Samosas

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Craving some crispy, golden goodness? Look no further than these fried potato and pea samosas, seasoned to perfection with a savory curry blend. Trust me, your taste buds will thank you for trying this recipe!

Try your hand at making Indian food at home with a few more of my recipes: Butter chicken, garlic naan, and tomato chutney!

Samosas served on a plate alongside a thick red sauce.

Homemade Samosas

Samosas are a staple in Indian cuisine for good reason. These delicious savory pastries are made with a vegetable or meat filling, spiced to perfection and tucked inside a buttery dough. From there, the samosas are shallow fried until they’re golden brown and crispy on the outside. YUM!

This specific recipe for samosas is made with a potato, pea, and curry filling. You are going to love every flavorful bite! Make them to accompany your next Indian-inspired meal. Trust me, your taste buds will thank you.

Ingredients Needed

I know it looks like a lot, but the spices and seasonings in this samosa recipe are what make it so good! Exact measurements are in the recipe card below.

Dough:

  • All-Purpose Flour: The base of the samosa dough, providing structure and texture.
  • Thyme: A subtle herb adding a touch of earthy flavor.
  • Salt: Enhances all the flavors and balances the sweetness of the filling.
  • Ghee (Clarified Butter): Adds richness and flakiness to the dough.
  • Cold Water: Binds the dough together without making it tough.

Filling:

  • Russet Potatoes: The main filling ingredient, providing a creamy, hearty base.
  • Ghee: Adds richness and flavor to the sauteed vegetables.
  • Cumin Seeds: A warm, earthy spice.
  • Coriander Seeds: A citrusy, floral spice that complements the cumin.
  • Fennel Seeds: A sweet, licorice-like spice.
  • Ginger: Adds a kick of flavor to the samosa filling.
  • Green Chili: So the filling has a touch of heat and freshness.
  • Green Peas: Add pops of sweetness and texture to the filling.
  • Lemon Juice: Brightens the overall flavor a bit.
  • Turmeric: A warm, earthy spice that also adds a beautiful yellow color.
  • Garam Masala: A warming blend of spices like cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.
  • Cilantro: Because you can never go wrong with fresh herbs. Especially for homemade samosas!
  • Salt: Enhances all the flavors. You only need a little bit.

Frying:

  • Oil: You will also need any high-heat oil like vegetable or peanut oil, used for shallow frying the samosas in.

How to Make Samosas

Homemade samosas take a bit of preparation and you need to keep a close eye on them as they cook, but it’s SO worth it! Here is every step to making this Indian staple at home, broken up into 3 parts:

Make the Dough

  1. Dough Mixture: To a bowl, whisk together the flour, thyme, and salt. Add the ghee to the four mixture and mix well with your fingers until all the ghee has been incorporated. You should have a shaggy dough that can hold its shape when pressed together.
  2. Adjust Consistency: Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, kneading the dough as you add it until you have a fairly stiff dough, it shouldn’t stick to your hands.
  3. Rest: Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Make the Filling

  1. Boil Potatoes: Peel the potatoes and cut them into 2 inch chunks then boil them until they are just fork tender, you don’t want them to be too soft and mushy.
  2. Drain: Drain the boiled potatoes then roughly chop or crumble them, do not mash them. Set the potatoes aside.
  3. Heat Ghee With Spices: Heat the ghee in a medium size pan over medium high heat, add in the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and fennel seeds and saute until they begin to sizzle.
  4. Add Veggies: To the pan add in the ginger, green chilis, and peas. Saute everything for about 2 minutes.
  5. Add in Remaining Ingredients: Lastly add in the lemon juice, turmeric, garam marsala, fennel powder, cilantro, salt to taste, and potatoes. Mix everything together well and saute for another 2 minutes.
  6. Cool: Remove the filing from the pan and then set it aside to cool. Once the filling has cooled nearly to room temperature it is ready to assemble.

