Samosa is a popular deep-fried snack made with crisp outer layer and a spicy potato filling inside. The classic Samosa usually has potato and peas as main filling along with spice powders that give its characteristic taste.
You can serve it as evening snack with chai, especially during winter or rainy season. Perfect for festivals like Holi, Diwali or as part of Iftar snacks.
Check out my Kachori recipe and veg cutlet recipe on this website too.
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About Samosa
Samosa is one of those iconic snacks with perfectly shaped cone, sharp and crispy edges, golden brown crust and perfectly spiced potato filling. Though samosa is deeply rooted in Indian cooking, its origins trace back to the Middle East. Over time, India made its own, especially the North Indian Punjabi version with spiced potato filling.
This recipe gives you:
- A firm samosa dough
- Flaky crust without bubbles
- Well balanced spiced potato filling
- Proper frying technique
- Foolproof shaping method with step by step images.
- Beginner friendly with simple ingredients
Samosa Ingredients
Let's see the ingredients needed to make samosa:
- All purpose flour - Maida - Forms the outer pastry layer.
- Ghee/ Oil - Mixed into the flour before adding water for flaky samosa
- Carom seeds - Ajwain - For flavour and helps with digestion
- Salt & water
Stuffing
- Potatoes - The base filling
- Green peas - Adds mild sweetness, texture to the filling
- Cumin seeds - For tempering, flavour
- Red chilli powder - Adds spice
- Coriander seeds powder - For flavour
- Garam masala powder - For complex flavour
- Kitchen king masala powder - Enhances the flavour
- Chaat masala powder - For punch, gives slight tanginess
- Turmeric powder - For it's colour, goodness
- Coriander leaves - Cilantro - Adds bright finish, flavour
- Salt & Oil
Please refer to my recipe card below for quantities.
Step by step images
- To begin with, in a bowl, combine flour, carom seeds, salt and oil or ghee. Rub between palms or fingers until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. This step gives flaky samosa crust.
2. Slowly add water and form a firm dough. Do not add to excess water as it will give you bubbles in the crust. So it should not be soft. Cover and allow dough to rest (say 30 minutes).
Meanwhile, cut potatoes into two, add water to immerse, pressure cook for 3 whistles in medium flame. Do not overcook.
3. Once cooled, drain from water, peel off the skin, then crumble it roughly, do not mash.
4. After that, in a pan, heat oil, splutter cumin seeds. Add cooked peas, crumbled potatoes.
5. Then add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, chaat masala powder, kitchen king masala, salt.
Gently mix the mixture in medium flame.
6. Cook furthermore for 2-3 minutes and finish off with coriander leaves. Set aside for cooling.
7. Knead the dough furthermore to smoothen it.
8. Then divide into equal sized balls.
9. Keep the dough balls covered to prevent drying. Then take one portion of the dough and spread into oval shape. Thickness should be medium.
10. after that, cut into half in the middle. Apply water on the edges as highlighted in image below.
11. Bring the edges together to form a cone. That is, hold the two tips and overlap the straight edge to seal.
12. After that, fill ¾th with potato filling.
13. Then make a single pleat just opposite to the sealed side. Pinch it and stick it to cover the samosa.
14. Seal it properly and press the sealed part so that its not too thick.
15. Repeat for all. Keep covered with cloth so that the crust doesn't dry. Heat oil in a kadai and lower the flame once hot. Drop in the samosas. You can fry more than one according to the amount of oil you have.
16. Cook patiently on low heat and pour oil over the samosas when they are frying. This ensures even cooking. Then increase to medium heat to make them golden.
Do not fry on high heat initially that causes bubbles and uneven crust. Do not overcrowd. Finally, drain over wire rack or tray lined with kitchen tissue (paper towel).
Perfect Samosa ready to go with your tea. Serving suggestions: Mint chutney, Tamarind chutney or coriander chutneys.
Substitutions & Variations
Authentic Punjabi Samosa : Use 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger, green chili & 1 tablespoon of roughly crushed coriander seeds and fennel seeds while tempering. Add amchoor powder for extra taste.
If you do not have amchoor powder, you can also use a squirt of lemon juice.
Top tips
- The dough should be firm for perfect flaky outer cover.
- Cool the filling before stuffing for best results.
- Fry patiently for crisp results.
- Seal the edges tightly, otherwise the stuffing will attract all the oil.
Storage
You can make the stuffing ahead and store in refrigerator. Bring to room temperature by reheating on a pan or microwave, before using.
Fried samosas can be stored in airtight container for a day in room temperature.
If you want to freeze, fry half way through and cool down completely. Transfer to a freezer bag and later you can fry directly from freezer on hot oil or use air fryer/ bake in oven on a baking sheet until crisp.
FAQ
Oil temperature too high while dropping in oil. Or the dough is too soft (excess water in dough).
Rest the dough and knead again.
Edges not sealed properly. Use maida paste or water to seal.
Use ghee or oil in the to rub through the flour, before adding water.
Recipe card
Samosa recipe, Quick video, step by step
Ingredients
- 1 & ¼ cup Maida All purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
- ½ teaspoon Ajwain Carom seeds
- Salt & Water as needed
Ingredients for stuffing
- 4 Potato medium sized
- ¼ cup Green peas cooked
- 1 teaspoon Red chilli powder Mild spiced
- ¾ teaspoon Garam masala powder
- ½ teaspoon Kitchen king masala Optional
- ¾ teaspoon Chaat masala powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander seeds powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- ¾ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- ¼ cup Coriander leaves chopped
Instructions
- Prepare Dough: First in a mixing bowl, add 1 & ¼ cup maida, ½ teaspoon ajwain, 2 tablespoon ghee and required salt and mix well.
