Samosa Recipe – How to Make Perfect Samosa
Aug 15, 2019, Updated May 13, 2020
Crispy, flaky Samosa is the perfect appetizer for any celebration. Filled with a spicy potato filling, this Samosa is also vegan!
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Make the perfect flaky and crispy Samosa at home!
All tips and tricks to make the perfect samosa each time! These are filled with a spicy potato filling and are also vegan.
Samosa, does it need any introduction? I don’t think so!
The triangular shaped flaky pastry filled with spicy potato, chicken or lamb filling is a popular snack not only in India but in several countries of the world.
Because samosa is so so common in India (you literally get samosa and chai at every other street corner), I always considered it to be a quintessential Indian delicacy.
But only later I read that it has its origin in Middle East and it was introduced to India during the Delhi Sultanate rule.
It was later adapted as a vegetarian snack with spicy potato filling in India (which is what is most popular in northern India).
Anyway whatever the origin was, I can confidently say that samosa, especially Aloo Samosa is the most popular snack back home.
It’s there in every party, office meeting, chai meet-ups, you name it and samosa will be there!
I was very particular about the type of samosa that I liked and I liked it only from one shop in my hometown.
Even now when I go home, I make sure to indulge in those samosas from my favorite shop.
For me a good samosa should be crispy and most importantly it should not be oily at all.
Here in the US I haven’t had much luck finding good samosas so now I make them at home.
And dare I say, they turn out as good as the one from my favorite shop in India! 🙂
Making samosa is a multi-step process so I am not going to say it’s super quick and easy.
But the joy of biting into that homemade flaky crispy crust filled with spicy potatoes makes it all worth it.
This is one of those treats that you should make for special occasions or over a weekend when you want to have some fun in the kitchen.
This Homemade Samosa
✓ is crispy and flaky
✓ tastes just like the samosa from your favorite shop
✓ is filled with a flavorful potato and peas filling
✓ tastes great with a cup of chai!
✓ is also vegan
I like adding peas to my samosa, if you don’t like it you may skip it.
Some people also add nuts like cashews and raisins to the filling to make it more rich. Again, a personal choice!
Even though the process of making samosa is quite straight forward, there are a number of things that you should keep in mind while making these at home.
Tips to Make The Perfect Samosa
So here’s what I have learned over the years and I am excited to share all my tips with you guys to make the perfect samosa at home!
Mixing the oil with flour is important– rub it for good 3 to 4 minutes, do so by rubbing between your hands until the oil is well incorporated with the flour.
Don’t overwork the dough– you only need to bring the dough together. If you overwork it, the samosa will be hard.
Dough should be stiff– soft dough will not give crispy samosa.
Let the dough rest for around 40 minutes– always remember to let the dough rest for at least 30 to 40 minutes before you start making the samosa.
Roll the dough evenly and roll it thin– try to roll the dough thin and evenly. If the dough is rolled thick, it will take a long time for the dough to get cooked. Also we all like thin crispy edges of the samosa, agree?
But don’t roll it super thin too, else the dough will tear apart when you fill it.
Do not use any flour while rolling the samosa, you can apply little oil on your rolling pin.
Fry the samosa on low heat – the most important thing- always fry the samosa on low heat (not high, not medium), that way they will turn crisp.
Once they have become light brown in color (after 10 minutes or so), then you can increase the heat and fry on medium heat.
Also when you fry on low heat, they won’t get any blisters which they do when you drop them in hot oil.
Why is My Samosa Not Crispy?
This happens when you fry the samosa in hot oil. You need to fry the samosa on low heat always.
Also, your dough needs to be stiff. Soft dough will also result in a not-so-crispy samosa.
How to Store and Re-heat Leftover Samosa
I usually place them in an airtight container and refrigerate.
To warm them up, I pre-heat my oven to 350 F degrees and them place the samosa in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes until nicely warm.
Can I Freeze The Samosa?
Yes! Once the samosa is filled and shaped, placed them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Place the baking sheet into the freezer for couple of hours until samosas are firm.