Assemble Samosas / Fry

  1. Divide Dough: Divide the dough into 6 equal portions, form into balls, cover and let them rest about 10 minutes.
  2. Roll Out: Roll each ball into flat disks, about 7 inches across. Press them between two pieces of parchment paper to roll flat.
  3. Cover: Keep the flattened dough sections covered to avoid drying them out, work with one dough section at a time.
  4. Create a Cone Shape: Cut the round in half, wet the flat edge of one half of the round and press the ends together to form a cone.
  5. Fill and Seal: Fill the cone with about 2 tablespoons of the filling, gently pack it in. wet the inside edge of the open side and press it closed.
  6. Repeat: Repeat with the other half of the round and then with the rest of the dough. This will yield 12 samosas.
  7. Heat Oil: Heat 2 inches of oil in a large heavy bottom pan over medium heat, a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the oil should sizzle when the oil is hot enough.
  8. Fry: Add enough samosas to the pan to leave some room between, you will need to work in batches. Fry the samosas for about 1 minute on each side, they should be golden and crispy but not develop dark brown spots.
  9. Transfer to Plate: Remove the fried samosas from the pan, place them on a paper towel lined plate to allow any excess oil to be absorbed.
  10. Enjoy: Once all the samosas are finished frying, serve them fresh with Mango Chutney or tamarind sauce.
4-photo collage of the dough and filling being prepared.

Tips and Variations

  • Ghee Substitute: If you don’t have ghee, you can use oil in it’s place in both the dough and the filling.
  • Using Ground Spices: You can use ground spices in place of the whole spices if you prefer.
  • Use Canned Chilies: Replace the fresh diced green chiles with canned diced green chiles if needed.
Closeup of a samosa that has been cut in half.

Storing Leftovers

Samosas are super easy to reheat and enjoy later! I like to use the air fryer to keep them nice and crispy.

  • In the Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  • Reheating: It’s best to reheat your samosas in an air fryer or oven to maintain the crispy exterior. To reheat in the oven, bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-8 minutes. Air fry at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 3-5 minutes.
Dipping half of a samosa into a thick, red tamarind sauce.

More Delicious Recipes Inspired By Indian Cuisine

Looking for more ways to spice up dinnertime? Check out my full list of tried and true, Indian-inspired recipes.

Dinner

Chicken Vindaloo

1 hr 20 mins

Side Dishes

Yellow Rice

20 mins

Dinner

Tandoori Chicken

2 hrs 50 mins

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Make the dough

  • To a bowl, whisk together the flour, thyme, and salt. Add the ghee to the four mixture and mix well with your fingers until all the ghee has been incorporated. You should have a shaggy dough that can hold its shape when pressed together.

  • Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, kneading the dough as you add it until you have a fairly stiff dough, it shouldn’t stick to your hands.

  • Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Make the filling

  • Peel the potatoes and cut them into 2 inch chunks then boil them until they are just fork tender, you don’t want them to be too soft and mushy.

  • Drain the boiled potatoes then roughly chop or crumble them, do not mash them. Set the potatoes aside.

  • Heat the ghee in a medium size pan over medium high heat, add in the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and fennel seeds and saute until they begin to sizzle.

  • To the pan add in the ginger, green chilis, and peas. Saute everything for about 2 minutes.

  • Lastly add in the lemon juice, turmeric, garam marsala, fennel powder, cilantro,salt to taste, and potatoes. Mix everything together well and saute for another 2 minutes.

  • Remove the filing from the pan and set it aside to cool. Once the filling has cooled nearly to room temperature it is ready to assemble.

Assemble samosas

  • Divide the dough into 6 equal portions, form into balls, cover and let them rest about 10 minutes.

  • Roll each ball into flat disks, about 7 inches across. Press them between two pieces of parchment paper to roll flat.

  • Keep the flattened dough sections covered to avoid drying them out, work with one dough section at a time.

  • Cut the round in half, wet the flat edge of one half of the round and press the ends together to form a cone.

  • Fill the cone with about 2 tablespoons of the filling, gently pack it in. wet the inside edge of the open side and press it closed.

  • Repeat with the other half of the round and then with the rest of the dough. This will yield 12 samosas.

  • Heat 2 inches of oil in a large heavy bottom pan over medium heat, a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the oil should sizzle when the oil is hot enough.

  • Add enough samosas to the pan to leave some room between, you will need to work in batches. Fry the samosas for about 1 minute on each side, they should be golden and crispy but not develop dark brown spots.

  • Remove the fried samosas from the pan, place them on a paper towel lined plate to allow any excess oil to be absorbed.

  • Once all the samosas are finished frying, serve them fresh with Mango Chutney or tamarind sauce

Calories: 162kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 4gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 198mgPotassium: 222mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 105IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

About Alyssa Rivers

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Alyssa Rivers and the food blogger behind The Recipe Critic. The blog launched in 2012 as a place to share my passion for cooking. I love trying new things and testing them out with my family. Each recipe is tried and true, family-tested and approved.

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