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Make the best crispy and flaky samosa at home.
Samosa is a triangular-shaped flaky vegan pastry filled with a spicy potato filling.
This is the only samosa video recipe you will need to make your best Indian Samosa Recipe at home. Because it has all the tips and tricks to help you make the perfect samosa every single time.
Samosa is one of the most popular Indian snacks / appetizers which has its worldwide fame and its huge fanbase. This is the absolute best aloo samosa recipe you’ll ever need to know.
A hot cup of chai or coffee and some piping hot samosas can surely make your day.
Samosa is just so common in India. Every Halwai (confectioner) sells it.
I can proudly say that growing up in India and eating samosas were one of the best things that happened to me. Oh, I just can’t resist a golden, crispy, flaky samosa pastry, stuffed with a spicy, mouth-watering filling. Can you?
I love samosa since my childhood, and I still do. Back at that time, whenever I had to choose between a samosa or a kachori or any other fried snack, I always opted for samosa.
One exception though, I always struggled to choose between a samosa, Moong Dal Kachori, or Pyaaz Ki Kachori.
In those few cases, I opted for half samosa and half pyaaz ki kachori — the best of both worlds. 🙂
Chai and samosa is a thing amongst people. You can find ‘Chai Samosa’ at every meeting, or at celebrations like weddings and parties.
You can clearly see that I love samosa so much. In fact, if I have the rights to amend constitutional laws, I would definitely declare it India’s national food.
Let’s talk in detail about this incredibly delicious snack samosa.
This Aloo Samosa:
✓ is perfectly crispy and flaky.
✓ is filled with flavorful and wonderfully spiced mashed potatoes and green peas or ‘aloo matar’ filling.
✓ makes a great tea time snack with a cup of chai or spiced coffee.
✓ is vegan and can be made into gluten-free.
What is Samosa?
Samosa is an Indian snack, entrée, or an appetizer which is blistered, crispy and golden pastry. They can be fried or baked.
The outer pastry shell of samosa is made with all-purpose flour (aka maida) dough. These pastries are stuffed with a deliciously addictive and spicy ‘potato peas’ or aloo matar filling.
There are also other fillings for making samosa such as dal, vegetable, chow mein noodles, fish, cauliflower, and pasta. But this aloo filling made with a mixture of mashed boiled potatoes, green peas, and some essential spices is one of the most popular and authentic fillings.
The pastry is then deep-fried in oil until they are crispy and turn golden brown. It resembles a pyramid in shape.
What is Samosa called in English?
I don’t know if there is a word for ‘Samosa’ in the English language. To understand it better, you can imagine samosa as fried or baked dish similar to a stuffed pastry with a savory filling.
Who invented the samosa?
It is hard to tell about the origin of this snack. I did some research and this is what I found out. Samosas were introduced to the Indian subcontinent in the 13th or 14th century by traders from Central Asia.
The original dish was ‘Samsa’, which is a savory meat pastry prepared from meat, ghee, and onions.
How do you make dough to prepare crispy samosa?
For making crispy samosa, you will have to add some oil or ghee to the. And make sure that you always knead the stiff dough.
Why is my samosa not crispy?
If the samosa is not crispy, then there might be some reasons.
The trick to get the crispy and flaky samosa lies in the frying temperature and the texture of dough. Samosa turns softer either because it is not fried on low heat, or the dough is not right.
Always make sure that you fry samosas on low heat. This slow frying makes crispy samosa. And dough should be stiff.
How to keep samosas crispy for a long time?
After frying samosas, you can keep them in the oven at a low temperature. This will keep samosa warm and crisp.
How to make samosa?
Making samosa is not difficult. It is easy to make extremely delicious and flaky homemade samosa if you follow this recipe carefully.
This is how you make samosa in 5 easy steps:
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Make a pastry dough with all-purpose flour.
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Then make aloo masala or potato stuffing.
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Roll the dough and shape them into pyramids.
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Stuff these pyramids with aloo filling.
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Deep-fry or bake. Done!
You can check out the detailed recipe with both baking and frying methods in the recipe box on this page.
What are the ingredients used in samosa?
For making your perfect homemade flaky samosa you will need some basic ingredients such as all-purpose flour, potato, oil, and some spices. All these ingredients are easily available in any kitchen.
How do you make the potato filling for samosa?