Then transfer to a freezer bag and freeze.
Can I Bake The Samosa?
Yes! Brush the samosas with oil and then bake at 350 F degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until browned.
Leftover Samosa Ideas
If you have leftover samosas (what!!), you can use them in different ways.
Like make, Samosa Chaat where you pair the samosas with chole and chutneys.
You can also make Samosa Sandwich, apply chutneys on bread and place a samosa in between. You can even put some sev on top and enjoy.
Can I Use Whole Wheat Flour?
If you want to use whole wheat flour in this recipe, I would recommend replacing half of the flour with whole wheat.
So, use 1 cup all purpose flour and 1 cup whole wheat.
Method
Make the samosa dough
1- Start by making the samosa dough. To a large bowl, add flour, ajwain, salt and mix well.
2- Add the oil and then start mixing with your fingers.
3- Rub the flour with the oil until the oil is well incorporated in all of the flour. Do this for 3 to 4 minutes, you don’t want to rush this step.
4- Once incorporated, the mixture resembles crumbs.
5- Press some flour between your palm- it should form a shape (& not crumble) – means oil is enough and well incorporated.
6- Now, start adding water, little by little and mix to form a stiff dough.
7- Don’t overwork the dough and don’t knead a soft dough. It should just come together and form a stiff dough. I used around 6 tablespoons of water here.
8- Cover the dough with a moist cloth and let it rest for 40 minutes. I usually soak a paper towel in water and then squeeze out all the water and then cover my dough with that.
While the dough is resting, start working on the filling.
Make the filling
9- Boil potatoes until done.
8 to 9 whistles on high heat with natural pressure release if using stove-top pressure cooker or if using Instant Pot, high pressure 12 minutes with natural pressure release on a trivet with 1 cup water in the bottom of the pot.
10- Peel the skin and them mash the potatoes. Set aside.
11- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds, fennel seeds and crushed coriander seeds.
12- Let the seeds sizzle for few seconds and then add the chopped ginger, green chili and hing. Cook for 1 minute.
13- Add the boiled & mashed potatoes and green peas to the pan.
14- Mix everything together. I use my potato masher to combine the spices and seasonings well with the potatoes and peas.
15- Add the coriander powder, garam masala, amchur, red chili powder and salt.
16- Mix to combine. Once it’s all well incorporated, remove pan from heat and let the filling cool down a bit.
Shape and fry the samosa
17- Once the dough has rested, give it a quick knead. Then divide the dough into 7 equal parts of around 58-60 grams each.
Start working on a piece of dough, keep the remaining dough balls covered at all times with a moist cloth else the dough will dry out.
18- Roll one dough ball into a circle-oval kind of shape, around 6-7 inches in diameter and then cut it into two parts.
19- Take one part and apply water on the straight edge/side. I usually mix some flour with water so that it forms a nice glue.
20- Now bring the two ends of the straight edge together and pinch them to form a cone. See picture (#20) for a better idea.
21- Pinch the pointed ends to make it a perfect cone shape.
22- Fill the samosa with the potato filling, around 1 to 2 tablespoons. Don’t overfill the samosa.
23- Now again apply water all around the circumference of the cone as you have to seal it. Pinch the opposite side (side opposite to where you pinched to form the cone) to form a plate (see picture #23).
24- Now pinch the edges and seal the samosa.
25- Your samosa is now ready. Repeat with remaining dough. Always remember to keep the filled samosa covered with moist cloth while roll and fill the others.
26- Now heat oil in a kadai on low heat. To check if oil is ready, drop a small piece of dough into the oil. It should take few seconds to come up to the surface. That means the oil is ready.
Drop the shaped samosas into the oil.
27- Fry on low heat. After around 10-12 minutes, the samosa will become firm and light brown in color.
28- At this point, increase the heat to medium and fry until it gets nicely browned.
Don’t overcrowd the kadai/wok, fry 4-5 samosas at a time. And each batch will take around 20 minutes since we fry on low heat so be patient.
