Homemade Samosas
Discover the authentic recipe for Indian samosas: a crisp semolina-enriched pastry filled with a spiced potato and pea filling, folded into a cone and deep-fried until golden. A staple of Indian appetisers, ready for you to prepare at home step by step.
Ingredients
- 250 g plain flour (maida)
- 2 tbsp fine semolina (rava)
- 4 tbsp neutral oil, plus extra for deep-frying
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Warm water, as needed
- 4 medium potatoes, boiled and coarsely mashed
- 150 g green peas (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
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1 tsp cumin seeds
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1 pinch asafoetida
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1-2 green chillies, finely chopped (to taste)
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1 tsp ground turmeric
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1 tsp ground coriander seeds
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1 tsp garam masala
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1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt, to taste
- Fresh coriander, chopped
Instructions
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1
Prepare the pastry: in a large bowl, mix the flour, semolina and salt. Add the oil and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles damp sand.
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2
Gradually add warm water and knead into a firm, smooth dough (firmer than bread dough). Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
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3
While the dough rests, prepare the filling: heat the oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds and asafoetida, and let them sizzle for a few seconds.
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4
Add the ginger and green chillies, sauté for 1 minute, then stir in the peas and cook for 3-4 minutes.
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5
Add the turmeric, ground coriander, garam masala and black pepper. Mix well.
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6
Fold in the mashed potatoes, season with salt, add the lemon juice and fresh coriander. Stir and let cool slightly off the heat.
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7
Divide the rested dough into golf-ball-sized portions. Roll each portion into a thin oval disc, then cut it in half to form two semicircles.
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8
Shape each semicircle into a cone by moistening the straight edge and pressing it onto the curved edge, sealing the seam firmly.
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9
Fill each cone with a heaped tablespoon of filling, moisten the top edge and pinch it shut to seal into a triangle.
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10
Heat the frying oil over medium heat (about 160-170°C / 320-340°F). Fry the samosas in small batches for 10-12 minutes, turning regularly, until golden and crisp.
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11
Drain on paper towels and serve hot with mint-coriander chutney or tamarind chutney.
Tips
Frying at a gentle, steady heat is the key to a crisp samosa that is fully cooked inside: oil that is too hot browns the outside before the filling heats through. Ghee can replace part of the oil in the dough for extra flavour, but neutral oil remains essential for deep-frying. Uncooked samosas freeze very well: lay them flat on a tray before transferring them to a bag, then fry them straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
Spices used
Find the spices from this recipe in our shop.
Cumin seeds
Coriander Seeds
Garam Masala
Asafoetida (Hing)
Kerala Turmeric Powder
Whole Malabar black pepper
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