Potato filling or ‘aloo masala’ for samosa is made by stir-frying boiled potatoes with various spices. For making samosa filling all you have to do is stir fry the mashed and potatoes and peas along with some essential spices. Done!
What pastry should you use for samosas?
The all-purpose pastry shell is generally used for making samosa. But, you can also use puff pastry sheets or filo pastry sheets for making samosas.
Can I bake the samosa?
Yes, you can easily bake a samosa. In fact, this is a great option for those who are calorie conscious and still want to taste the best food. The good thing is that I have given both baking and frying instructions in the video recipe on this page.
However, if you are someone who wants the authentic taste and those flaky results in the pasty then I would suggest you try the fried version. They taste the BEST. And Once in a while, a fried samosa or two won’t harm. Won’t you say so? 🙂
Can I freeze filo pastry samosas?
Yes, you can. You can use this samosa for up to two months. When you are ready to bake the frozen filo pastry samosas, simply follow the baking instructions I have given in the video and the recipe box.
How to bake samosa in the oven?
For baking samosa, first you’ll have to shape them. Arrange them on a lined baking tray, and then simply brush with oil. Bake at 180°C pre-heated oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes or till it becomes light golden in color, and crispy texture.
How to pan-fry samosa?
Half fill a deep-frying pan with vegetable oil and let it heat. Once hot, fry samosas on low heat for 10-12 minutes.
Hot to make samosa in the air fryer?
For air frying, brush samosa lightly with oil and air-fry them in a preheated air fryer for about 10-15 minutes at 200 °C. You will get the perfectly cooked, crispy golden pastry.
How long does it take to fry samosa?
It takes 10-11 minutes for frying a small batch of samosa.
How to fry samosa?
Simply half-fill a thick and deep-bottomed frying pan. Do a test by dropping a tiny dough ball, if it sizzles and turns golden after 40-50 seconds, then that means the oil is ready.
Drop samosas and fry until golden-brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain onto a kitchen towel.
Is samosa vegan?
Yes, and no. Yes, because samosa is completely vegan if you are using vegetable oil for making pastry dough and filling. And no, if you are adding ghee to the dough and the filling.
So vegan or no vegan depends on the type of fat you are using in this homemade easy samosa recipe.
Is samosa gluten free?
No, inherently Samosa is not gluten-free because it is always made using white flour/all-purpose flour which is known as ‘Maida’ in Hindi.
Some people like to make samosas with whole wheat flour. If you are avoiding gluten, then there are surely some ways to make it gluten-free.
Gluten Free Samosa ideas:
For making gluten free samosa, you can replace white flour with rice flour, soy flour, potato flour, tapioca flour, or any other gluten-free flour which is suitable for frying or baking such as gluten-free all-purpose flour.
You can also use rice paper sheets for wrapping samosa.
Can I Use Whole Wheat Flour?
Samosa is usually made with all-purpose flour. But you can certainly use whole wheat flour.
For making samosa with whole wheat flour you can either replace all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour or just use 1:1 ratio of all-purpose and whole wheat flour.
How long can I store the samosa?
If you loosely wrap cooked (fried / baked) samosas first in a kitchen tissue and then in foil or plastic wrap, they will last for 2 days in the refrigerator.
Can I freeze samosa before cooking?
Yes, you can freeze raw samosa before cooking. They can be made in advance if you are planning to freeze them.
Your freshly shaped samosas can last up to six months in the freezer.
Leftover Samosa Ideas:
This is a rare scenario when you would have some leftover samosa. But if you have some leftover samosa then you can use them in different ways.
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You can makesamosa chaat by combining samosa, hot chole masala, some chopped onions and chutneys.
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Put a crushed samosa between 2 bread slices. Top with some chutneys, your samosa sandwich or bread samosa is ready.
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You can also use them as a burger filling.
Can I reheat the samosas?
Yes, samosa can be reheated. You can reheat the samosa in the microwave for 1 minute, or simply bake them at 180°C pre-heated oven for 8-10 minutes or until they are crisp.
Can I make the samosa in advance?
Yes, you can do that. After shaping all the samosa, arrange them separately on a sheet pan or a freezer-safe plate.
Freeze for 1-2 hours. When frozen, transfer them into some freezer-safe Ziploc bags or freezer-friendly container and freeze. When you want to serve samosa you can either fry them or bake.