Once you finish frying one batch, lower the heat again to low and wait until the temperature of the oil drops and then add the second batch.
If you fry samosa on high heat, they will not get crispy and the dough will remain uncooked. The samosa will also have bubbles on the crust if you oil temperature is hot while frying the samosa.
Enjoy hot samosas with cilantro chutney or sweet tamarind chutney! Yum!
If you’ve tried this Samosa Recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe! You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram to see what’s latest in my kitchen!
Samosa Recipe
Ingredients
Samosa Dough
- 2 cups all purpose flour (maida) 260 grams
- 1 teaspoon ajwain carom seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon oil 60 ml + 5 ml
- water to knead the dough, around 6 tablespoons
Samosa Filling
- 3-4 medium potatoes 500-550 grams
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 teaspoons crushed coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- 1 green chili chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon hing asafoetida
- 1/2 cup +2 tablespoons green peas I used frozen green peas which I soaked in warm water for 10-15 minutes before using
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon amchur dried mango powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder or add more to taste
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
oil, for deep frying
Instructions
Make Samosa Dough
- Start by making the samosa dough. To a large bowl, add flour, ajwain (carom seeds), salt and mix well.
- Add the oil and then start mixing with your fingers. Rub the flour with the oil until the oil is well incorporated in all of the flour. Do this for 3 to 4 minutes, you don't want to rush this step. Once incorporated, the mixture resembles crumbs.
- Press some flour between your palm- it should form a shape (& not crumble) – means oil is enough and well incorporated.
- Now, start adding water, little by little and mix to form a stiff dough. Don't overwork the dough and don't knead a soft dough. It should just come together and form a stiff dough. I used around 6 tablespoons of water here.
- Cover the dough with a moist cloth and let it rest for 40 minutes. I usually soak a paper towel in water and then squeeze out all the water and then cover my dough with that. While the dough is resting, start working on the filling.
Make the potato filling
- Boil potatoes until done. 8 to 9 whistles on high heat with natural pressure release if using stove-top pressure cooker or if using Instant Pot, high pressure 12 minutes with natural pressure release on a trivet with 1 cup water in the bottom of the pot.
- Peel the skin and them mash the potatoes. Set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds, fennel seeds and crushed coriander seeds.Let the seeds sizzle for few seconds and then add the chopped ginger, green chili and hing. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the boiled & mashed potatoes and green peas to the pan. Mix everything together. I use my potato masher to combine the spices and seasonings well with the potatoes and peas.
- Add the coriander powder, garam masala, amchur, red chili powder and salt. Mix to combine. Once it's all well incorporated, remove pan from heat and let the filling cool down a bit.
Shape & fry the Samosa
- Once the dough has rested, give it a quick knead. Then divide the dough into 7 equal parts of around 58-60 grams each.Start working on a piece of dough, keep the remaining dough balls covered at all times with a moist cloth else the dough will dry out.
- Roll one dough ball into a circle-oval kind of shape, around 6-7 inches in diameter and then cut it into two parts.
- Take one part and apply water on the straight edge/side. I usually mix some flour with water so that it forms a nice glue.Now bring the two ends of the straight edge together and pinch them to form a cone. See step-by-step pictures above for a better idea. Pinch the pointed ends to make it a perfect cone shape.
- Fill the samosa with the potato filling, around 1 to 2 tablespoons. Don't overfill the samosa.
- Now again apply water all around the circumference of the cone as you have to seal it. Pinch the opposite side (side opposite to where you pinched to form the cone) to form a plate (see step-by-step pictures above). Then pinch the edges and seal the samosa.
- Your samosa is now ready. Repeat the same process with remaining dough. Always remember to keep the filled samosa covered with a moist cloth while roll and fill the others. You will get 14 samosas.
- Now heat oil in a kadai on low heat. To check if oil is ready, drop a small piece of dough into the oil. It should take few seconds to come up to the surface. That means the oil is ready.Drop the shaped samosas into the oil.
