Samosa Recipe- How To Make Perfect Samosa

Samosa recipe-best Indian Punjabi samosa recipe you will ever make at home. Crispy, flaky, with delicious aloo filling, perfect recipe from scratch!

Learn to make the best samosa pastry, delicious filling and watch the video to know how to stuff and shape this snack, all tips and tricks included to make it perfect. Step by step photos and video to make samosa included for this vegan recipe

Punjabi samosa is a tea time snack that is loved by most across India. It is found not only in big restaurants, cafes but also in local bakeries and in street side make shift carts. The stuffing inside varies from place to place though.

Among the delicious street food fare from India few dishes like samosa, sabudana vada, batata vada, vada pao, aloo tikki, bombay sandwich are hugely popular and I am a big fan of these delicacies.

The punjabi samosa recipe I am sharing here has potato stuffing whereas here in Tamil nadu the street side shops have these very delicious and spicy onion filling also known as onion samsa.

I am a big time lover of this snack and I can have it literally every day. Piping hot crispy samosa with ginger tea or masala tea on a rainy day is a total bliss and we will loose count on how many we eat 🙂

This is one of the most loved street snack in India. It is so widely consumed from street shops, partly because making them at home takes some time.

However making samosa recipe at home is really easy and straight forward. Just there are few tips and tricks to remember and you are just an hour away from perfect homemade samosa.

About This Recipe

What is samosa?

Samosa is a deep fried snack where crispy flaky pastry is stuffed with a tasty spicy filling. The stuffing ranges from boiled, mashed and spiced potatoes to finely chopped onions to mung beans to kheema to even chocolate.

Yes there are so many varieties of samosas one would find in Indian street shops. Depending on the state or region, a particular type will be popular.

Like this Punjabi samosa is very popular north Indian snack while this onion samsa is much sought after in some states of south India.

Here in this samosa recipe I am sharing with you all the easiest, tried and tested way to make best Punjabi samosa recipe at home that is

Absolutely crispy & flaky

So delicious with perfectly spiced potato filling

Vegan

100% homemade with recipe for pastry sheet

Tastes exactly like the ones from Indian streets.

Why This Recipe Works?

So if you wonder what makes this the best recipe for homemade Punjabi samosa read on 🙂

The recipe shared here truly yields one of the best samosas. I have made it so many times and it also tried and tested by friends, family and many readers here.

The recipe of samosa easy and straight forward. You just need some practice to get the correct consistency of dough and shaping it properly. Don’t worry, I have got you covered here.

Over the years, I have learnt from my mistakes, tried and tested many proportions and arrived at this recipe for samosa, the best! You can make yummy and best ones at home with this video recipe easily!

These homemade samosas are better than restaurant ones on any day. These are more hygienic, clean and fresh. The filling is so flavorful with correct seasoning and the pastry is so crispy and flaky.

If you have been shying away from making punjabi samosas at home, do try this recipe and you will be amazed!

Following are the step by step photos, tips to make it perfect and a quick video to show the folding process for vegetable samosa. Enjoy!

How To Make Samosa Recipe

In this section you will find my detailed step by step guide to make Indian samosa with photos and a short video.

Preparation To Make Samosa

First of all we will boil the potatoes and get the other spice powders ready to make the work easier.

Rinse and scrub 2 large potatoes (400-500 grams) thoroughly.

Cook them just until fork tender. The potatoes should be cooked yet dry and not mushy. I used a pressure cooker and cooked them for 2 whistles in medium flame.

To cook potatoes in instant pot add 1 cup water to steel insert and place the potatoes. Cook in manual or pressure cook mode for 4 minutes with pressure valve in seal position.

To cook potatoes on stovetop in a pot, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil with a pinch of salt. Add the potatoes and cook for 8-10 minutes. Once cooked, peel and place the potatoes and peas in a large bowl and let them cool well.

Along with potatoes we will also cook 3/4 cup shelled green peas.

While the vegetables are getting cooked, slit 2 green chilies, peel and mince 1/2 inch ginger piece and keep them ready.

Once cooled mash the vegetables together coarsely. Do not make them into a paste.

Make Samosa Dough

1. In a mixing bowl combine2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon ajwain or carom seeds, 3/4 teaspoon salt.