For baking frozen samosa: Simply thaw the frozen samosas in the fridge for 2 hours before reheating them in the oven.
For frying frozen samosa: Thaw frozen samosas at room temperature for about 30 minutes before frying. Then deep fry them until they are crispy and flaky.
Can samosa dough be made in advance?
Yes, samosa dough can certainly be made in advance. After kneading the dough you can refrigerate it for up to 1 day. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before you start shaping samosas.
How to serve Samosa?
A samosa can be served as a snack or entree along with some spicy green chutney, samosa roll, sweet and tangy tamarind chutney, or with a simple tomato ketchup. Do not forget to make masala chai when serving a samosa. Samosa and masala chai make a divine combination.
Like I said earlier, a samosa can also be stuffed between bread slices or bun, and they make a great samosa sandwich. And you can also make some mouth-watering samosa chaat using a fresh or reheated samosa.
Tips and tricks on how to make the best Samosa:
Making a perfect samosa is easy once you know the basics of making samosa. You would know that this is actually very straight forward.
There are some things which you should not forget while making homemade samosas. With these pointers, you will make perfect halwai style or street style crispy samosa each time.
So are you ready to make your best samosa? Then, follow along with these tips:
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Some kind of fat is added to the flour when deep-frying samosa or any other pastries. Oil or ghee addition in any type of dough is known as ‘Moyan’ or ‘Moyen’ in the Hindi language. Because the addition of fat ‘Moyen’ ensures that you will get the flaky texture of the covering. So if you want flaky samosa, then don’t forget to add hot oil or ghee to the flour.
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Before kneading the dough, make sure to check if you have added enough ‘moyan’ to flour. To check, grab a small amount of flour mixed with ghee and make a fist. If it holds the shape then you have added enough fat. If the dough falls to pieces, that means you need to add more oil / ghee.
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Mixing the oil / ghee with the flour is very important. It is very important especially while kneading the dough, The oil /ghee should be mixed properly with maida. For mixing, rub oil and maida together nicely between your palms. It would take about 4-5 minutes. Bur do not overwork the dough. You only need to combine it until it holds a shape.
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Resting the dough for at least 30 minutes is necessary. This resting time helps in rolling and shaping samosa.
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Don’t roll the dough too thin or too thick. If you roll the dough too thick then the samosa will take longer to cook and it would not come out crispy. Also, you will end up with a thick and uncooked crust which is certainly not good. If you roll the dough too thin, then samosa might break into the oil while frying.
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If it is hard to roll the dough ball, then you can brush the dough with some oil. But do not use any dry flour while rolling the samosa.
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Don’t put too much pressure while rolling. Roll the dough into an oval shape using gentle pressure.
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Always fry the samosas on low heat if you want them crispy. This would take about 10 minutes to fry 1 batch of samosa. So fry them over low heat for 10 minutes or until they turn crispy.
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Frying crispy and flaky samosa takes a while, so be patient and enjoy the outcome.
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If you want flaky and crispy samosa then always make a stiff or firm dough. These steps would ensure that your samosa will come out crispy.
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I like the addition of peas to my samosa filling. However, if you don’t like it you can easily omit it.
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I also add some cashews to samosa filling, because I like some nutty texture in my samosa. If you don’t like cashews in samosa filling, then you can skip it.
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You can also add some raisins to the filling if you want.
If you like this authentic samosa recipe, then you might also want to check out these samosa recipes:
Samosa Recipe - How to Make Best Samosa (Step-by-step photo instructions)
How to Make Samosa Pastry Dough //
- For Making samosa pastry, add the flour to a large mixing bowl. Make a well using a finger and add salt, carom seeds, and hot ghee or oil.
- Mix it well by rubbing the flour and oil mixture between the palms. Keep mixing until it oil is well incorporated in all of the flour. This would take about 4-5 minutes.
- At this point, it resembles crumbs and holds shape. To check, take some flour mixture between your palm and make a fist. If it holds the shape then you have added enough fat. If the dough falls to pieces, that means you need to add more oil/ghee.
- Start by adding the water little by little and knead it into a firm dough. I used a little less than 1/2 cup of water here.
- Don’t overwork the dough and don’t knead a soft dough. It should just come together and form a stiff dough.
- Cover the dough with a plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
How to Make Samosa Filling //
- Peel the potatoes and mash them well. Set aside.