- Fry on low heat. After around 10-12 minutes, the samosa will become firm and light brown in color. At this point, increase the heat to medium and fry until it gets nicely browned.Don't overcrowd the kadai/wok, fry 4-5 samosas at a time. And each batch will take around 20 minutes since we fry on low heat so be patient.
- Once you finish frying one batch, lower the heat again to low and wait until the temperature of the oil drops and then add the second batch.Enjoy hot samosas with cilantro chutney or sweet tamarind chutney!
Notes
- Most important thing to remember is to not the fry the samosa on high heat, they will not get crispy if you do so and the dough will remain uncooked. The samosa will also have bubbles on the crust if you oil temperature is hot while frying the samosa.
- I have used green peas in my samosa filling. If you are not a fan, simply skip.
- This recipes makes 14 medium sized samosa. You can make more or less depending on how you like.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Great recipe! I’m making them now and my kitchen smells so delicious my hubby can’t wait! Lol! Thanks so much for sharing.
welcome! 🙂
But I’m about to try them your way tomorrow and let’s see
Tried your recipe but used puff pastry (kinda lazy for the dough, lol) and it’s a massive hit at home. So quick and easy to follow, amazing recipe!! Thank you for sharing it with us…. much, much appreciated.
Kind regards.
glad to know!
Amazing recipe
this looks great, thank you! do you also have a baking version? (i kmow its not traditional)
try 375 for 45 minutes
Hi can I make them up in the morning then fry them off in the evening.
yes you may, cover and then store
I think the instructions for picture #23 are supposed to say “pleat” not “plate”. Also wondering about q substitution for asafoetida?
correct it’s pleat. Skip the hing (asafoetida).
Nice recipe
It’s interesting that your samosa pur is so much thicker than what I knew while growing up! I’m from South Africa and the type I know is rolled quite thin and cut into long rectangles and then slightly toasted. A portion at the bottom is folded to make a triangle and the filling is placed inside and it is then folded upwards in an alternating style making a triangle and sealed with a bit of flour and water paste. The samosas are then fried in hot oil
must be a country thing… this is how they are in Delhi 🙂
That is how I make them too, Nirvana
Manali, can you tell us what temperature your oil is when at low heat? 100 / 120 degrees Celsius?
Can’t wait to try this recipe!
around 250 F is my guess- which is 120 C
This is very simple but to fold it is hard for me please can you teach me Thanks you very much
folding isn’t hard, please follow the step by step pictures in the recipe
Instead of frying could the samosa be air fried instead?
try 350 F for 20 minutes
Manali, thank you so much for this recipe! I am a vegetarian white woman with an Indian daughter, and we cook together frequently. We also love to visit different styles of Indian restaurants, and on special occasions, we drive a good distance to get our favorite samosas. We followed your instructions carefully, and these turned out SO well, and we even baked them instead of frying them! The only change we made was that Chandra wanted to add turmeric to the potatoes. These are so delicious!
glad to know!
Hi Manali,
I haven’t got any maida flour, can I use type 405 normal white (wheat) flour
Thanks
Kate
Hi kate I am not sure what 405 is, but yes regular white flour is fine. It’s just called “maida” in hindi in India and all purpose flour in the US.
Hi Manali,
Type 405 (I’m in Germany) is all purpose plain flour, with no raising agents, so I guess it would be ok. Thank you very much for your reply!!
Oh my goodness, I love this authentic as my mum’s. Thank you so much. I love this and just based on the success of this one recipe, Manali, I’m going to be ordering the book. Thank you x
Thanks Abida 🙂
Hi Manali
Over the years i have tried many samosa recipes, but we like this recipe best.
I have been using your recipe for some time now but never thanked you for sharing this recipe properly. Mamali thank you so much for sharing your excellent recipe of the most delicious samosas out there :))).
glad to know!
Can the samosas be made one day and then taken on picnic next day ……. not heated, at atmosphere temperature …..
yes, they just won’t be as crispy. I would store them at room temperature in air tight container after they have cooled down. And then take them to picnic next day,
Love the term atmosphere temperature
These were excellent, only problem I had was that when I put them in the oil over low heat nothing really happened, they just sat there. This is probably because I had the dough in the freezer before cooking and also the filling had been refrigerated beforehand. So I turned up the heat to medium-low, waited for the oil to start simmering, and then turned it back down to low. Thanks for the recipe Manali!
