for all the lovely recipes…
    looking for some new ones to come up too 🙂

    take care
    damini

  30. Dear Hetal Anuja,
    Awesome recipe, I tried making it today and didnt know even I could make it. I mean I can cook basic stuff though I havent been cooking since my wife cooks regularly, but you guys made a thing like Samosa making look so simple that I thought I might as well try and I succeded.
    More importantly my wife happy too, and me goes back into lazy mode for a long long time 🙂

    Thanks a lot.
    Please continue posting.

    Regards
    Bobby

  31. Hello girls,
    love your web site, thanks for all the recipes.
    I have been trying to visit your kitchen store for a while now and it always says its down for maintenance 🙁
    I’m wondering when it will be back up and running?
    for the mean time, would appreciate it if you tell me where you baught this rolling pin you used in this samosa video as well as the small round wooden cutting board on which you rolled it. thanks a million in advance

    1. Hi Nirmeen,
      We have been having some issues with the Store for a while now and closed it down (still not managed to fix the issue 🙁 ). We suggest you look around elsewhere as we don’t know how long it’ll take to fix it. Sorry about that and hope you understand!
      Regarding the rolling pin, we got it from an Indian store here in TX.

  32. Hi Hetal/Anuja
    I have always loved watching your recipes.You have such wonderful recipes n tips as well.I just wanted to ask whether I can store the half baked samosa in freezer in plastic wraps or I need to put them in freezer bags.And what should be the temp to half bake the samosa before freezing them???I have never frozen anything so I am asking these…and I ma going to have many guests over the weekend…do let me know the entire thing of freezing the samosa..thnks so much to both of u…

  33. Hi there,

    I was wondering that for how long can I freeze the samosa for if its half baked?

    Thanks for this video, its tasty and simple 🙂

    Thanks!

  34. Hi
    yesterday I made samosas.Taste was very very good . Thank u so much to both of you. Only problem I faced when I put samosa in the oil some of edge started open. Can u suggest when we r making large quantity, after rolling n filling , where n how should we put, so that while frying face no difficulty.

    1. Hi there,
      You do need to press them harder to make them stick 🙁
      Here are a couple of other options:
      -use a beaten egg as a glue
      -mix a bit of cornstarch with just a bit of water and use that to help
      🙂

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