- Heat 3 tablespoon oil in a pan.
- Add cumin seeds and crushed coriander seeds.
- Once the seeds are aromatic add the grated ginger, and chopped green chilies.
- Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Add the green peas and mix well. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Now add cashews and saute for another minute.
- Add the coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder, cumin powder, amchur powder, and salt.
- Stir everything well and cook all the spices for 2 minutes.
- Add the mashed potatoes and mix everything well.
- Cook for at least 5-7 minutes. (Keep stirring often).
- Add the chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
- Cook for 1 minute and turn off the heat. Transfer the stuffing into a bowl and let it cool completely.
How To Warp Samosa //
- Once the dough has rested for 30 minutes, unwrap it. Knead again for a few seconds and divide it into 7-8 lemon sized balls, or as per the size of the samosas required.
- Take a ball, roll between your palms till smooth. Repeat with all the remaining balls. Keep all the dough balls covered with a wet muslin cloth, or else the dough balls will dry out.
- Take one ball and roll it out into a thin oval shape which is about 7 inches in diameter.
Samosa Folding (Method 1)
- On the half side of the rolled oval cut the small lines using knife little distance apart from each other. Keep 1-2 cm distance on both edges.
- Fold the oval into a semi-circle. Also, roll it lightly for 2-3 times, so that it sticks together.
- Apply water on all the edges of the semi-circle.
- Take one edge of the straight side and place it on the other edge to shape it into a cone. Pinch the corner of the cone to make sure it is perfectly sealed. Stick by lightly pressing between fingers.
- Fill with stuffing inside the cone shape.
- Seal the watered edges by pressing between fingers to shape into a triangular pocket.
- Striped or layered samosa is ready. Repeat with the rest.
Samosa Folding (Method 2)
- Cut the rolled oval in half using a knife.
- Apply water on all the edges of the semi-circle.
- Take one edge of the straight side and place it on the other edge to shape it into a cone. Stick by lightly pressing between fingers. (Check out the video recipe on this page for a clear idea.)
- Pinch the corner of the cone to make sure it is perfectly sealed.
- Fill with the 1-2 tablespoons of potato filling inside the cone shape.
- Seal the watered edges by pressing between fingers to shape into a triangular pocket.
- Samosa is ready. Repeat till all the dough is used up.
How to Deep Fry Samosa //
- Half fill a deep-frying pan with vegetable oil and let it heat.
- Add samosas to the oil, don’t overcrowd the pan, fry only 3-4 samosas at a time.
- Fry them on low heat for 10-15 minutes or until golden and crisp on all sides. Samosa frying takes a bit time, so you have to be patient.
- Remove samosas with a slotted spoon and drain onto a kitchen towel to absorb any extra oil.
- Serve immediately with ketchup, coriander chutney or tamarind chutney.
How to Bake Samosa //
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F. Arrange the shaped samosa onto a lined baking tray.
- Brush each samosa lightly with oil.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 20-35 minutes, or until golden and crisp, turning halfway through the cooking time.
- Serve immediately with ketchup, coriander chutney or tamarind chutney.
Recipe Card
Samosa Recipe - How to Make Best Samosa [Recipe]
★★★★★
(Rating: 5 from 87 reviews)
Prep time 🕐 | Cook time 🕐 | Total time 🕐 |
---|---|---|
50 mins | ||
Category ☶ | Cuisine ♨ | Serves ☺ |
Snacks | Indian | 15-16 Samosa |
Nutrition Info ⊛ | Serving size ⊚ | |
308 calories | 1 samosa |
INGREDIENTS
For Samosa Dough //
- 2 cups all-purpose flour/refined flour (maida)
- 3 tablespoon hot ghee or oil
- 3/4 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
- salt to taste
- warm water for kneading the dough
For Samosa Filling //
- 3 tablespoon ghee/oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 2 green chilies, chopped
- 5 tablespoon green peas
- 6-7 cashew nuts, halved
- 1 teaspoon coriander leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 2 teaspoon amchoor powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- Salt to taste
- 5 medium-sized potatoes, boiled
For Frying Samosa //
- Oil for deep frying
For Baking Samosa //
- Oil for brushing
INSTRUCTIONS:
How to Make Samosa Pastry Dough //
- For Making samosa pastry, add the flour to a large mixing bowl. Make a well using a finger and add salt, carom seeds, and hot ghee or oil.