Do you have to defrost them before frying if frozen? If so, how long before cooking should you get them out?
I would fry straight away
Impressive recipe… made Somosas for the first time and everyone has said they will help make them next time, so we can have them soon! Thank you for the great tips and pictures too. Will try with a little bit of curry leaves next time.
so glad to know!
Hi,
I made this for my family they love it, i had few leftover so i froze it before cooking but i did not get even golden color like the unfrozen ones, can you please give me tips for get even color for frozen samosa, planning to make it for my daughter’s birthday so i need big batch.
you mean they didn’t get brown while frying? there’s no trick, you have to fry the frozen ones also until they become golden brown, keep heat on low-medium and have patience or try baking at 375 F for 45 minutes
Hi lovely recipe!
The kcal is that per samosa or total or?
Thank u!
I wish 14 samosa would have only such less calories, haha! they are an estimate for 1 samosa, calculated automatically by a plugin. It’s not 100% accurate but as estimate.
Can I ask what type of oil you mix in with the flour?
any oil is fine- avocado, olive, canola, vegetable! I have used avocado oil
What about using ghee?
you can!
I haven’t made them yet, beautiful recipe! If I freeze them before cooking, do I have to defrost them before cooking? I plan to brush them with oil and use my new air fryer!
I would probably put them straight into air fryer. add few extra minutes.
Wow wow wow delicious my family loved them instead of potatoes l did them with mince ?????mouth watering
Hi, I saw the answer to freezing but can you make a day or so ahead and refrigerate too?
you mean fry and then refrigerate? sure but they won’t taste as good as fresh. heat them up in oven.
These taste just like what I buy at a Indian restaurant.
in the recipe you say add the oil to the flour, but the ingredient list shows 4 tbls water and 1 tbls of oil – are these mixed together and then added to the flour? And after that the 6 tbls of water used to pull it together to make the dough? Just about to start and wanted to get it right!!
“4 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon oil 45 ml + 5 ml” – this is just oil , I have not mentioned water here, please check again. You add 4 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon oil (total 50 ml) to the dough and then yes around 6-7 tablespoons water to bring the dough together.
Thank you for this recipe! We don’t have a way to deep fry, so we bake it in the oven
Amazing! Soo good. I had a ton of extra filling after making 14 samosas, so I am going to make another dough batch and freeze these ones.
What is the cooking instructions for frozen samosas?
Thanks!
Hi Lisa, glad you like it! Hmm I would fry them straight away from the freezer, should be okay. or bake them at 375 F for 45-50 minutes ?
Ok thanks! I’ll try both ways and report back.
OMG
Finally my SAMOSAS turned out so good.
I have tried few samosa recipes before and they were never good
But you rock
My family loved it
Thanks
yay! so glad
When you say low heat for the frying what temp is that?
Thanks!
hmm I have never measured it, but definitely lower than 350 F…maybe 200-250 F
Made these for my family tonight (with the help of my 5 year old daughter). Wow. We’ll be making them again!!!
Note to people making this in Canada: our winter wheat is famously very gluten-heavy and absorbs a lot of water. For 2 cups of all-purpose flour, it took 23 tbsp before we got a dough ball! But it made a beautiful pastry nonetheless. I baked for 35 minutes and then switched to the broiler on low for a minute a side for extra browning. A huge hit with the whole family–thank you!
welcome, glad to know!
Hi, I’m from Malaysia. Tried this recipe for a customer food order yesterday and it turned out perfect. The dough stayed crisp for a long time. Usually I refrain recommending fried items for catering as the oily effects are ugly after a while but this is a safe recipe. Will definitely keep this recipe for good. Good tips that helps a newbie. Thank you so much
welcome! glad to hear
can you tell me where the best place is to get the spices I am in Ontario Canada just so you know. I really want to try and make these wish me luck I have not made much Indain food but love to eat it so I thought this White girl is going to try and make them. Any tips would be helpful
Best place would be an Indian store, sorry I have never been to Ontaria and neither I am familiar with the area so can’t say where but check out local Indian Grocery store.