- Then add water little by little to make a stiff, yet smooth dough. Keep aside covered and prepare the stuffing.
- Prepare stuffing: Pressure cook 4 potatoes with enough water for 3 whistles. I used frozen peas in this recipe. So I microwaved it for 3 minutes to cook it. You can pressure cook too along with potatoes.
- Once cool down, peel and crumble the potatoes roughly. No need to mash it like a paste. Just break it.
- Heat pan with oil and temper with cumin seeds. Add cooked peas and potato.
- Add all the spice powders in the ingredients - red chilli, coriander, garam masala, (kitchen king masala if adding) chaat and turmeric powder along with salt. Mix gently.
- Add coriander leaves (I did not add as no stock). Toss and mix to make the masala blend and cook for 2 minutes. Stuffing ready.
- Prepare samosa: Now let's work on the dough. Again knead the dough to make it smooth and pliable.
- Divide and roll into 4 equal sized portions, roll into balls.
- Add few drops of oil to the rolling platform / Counter top. Place the rolled dough and spread to a slightly oblong in shape.
- Cut into two and smear water in the edges as I have highlighted in blue.
- Now hold the two tips and overlap the straight cut side to seal.
- Now you have a cone. Fill it ¾th with the prepared stuffing.
- Make a single pleat just opposite to the sealed side. Pinch it and stick it to cover the samosa.
- Seal it properly and press the sealed part so that its not too thick.
- Repeat to finish all the samosas. Heat enough oil to deep fry and once hot, put the flame to low. Drop the samosas carefully and cook both sides until half done.
- Once half done, put the flame to high to make it golden in colour. Drain in paper towel and repeat to finish all the samosas.
Video
Notes
- You can add cashew nuts or peanuts in the stuffing.
- Add lots of coriander leaves in the stuffing.
- You can add lemon juice if you want your stuffing tangy.
- Make sure the dough is not too soft as it will not turn crispy.
- Cooking in low flame for long time helps in making the samosa crispy.
- You can deep fry few samosas at time depending on the size and quantity of oil.
- Make sure to keep enough oil, otherwise the samosas touch the pan and get browned at that spot.
Samu Sivarajan says
woow looks so mouth watering.. will try for sure... I always thought making them was tough job.. but here it looks easy.. thanks for sharing
lakshmi says
wont the outerlayer of the samosa become chewy after sometime as it is with maida . I have tried several times it becomes chewym did you check after an hourm
Nessa says
This look really delicious. Thanks for the recipe. I really liked your round marble chakla.. can you share where you got it?
vishaa shalini says
Wow yummy raks..my fav..wil giV a try
Raks anand says
Yes,these are ment to be had hot. It wont be hard to chew either. You can double fry at the time of serving if you are not concerned about calories. You cant expect the samosas to stay crisp as we are using aloo stuffing and the steam from it will sure make it soft later. If the stuffing is a dry one, it will stay crisp.
Raks anand says
I got it here in Singapore. Mustafa center.
Raks anand says
I got it here in Singapore. Mustafa center.
saradha radhakrishnan says
Hi mam
It looks yummy and mouth watering. You have any idea to bake the samosa.
Sowmya Sundararajan says
Good post. Well done.Chef Harpal is one of my favourites and he gives great inputs. I have watched his Samosa video many times in the past.
gita malini says
Thnks fr the recipe ...enjoyed the vdo
Indu Mathy says
Wowwww!!!! Mouthwatering delicious looking receipe!!! Looking at itSelf is enough... Such it is will surely try it this weekend.. Luv you dear
Sathya Sankar says
Never had good luck making it but you made the process look so simple and easy! Wonderful clicks.
Appetite Treats
Unknown says
Yummy Raks..Tried it today and turned out perfect...
Nithya
Traditionally Modern Food says
My favorite snack.. Hot samosa with coffee make a great evening.. Looks inviting
aarthi prasanna says
Very nice recipe..wonderful clicks and video was very useful..When i tried samosa was not smooth lik what you made..it had some spots and the outer layer was rough..as some other reader said it became chewy.after sometime..any idea what may be the reason..
Raks anand says
Water content slightly more may be. You can double fry if find it chewy (not concerned about oil)
Chirpy Calypso says
I tried it and came out well in the first attempt. Am so happy and so were people in the family. Thanks for such a well presented recipe. 🙂
pallavi@IITR says
Hi raks, the samosa looks amazing. however, in north indian style, we temper some jeera in oil in the pan and add boiled aloo and peas and then subsequently add garam masala to it, we cook it for five minutes, add fresh cilantro and then the hot masalaa on cooling down is filled in the samosa. 🙂 hope you would want to do this variation as well. 🙂
Jass says
hi what temperature do you recommend for the water used to mix the dough?
Raks anand says
Just plain water at room temperature is fine. If you are in cold region, you may use tepid water.
Dhanam Shanthi says
hello mama,
your recipe all superb.
what is chaat masala?
Raks anand says
chaat masala is an Indian spice blend, majorly with black salt, asafoetida, pepper along with some other ingredients. It will be available in indian stores
Ramya Ragav says
Hi, tdy i tried out samosa, shape, n taste of filling was gud but the skin was bit harder.. what would have went wrong??