- Mix it well by rubbing the flour and oil mixture between the palms. Keep mixing until it oil is well incorporated in all of the flour. This would take about 4-5 minutes.
- At this point, it resembles crumbs and holds shape. To check, take some flour mixture between your palm and make a fist. If it holds the shape then you have added enough fat. If the dough falls to pieces, that means you need to add more oil/ghee.
- Start by adding the water little by little and knead it into a firm dough. I used a little less than 1/2 cup of water here.
- Don’t overwork the dough and don’t knead a soft dough. It should just come together and form a stiff dough.
- Cover the dough with a plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
How to Make Samosa Filling //
- Peel the potatoes and mash them well. Set aside.
- Heat 3 tablespoon oil in a pan.
- Add cumin seeds and crushed coriander seeds.
- Once the seeds are aromatic add the grated ginger, and chopped green chilies.
- Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Add the green peas and mix well. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Now add cashews and saute for another minute.
- Add the coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder, cumin powder, amchur powder, and salt.
- Stir everything well and cook all the spices for 2 minutes.
- Add the mashed potatoes and mix everything well.
- Cook for at least 5-7 minutes. (Keep stirring often).
- Add the chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
- Cook for 1 minute and turn off the heat. Transfer the stuffing into a bowl and let it cool completely.
How To Warp Samosa //
- Once the dough has rested for 30 minutes, unwrap it. Knead again for a few seconds and divide it into 7-8 lemon sized balls, or as per the size of the samosas required.
- Take a ball, roll between your palms till smooth. Repeat with all the remaining balls. Keep all the dough balls covered with a wet muslin cloth, or else the dough balls will dry out.
- Take one ball and roll it out into a thin oval shape which is about 7 inches in diameter.
Samosa Folding (Method 1)
- On the half side of the rolled oval cut the small lines using knife little distance apart from each other. Keep 1-2 cm distance on both edges.
- Fold the oval into a semi-circle. Also, roll it lightly for 2-3 times, so that it sticks together.
- Apply water on all the edges of the semi-circle.
- Take one edge of the straight side and place it on the other edge to shape it into a cone. Pinch the corner of the cone to make sure it is perfectly sealed. Stick by lightly pressing between fingers.
- Fill with stuffing inside the cone shape.
- Seal the watered edges by pressing between fingers to shape into a triangular pocket.
- Striped or layered samosa is ready. Repeat with the rest.
Samosa Folding (Method 2)
- Cut the rolled oval in half using a knife.
- Apply water on all the edges of the semi-circle.
- Take one edge of the straight side and place it on the other edge to shape it into a cone. Stick by lightly pressing between fingers. (Check out the video recipe on this page for a clear idea.)
- Pinch the corner of the cone to make sure it is perfectly sealed.
- Fill with the 1-2 tablespoons of potato filling inside the cone shape.
- Seal the watered edges by pressing between fingers to shape into a triangular pocket.
- Samosa is ready. Repeat till all the dough is used up.
How to Deep Fry Samosa //
- Half fill a deep-frying pan with vegetable oil and let it heat.
- Add samosas to the oil, don’t overcrowd the pan, fry only 3-4 samosas at a time.
- Fry them on low heat for 10-15 minutes or until golden and crisp on all sides. Samosa frying takes a bit time, so you have to be patient.
- Remove samosas with a slotted spoon and drain onto a kitchen towel to absorb any extra oil.
- Serve immediately with ketchup, coriander chutney or tamarind chutney.
How to Bake Samosa //
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F. Arrange the shaped samosa onto a lined baking tray.
- Brush each samosa lightly with oil.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 20-35 minutes, or until golden and crisp, turning halfway through the cooking time.
- Serve immediately with ketchup, coriander chutney or tamarind chutney.
WATCH RECIPE VIDEO: Click the play button and video will load ...
NOTES:
- If you want a crispy outer layer, then I would recommend using ghee in the pastry dough. It helps in making the Samosa crispy.
- Always fry samosa on low heat, to ensure that they are thoroughly cooked.
- For stuffing, you can reduce the amount of red chili powder, and green chilies.
- To test if the oil is hot enough, add a tiny piece of the dough ball to the oil and if it sizzles, comes on the surface, and turns golden in few seconds, your oil is ready for frying.