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These potato stuffed deep fried snacks are popular Indian street food. They are served hot with chutney and make for a delicious vegetarian starter recipe. They are packed with spices, chili and a little sweetness as well.
Samosas are a savory snack made with pastry and stuffed with a variety of fillings. You can serve them as vegetarian samosas filled with potato or non vegetarian samosas filled with minced meat. Sometimes samosas are also served as desserts stuffed with dried fruit and coconut. They are most often than no deep fried until golden brown but many recipes call for them to be air fried or baked as well. They have been referred to in many names such as samboosa, sanbusak, sanbosag, etc.
To be honest samosas are not considered to be Indian in origin. However the way they are prepared in India are similar to that of Pakistan and Bangladesh. They are prepared with a homemade pastry dough that consists of ghee, flour, spices and water. In middle east aka levantine regions you can find them commonly served as starters but they are made with filo/phyllo pastry and a variety of fillings. So even though they are not originally from India the preparation and ingredients are different. There are debates though, whether they are still form come parts of India originally however there is no official confirmation on the same. It is considered to have been found in south Asia which was then brought to central Asia and middle east.
Samosas are made of a pastry and filling. The kind of pastry you use depends on what kind of samosa you are making. Same goes with the filling. If you are making Indian style samosas the pastry is homemade with ghee and spices. However if you are making Arabic style samosas it will need filo pastry and a variety of filling options. They need oil for frying as well.
They are savory puffs that are crunchy on the outside and stuffed with a variety of fillings. This specific recipe is stuffed with potato and peas which is spicy, salty, sweet and little sour with lime juice. Depending on the filling the flavor of the samosa will also vary.
Punjabi samosas come from the northern part of India. It spicer and contains a potato filling. They are usually larger in size but that is not a main distinguishing factor any more. In the eastern part of Punjab the filling is usually vegetarian however when you travel to the west and northern part of the region the fillings can vary with meat and be less spicy.
To make these homemade samosas we need a homemade pastry and potato filling. The pastry is made of ghee, water, ajwain seeds (carom seeds), salt. If you don’t want to make this dough from scratch you can use puff pastry instead it is not the same and they wont be Punjabi style samosas anymore. To make the filling we need potatoes, green peas, ghee, ginger, green chili, coriander leaves, lime juice, salt – this filling is spiced with cumin seeds, garam masala, red chili powder, cumin powder, fennel powder. It is best served with mint or tamarind chutney. I also love eating it with ketchup.
Start by making the pastry, mix the flour, carom seeds, salt and oil in mixing bowl. Rub the flour with your fingers until the fat has been incorporated into it. This is an important step to create that flakey and tender pastry dough. At this stage add a little bit of the water intone flour and start mixing. We want a stiff and firm dough that is not dry so make sure the flour is kneaded into the water well so it is hydrated. Form into a ball, place in a bowl, cover and rest of 30 minutes.
To make the filling we need to boil the potatoes ahead of time, peel and crumble them into a plate, set aside. In a pan add the oil, cumin seeds and let it sizzle. Add the ginger, green chilis and fry until you can smell their aroma in the air – about a minute. Add the green peas and cook for 1-2 minutes on medium heat. Add the red chili powder, garam masala, cumin powder, chaat masala and fennel powder. You want to cook this on low to medium heat for 2 minutes until the spices are well incorporated. Add the crumbled potatoes and salt, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes until well combined. Add fresh coriander, lime juice and take off the heat. Set aside to cool down completely before stuffing into the dough.
To assemble the dough, portion it into 10 balls, and working with one piece at a time, covering the rest, roll the dough out on a greased surface. Roll the dough out to an oval shape, around 2 cm thickness – we want it thin enough to hold the filling but not too thick where the pastry stays raw while frying. Fold the dough into a triangle in your hand and seal the edge to create a pocket, add the cooled potato filling into the center around 1-2 tbsp worth of filling. Seal the top with the dough and create the fold to give it that shape – it needs to be sealed well or else the samosa will open while frying. I would suggest watching the video for a detailed tutorial on how to shape these samosas. Repeat until all the dough is finished. Heat vegetable oil in a deep heavy bottom pan and fry the samosas on low heat for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Flip them to get evenly colored on both sides. Remove from the oil and let the excess oil drain on kitchen paper towel. Do not over crowd the pan when frying, you are better off frying them in batches.
Once they are fried, air fried they must be served hot. You can serve them with green chutney or a tamarind chutney. I also love serving it with ketchup. They are served with as a snack or appetizer before your main course. Once they are fired I would no recommend storing them longer than a day. They will not be crispy – you could reheat them on the pan with no oil on low heat. I would recommend storing them before frying in zip lock bags, in the freezer – this can be stored for up to 2 weeks.
Now that we have covered how to make this Homemade samosa (Indian, Punjabi style), you can have a look at the video on my socials but let’s get to it. Don’t forget to follow along for more baking recipe inspiration.
If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.
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