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Homemade Samosas (Indian, Punjabi style)

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. 

What are samosas?

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.

Is samosa Arab or Indian?

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. 

What are samosas made of?

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. 

What does samosa taste like?

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. 

What are Punjabi samosas?

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. 

What ingredients do you need to make these homemade samosas?

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. 

How to make these homemade samosas?

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. 

Serving and storing homemade samosas?

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. 

Looking for more recipes to make this Holi?

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.  

Homemade Samosas (Indian, Punjabi style)

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.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Resting Time (Dough) 30 minutes
Course Appetizer, Finger food, Game night, High Tea, Snack, Starter, tea time
Cuisine Indian, Punjabi
Servings 10 large samosas

Equipment

  • Mixing bowl
  • Rolling Pin
  • Heavy bottom sauce pot
  • Spider (strainer for frying)
  • Wooden spoon
  • Spoons

Ingredients
  

Pastry

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tbsp corn flour
  • 1/4 cup melted ghee
  • 6-8 tbsp water cold
  • 1/2 tsp ajwain seeds carrot seeds
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Filling

  • 5 large potatoes boiled and peeled
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 inch ginger minced
  • 2 green chilis chopped
  • 3/4 tsp garam masala powder
  • 3/4 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp fennel powder
  • 1 tsp chaat masala optiona
  • 1/2 cup green peans frozen
  • 5 tbsp coriander leaves
  • 1/2 lime juice
  • Salt to taste

For frying

  • 3 cups vegetable oil

To serve

  • Mint & Tamarind chutney

Instructions
 

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 samosas:

  • 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 (check notes). 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.
  • 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. 

Notes

  • Make sure the flour and ghee are rubbed together well before adding the water - this gives a flakey pastry
  • The filling must be cool before filling into the pastry dough
  • Do not over crowd the pan when frying
  • Baking the samosa: bake in a preheated oven at 180℃ for about 35 minutes however the samosas should be brushed with oil generously or you can use a baking spray as well. They should be golden brown on the outside when done.
  • Air frying samosa: brush the samosas generously with ghee, preheat the air fryer to 180℃ for 10 minutes. Place the samosas spaced out into the air fryer and cook for 12 minutes, flip them and bake for another 5-6 minutes. This could take longer so make sure the outside has a deep golden color.
  • You can make 10 large samosas or 20 small samosas
  • Video linked here.

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