2. To that add 1/4 cup vegetable oil or ghee. Do not reduce this quantity of fat as it gives the flaky crust.

3. Mix well with finger tips till the mixture resembles bread crumbs. You can also add 1 teaspoon very hot oil to the samosa dough to make it more crispy. This is a crucial step as we need to incorporate oil in all the flour.

After rubbing the oil or ghee into the flour, try to pick a small portion and shape into a ball or press it on a plate. If it holds shape, then oil is well incorporated.

4. Add 1/4 cup water and mix gently.

5. Knead to a tight dough. You basically have to mix the water with a dough and work gently just like the pastry dough. Do not knead the samosa dough a lot like roti. Cover the dough ball and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Making Potato Stuffing

Heat 1 tablespoon oil or ghee in a pan. Add 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds and 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds let it fry for few seconds. Add the minced ginger and slit green chilies. Saute for 30-0 seconds. Also add few broken cashews and some raisins.

Add the mashed potatoes and green peas. Saute well for few minutes.

Once you have sautéed the vegetables for a minute or two, add the following spice powders.

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon garam masala powder

1 teaspoon salt or to taste.

Mix well , saute and cook for 3-4 minutes until the spices are well incorporated into the potato.

5. Finally add 1/4 teaspoon dry mango powder or amchur and chopped coriander or cilantro leaves. Switch off the flame. If you are not adding amchur or mango powder you can add 2 teaspoons lemon juice now. Mix very well.

6. Remove the potato filling or the samosa stuffing to a bowl and set aside to cool.

How To Make Samosa- Stuffing & Shaping

Mix 1/3 cup maida or plain flour with few tablespoons water to form a smooth slightly thick paste.

Take the prepared pastry dough and knead for a minute. Divide the dough into 5 equal portions. Take one dough ball and place on a slightly oiled working surface.

Roll it into a circle of about 1mm thickness. Make sure it is not very thin or too thick. Make a straight cut in the rolled circle to get two semi circles.

Apply some of the flour paste on the edges using a brush or finger tips. With one portion of dough we will make two samosas.

Join the edges to make a cone shape.

Fill 2-3 teaspoons of prepared samosa filling and close and seal the edges.

You can apply some more water or paste to seal the edges. Repeat the same with the remaining dough. Keep the stuffed cones covered until deep frying. Check video for easy understanding.

If you are making a large batch, make around 6-7 samosas at a time, fry them and then make another batch. This will prevent the entire lot from drying out.

Frying Samosas

Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy pan. I always prefer a cast iron for deep frying. You can use a heavy pan.

Before adding the samosas the oil temperature should be correct. After heating the oil for 5-6 minutes, drop a small piece of dough into it. If it comes up after a second or two, the oil temperature is optimal for frying. The dough ball should raise slowly and oil should not be smoking. If you are using a kitchen thermometer it should read 190C or 360 F.

Now slide 4-5 cones into the oil carefully. Now reduce the flame to medium. (If you fry in smoking hot oil the they will turn dark very fast and there will be bubbles).

8. Deep fry from both sides until golden brown. Drain on a kitchen towel. If there are small bubbles on your samosa, its ok. They will still taste delicious and you have made it from scratch 🙂 Kudos 🙂

9. Serve hot with masala chai immediately.

Pro Tips To Make Crispy & Flaky Samosa

There are few points to remember to make samosa with flaky and crispy crust. A perfect samosa is flaky, crispy, light.

Quantity of Fat– You have to add the correct amount of butter or oil to the dough. Usually we add 2 tablespoons oil or butter or ghee for 1 cup flour.

If you add more fat the pastry will dissolve while frying. So just add the correct amount.

Mixing fat with flour- This is a crucial step to get flaky crust. After adding oil to all purpose flour, rub it very well with your finger tips to incorporate as much fat as possible into the flour.

This is the same method followed while making pie crust or any other pastry dough. It results in super flaky crust.

Consistency of Dough– You should knead the dough very forcefully or soft. Just bring the dough together and knead very gently with your finger tips.

Do not roll the samosa dough very thick or very thin. If you roll it very tick, the crust will become hard and chewy.

If you roll the samosa dough very thin on the other hand, it will tear while stuffing the potato or while frying and create a mess.

Frying The Samosa– How you fry the samosa also is key for good flaky and crispy samosa. Fry it in low flame until crispy and golden.

