Wondering what to serve with spiced tea (masala chai) in the evening?
Crispy and scrumptious samosa is the ultimate appetizer to serve with a cup of tea. Those who have had the opportunity to try samosa would agree that the craving for this classic Indian snacking delicacy never fades away.
Today samosa is available in various fast-food stores in many countries worldwide. Unfortunately, samosa at a local shop is high in calories.
But you can make healthy samosas at home using healthy cooking oils (sunflower oil). Homemade samosa is as tasty as you get at the shop but lighter on the calorie count.
Moreover, you can go creative with various delectable fillings- nutritious veggies, cottage cheese/tofu, chicken, lamb…the list is a long one.
In this article, I have shared 2 mouth-watering samosa recipes veg and non-veg (chicken). You can make any of them with simple ingredients in your kitchen.
Following the steps and easy tips, you can make flaky samosas in just 30-45 minutes.
So just dive in to read these easy samosa recipes.
Indian Samosa Recipes
1. Vegetarian Samosa
Ingredients
Samosa Pockets
- Refined wheat flour/all-purpose flour (Maida)- 2 cup• Carom Seeds (Ajwain)– ¼tsp (optional)
- Carom Seeds (Ajwain)– ¼tsp (optional)
- Salt– ½tsp
- White Oil– ¼ cup
- Water– ½ cup
Samosa Filling
- White Oil– 3tsp
- Asafoetida (Hing)- ¼tsp
- Boiled Potatoes– 4 medium-sized
- Green Peas– ¼ cup
- Cauliflower– ½ cup
- Chopped Cashew Nuts– 10
- Raisins – 10
- Salt – 1tsp
- Red Chili Powder- ¼tsp
- Dried Mango Powder (Amchur Powder)- ¼tsp (optional)
- Garam Masala Powder- ½tsp
- Black Pepper Powder- ½tsp
- Chopped Coriander Leaves- 1tbsp
How to Make Samosa – Steps
Step 1: Boil and Mash Potatoes
Cut the potatoes into 2 halves and bring to boil in a pressure cooker. It should take about 5-6 minutes to hear 1-2 whistles when put on a full flame.
After the second whistle, remove the cooker from the flame and wait for the steam to release.
Later, peel the potatoes and mash them partially. Potatoes should not be too soft or mushy.
Step 2: Knead a Stiff Dough
In a mixing bowl, add flour, carom seeds, oil, and salt. Mix the ingredients evenly.
Now take a handful of the mix and try to press them. If the flour mix forms a firm shape (should not crumble), you can proceed to add water.
Add small portions of water gradually to knead the dough. After making the dough, add 2 tsp oil to grease it on all sides. Cover and put the dough to rest for 20 minutes.
Pro Tip- Make a stiff dough to get firm pockets. If the dough is soft, you will not get crispy samosas.
Step 3: Prepare the Samosa Filling
Heat the pan and add 3tsp oil. When the oil gets hot put hing in it.
Stir the hing and add raw veggies (cauliflower and peas). Sauté for 2-3 minutes on medium heat to soften the vegetables.
Add ½ tsp salt and dry spices (red chili, amchur, pepper, and garam masala). Mix well for 30 seconds and add potatoes, cashew, and raisins. Add another ½ tsp salt and stir within another 1-2 minutes.
Sprinkle the coriander leaves and remove the potato stuffing from the flame. Allow the filling to cool down before stuffing the pockets.
Pro Tip: Fry the vegetables and spices on a low flame to avoid burning.
Step 4: Make the Samosa Pockets
Knead the dough once again to make it smooth for flattening. Divide the dough into 6-7 equal portions, depending on how small or large samosas you want to make. Don’t make them too large. It requires more oil to fry a single batch of samosas.
Roll the portions into small balls. Grease the balls to flatten them evenly into an oval shape. Don’t make them too thin or too thick.
Cut the oval into 2 equal halves with a knife. Each half makes a samosa pocket.