Penny–where in Ontario? If you’re rural or remote, Amazon is pretty good. Near mist cities, a Great Canadian Superstore, Loblaws. and even Food Basics has quite a bit (coriander, cumin, fennel), but for the more special spices, you need to find a special shop. Here in Sudbury, the best source for a long time was hidden away at the back of a convenience store–wasn’t advertised or nothing, heard about it by word of mouth. But it has a great selection, even ajwain, amchur, hing, and some of those harder to get stuff. Recently a dedicated Indian grocer opened up, and we finally have EVERYTHING.
If you’re anywhere the GTA, you’ll have better luck than elsewhere.
Penny, Spice Trader (in Toronto) has a great selection of spices and they have online ordering and shipping.
I made these yesterday, as an appetizer for Thanksgiving, as my family was coming over and I was hosting. All I can say is wow!! Everyone was in love with these, and I had no leftovers. The instructions were so easy to follow, and the images helped a lot. I doubled the recipe as there were many hungry people lol. The only change I made is lessen the amount of chili powder, as not everyone can handle it. Thanks, Manali, this recipe is a keeper!! xoxo
Thank you so much! I can’t wait to make this. Great blog.
This is fantastic! I follow a low carb diet so I used a different recipe for the dough (but added the all important ajwain to it) and used cauliflower instead of potatoes for the filling, and it was still delicious! We had this with mint chutney on a rainy Diwali Sunday and it was amazing… So many happy memories of India! Thank you so much, this made my day 🙂
Thank
Hi Manali, I changed recipe to without spice. Made 20 samosa, because I wanted to have a thin layer around filling. Finally baked them. They were delicious ?
I had no idea where to start but remember watching mum as a child so I recognised the steps! This is just like my mum made them. Authentic home made samosas at their best. Thank you for the recipe. It’s perfect xxx
awesome!
Was looking for a good samosa dough recipe to use up some aloo gobi, had to improvise based on my available ingredients so used 50/50 all purpose flour and chapati atta and coconut oil, came out really well so will be buying ingredients and giving the whole recipe a go this weekend – great instructions and photos that really helped a first timer, thank you ☺️
it is awesome site . thanks a lot for uploading.
Thanks Manali ! Your recipe is so perfect with precise measurement. My samosas turned out crispy and not oily at all. My family enjoyed them. Thanks a lot!
glad to know Snehal!
This really is the best, most authentic recipe for samosas I have ever come across. Excellent! The detailed instructions, pictures, and precise ingredients list are very helpful.
More importantly the recipe really works and produces samosas equal to or better than those in shops I have bought them from – and south Asian friends who have made them – here in the UK.
Many Thanks Manali!
welcome Robert, I am glad to knoe! 🙂
I’m Indian but wanted to follow a recipe with the right quantities As not Made them for a few years! And nothing beats home When Ready made ones from a shop
Are always disappointing. These were the best ever! The pastry and cooking tips did the trick! Thank you. I added onions and coriander within my filling. Both add more flavour. And I shall again use these quantities but vary my filling for variety! Thank you ?
you are welcome! glad you enjoyed them!
This was great! I just made the filling and used a rice wrapper for the outside as I’m gluten free. Very very tasty, thank you!
Did you bake yours or fry?
Hi! I was wondering how to bake in oven after freezing. Has anyone tried this.
try 350 F for 40 minutes
Made this today and the recipe was easy to follow. The samosas have come out superb even I say do myself. Family are happy. That’s a big tick!! Thanks for the awesome recipe
glad to hear!
Nice recipe. I have tried your recipe yesterday and my husband loved it. Thank you, keep sharing wonderful recipes.
Manali ji your recipes are very good. Its really easy to follow and make samosa. Everyone enjoyed at home. Thanks for sharing.