If you fry in high flame, the crust will get cooked very fast from the outside and insides may remain uncooked. To avoid air bubbles in the outer cover, correct temperature has to be maintained while frying.

You can also twice fry the samosa to get crispy ones without air bubbles.

Variations With The Filling

While making the filling you can add some cashews along with ginger and fry until golden.

Some places raisins are added to filling to lend a sweet taste.

You can add finely chopped onions and saute along with ginger.

You can use a combination of carrots, beans, cauliflower too in this recipe. Just saute them along with potatoes.

You can also totally vary the proportions of the spice powders. For instance to make spicier Punjabi samosas just increase the quantity of red chilli powder as you like.

Making Samosa- Frequently Asked Questions

Which Flour Is Best For Making Samosa?

Traditional samosa recipe uses plain flour or all purpose flour. You can easily use whole wheat flour to make the dough.

Do note that wheat flour yields a denser samosa crust. You should more water while making the dough, if using wheat flour as it absorbs more water.

Can I Make The Pastry or Dough In Advance?

You can easily make the dough an hour before and store it. You can also make it a day before and refrigerate it.

Can We Add Onion and Garlic To The Filling?

Yes if you wish to include onion and garlic to the samosa filling, you can easily do so. Just crush 2-3 cloves of garlic along with ginger-green chili. Use 1 finely chopped onion and add it before adding the mashed potatoes. Saute it till turns soft and then add the potatoes.

Why Is My Samosa Not Crispy?

If knead your dough into a very soft one, then the samosa will turn soggy and dense after frying instead of crispy and flaky.

The consistency of dough is very important for getting this snack right.

Also do not fry in high flame as it will quickly brown the outside of the crust but it will remain uncooked from inside.

How To Freeze Samosa

There are two ways you can freeze the samosa

• Prepare the dough, filling and shape the samosa as mentioned in the recipe. Arrange them on a tray and chill for an hour. Once dry, freeze them in freezer safe box. At the time of frying, remove the samosa from freezer and let thaw for 10 minutes and then deep fry.
• As another option, you can deep fry the shaped samosa until half cooked, let cool and then freeze. Fry them till golden just before frying.

Can We Make Samosa In Air Fryer?

I have made these samosa in air fryer with great success. Just make the dough, filling and shape the samosa as mentioned in the recipe. Brush some oil on each shaped samosa.

Preheat your air fryer at 180 C and air fry the samosa for 12-15 minutes or until golden and crispy. They taste very delicious and crispy.

Can Samosas Be Baked?

Yes you can easily bake these. They will be a bit dry but very tasty. Just preheat your oven at 180 C or 350 F. Place the shaped samosas on a greased baking tray. Brush all over them with some oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crispy and golden. You may have to flip the sides after 10 minutes.

Are These Samosa Vegan?

Yup, these are naturally vegan just like many Indian recipes. This is a great option that you can count in for festive snacks. You can however use butter instead of oil.

How Long Does It Last?

Samosa keeps well for 2 days in refrigerator. You can slightly warm them in microwave or tava just before serving. You can also use leftover samosa to make chaat, channa, samosa also.

Can we use different fillings in this recipe?

Yes these are made with various fillings in fact and potato stuffed samosa is just one of them. You can make mixed veg filling, spicy onion samosa and some non veg options like keema samosa are also widely popular. Samsa pinwheels are a great choice too.

Can I skip Making the Dough At home? What Are Easier Options?

If you want to make samosa quickly, use store bought samosa patti sheets or spring roll wrappers.

Patti sheets come handy when you make samosa for a crowd. You can also use phyllo sheets or pastry sheets for baked samosa.

Serving Suggestions:

I like to serve samosa with sweet chutney or green chutney. Easier option will be to serve with ketchup.

You can also keep this as a part of your snack buffet or Indian food buffet or serve as samosa chaat with spiced curd, sev, onions etc. It goes without saying that you always have this dish with masala chai or adrak chai.

More Street Food Recipes

Spring rolls

Aloo tikki

Veg Momos

Veg Cutlet

Hara Bhara Kabab

I hope you will try this Punjabi samosa recipe and enjoy as much as we did. If you tried this recipe, do snap a pic and share on Instagram with hashtag #cookclickndevou and please give a star rating ★ in the recipe card below. Follow us on Pinterest , Instagram, Facebook   for more recipes and ideas. Thank you so much for being here 🙂

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