Step 5: Stuff the Pockets with Potato Filling
Roll a flattened half (from the cut side) to form a cone. Moisten the two edges to seal the cone. Stuff the cone with potato filling when it gets cool. Add water to the edges and seal tightly.
Step 6: Deep Fry and Serving
Put about 250ml white oil at a high temperature. When the oil attains medium heat, lower the temperature and put the samosas carefully one by one.
Fry the samosas on low heat for 10-12 minutes. Stir them slowly after 5-6 minutes for uniform frying on all sides.
When the samosas turn golden, it’s time to remove them from the pan and put them on tissue paper.
Serve hot crunchy samosas with your favorite dips.
2. Chicken Samosa
Samosa Chicken Filling – Ingredients
- Chicken Keema (Minced Chicken) – 250gms
- Onion Paste- 2 medium-sized
- Ginger Paste- 1tsp
- Garlic Paste- 1tsp
- Salt- 1tsp
- Green Chilies- 1-2 (as per taste)
- Lemon juice- 1tsp
- Fresh Coriander Leaves- 2 tbsp
- Red Chili Paste- ¼tsp
- Turmeric Powder- ¼tsp
- Cumin Powder- ¼tsp
- Coriander Powder- ½tsp
- Garam Masala Powder- ½tsp
- Black Pepper Powder- ½tsp
- Bay Leaves- 2
- Cinnamon- 2
- Oil- ¼ cup
- Ghee- 2tsp (optional)
How to Make Samosa Chicken Filling
Marinate the chicken with lemon juice ½tsp salt, ½tsp garlic paste, ½tsp ginger paste, 2tsp onion paste, and dry spices (cumin, turmeric, and red chili). Let the marinated chicken rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Heat the oil in a pan and add the whole spices (bay leaves and cinnamon). After 15 seconds, add the remaining onion paste and saute for 2 minutes. Then, add ginger and garlic paste. Fry the ingredients for 1 minute on low heat.
When the onion turns golden, add the marinated chicken and fry on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add green chilies and stir for another 2 minutes. Now cover the pan and allow the filling to cook for another minute.
The chicken should be soft enough before removing it from the stove. After removing, add coriander leaves, garam masala, and pepper powder to keep the flavors intact.
Allow the filling to cool down.
You are now ready to stuff the pockets with chicken filling and deep dry.
3. Baked Samosa
Kudos to those who follow a healthy diet regimen. If you are also looking to go low on the calorie scale, this baked samosa recipe is for you.
Just brush some white oil on the samosas and put them in the air-fryer or microwave oven. Set the temperature to 350°F. It takes around 30-35 minutes to bake samosa.
Keep altering the sides for 10-12 minutes for cooking the pockets evenly. When the pockets start to get slightly dark, take them out for plating.
Serving Suggestions: Delicious Samosa Sauces and Dips
Samosa tastes best with sauces and dips. Mint chutney (Pudina dip) is the best choice for the lip-smacking snacking thrill.
But if you like the ultimate sweet-savory delight, go for Tamarind sauce (imli chutney). I prefer serving multiple dips to treat the taste buds.
If you don’t have any samosa sauce ready, serve them hot with tomato ketchup.
Best Way to Keep Samosa Frozen
You can store samosas in the refrigerator and use them within 3-4 days.
If you want to store them for longer, wrap each samosa in a separate aluminum foil, covering them from all sides. Keep them wrapped inside an airtight box and put them in the freezer.
How to Reheat Samosa?
Don’t reheat the frozen samosa in the microwave. The outer layer can become soggy and tasteless.
Heat a non-stick pan and set the stove at a low temperature. Put the samosa in frozen condition (never thaw) in the pan and put the lid.
Keep a narrow opening from one side to allow the steam to escape. Stir the samosas every 1-2 minutes to avoid burning. Your samosas should be ready for serving hot in 7-8 minutes.
