Classic Punjabi Samosa Recipe (Crispy & Flaky)
Learn how to make crispy homemade samosas with flaky dough and spiced potato filling. Step-by-step guide with tips for shaping, frying & serving!
Ingredients
For Samosa Pastry Dough
- ½ cup ghee melted
- 4 cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ajwain carrom seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup water plus 2-4 tablespoon as needed (dough should not become wet)
- Oil for deep frying ~3-4 cup oil
For Samosa Filling
- 2 lb potatoes boiled and peeled (I use russet potatoes)
- ¾ cup green peas fresh or frozen, if using fresh, blanch the peas, thaw if using frozen
- 4 tablespoon ghee
- 1.5 tablespoon ginger finely chopped
- 5-6 green chillies (hot), finely chopped, adjust to taste
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped
- 1.5 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
Spices for Samosa Filling
- 1.5 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon ajwain seeds carrom seeds
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds coarsely crushed in a mortar pestle
- ½ teaspoon hing asafoetida, use ¼ teaspoon if your hing is too strong
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder (hot), adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon amchur powder dry mango powder, adjust to taste (substitute with lemon juice)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder adjust quantity depending on how strong your garam masala is
For Flour Slurry Needed While Shaping Samosa
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 3-5 tablespoon water
Instructions
Prepare The Samosa Pastry Dough
- In a large mixing bowl or parat, add the flour, spices, salt and ghee.
- Begin by working ghee into the flour. Using both hands, gently rub the ghee through the flour until every grain feels lightly moistened and coated. You’ll know the ratio is just right when you can press a handful of the mixture between your palms and it holds its shape. This age-old trick is a simple way to ensure the dough will fry up with the perfect flaky crust. See images in blog post to get a better idea.
- Next, pour in ½ cup water for the dough to just come together. Resist the urge to knead too much. Instead, let the dough remain a bit rough and cracked. Overworking the dough will activate the gluten and your samosa crust will be tough instead of crisp. What we want is a stiff, rustic dough.
- Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes. During this time, the flavors of the ghee and spices begin to seep into the flour, and the dough becomes more pliable and easier to roll. While the dough is resting, it’s the perfect moment to prepare the filling.
Make The Spiced Potato & Pea Filling
- Crumble the boiled potatoes into small pieces with your hands. Avoid using a masher. We’re after a bit of texture, not a paste. Set aside.
- Heat ghee in a medium pan over medium heat. When warm, temper it with cumin seeds, hing (asafoetida), and crushed coriander seeds. The aroma that rises at this stage is the very foundation of the filling.
- Add finely chopped ginger and green chillies and fry them briefly for just 10–15 seconds. Be careful not to let the spices burn. If needed, simply lift the pan off the heat for a moment.
- Sprinkle in red chilli powder and turmeric powder and cook them for a few seconds to banish their raw flavor. Then, add the crumbled potatoes and green peas.
- Stir gently so the spices coat everything evenly. Season with salt, garam masala, amchur (dried mango powder), and 1 tablespoon of freshly chopped cilantro.
- Turn the heat down to low and cook for 3–5 minutes. The goal here is not to brown the filling, but to let the potatoes warm through and soak up the spices. You should have soft, aromatic mixture that will nestle perfectly inside the pastry dough. If the filling feels a little dry, add in a touch more ghee.
- Finish with rest of chopped of cilantro, then taste and adjust seasoning. Once ready, transfer the aloo filling to a bowl and allow it to cool completely before stuffing the samosas. The filling can even be prepared a day in advance.
Shaping The Samosas
- Once your dough has rested, uncover it and gently knead 2-3 times (only).Before dividing, pinch off a small piece to save for testing oil temperature later.
- Then portion out the rest. Though you can eyeball it, weighing each piece helps with uniformity. I recommend 55–60 grams per piece, this is enough for a well-sized samosa without making the crust too thick. You should have about 8–10 portions. Each portion makes 2 samosa so this recipe will yield 16-20 samosas. Always keep the dough covered with a damp cloth so it doesn’t dry out while you work.
- Roll each ball into a smooth round and then gently flatten it. Cover with a damp cloth and rest the shaped dough balls again for 10-15 minutes.
- In the meantime, in a bowl, make the flour slurry by mixing together 2 tablespoon flour with 3-5 tablespoon water.
- Place one dough ball on your rolling surface and flatten it slightly. Since this is a rich, high-fat dough, you usually won’t need any extra flour for rolling. If the dough feels sticky, lightly brush it with a bit of ghee or oil to help it spread smoothly.Don't use dry flour.
- Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a circle about 6 inches wide. The circle shouldn’t be too thick or too thin. What matters most is keeping the thickness even all over.
- I find it easiest to roll out all the dough portions first before starting the stuffing and shaping. As you work, always keep the rolled circles covered with a damp cloth so they don’t dry out.
- With a sharp knife, cut each circle in half to form two semicircles. Each semicircle will make one samosa. Since all-purpose flour dough can shrink a little as it rests, you may need to roll the semicircles gently again before filling.
- Take one semicircle and apread flour slurry along the right side of its straight edge. Keep the other semicircle covered until you’re ready to use it.
- Now, bring the left half of the straight edge up so it meets the curved edge, forming the first fold. Then fold the right half over it, slightly overlapping the left fold.
- Press gently to seal. You should now have a cone shape. Pinch the pointed tip of the cone tightly; this seal is important so the filling doesn’t leak out during frying.
Stuffing the Samosa
- Spoon about 1½ tablespoons of potato filling into the cone. Don’t overfill. Leave a little space at the top so you can close it properly. Spread some flour slurry along the open edge, then press and pinch to seal it shut.
- Your samosa should now look like a neat triangle ready for frying. Continue shaping the rest in the same way, keeping all the prepared samosas covered with a damp cloth until it’s time to fry.
Deep Fry The Samosas
- When it’s time to fry, pour enough oil into a deep pan so the samosas will float comfortably, with about 70–80% of their surface submerged. If the oil level is too low, the sides won’t brown evenly.
- Heat oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pan over low heat. Test the temperature with the small piece of dough you saved earlier: if it rises slowly to the surface with gentle bubbles, the oil is ready. If it sizzles too aggressively or browns quickly, the oil is too hot. Lower the flame and wait.
- Carefully slide in 4-5 samosas at a time, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry them patiently for about 10-11 minutes on low to medium heat. This slow cooking is key as it allows the crust to turn a beautiful golden brown while becoming crisp and flaky all the way through. Rushing with high heat will only leave you with a hard crust and raw insides.
- At 12 minutes or so, slightly bump the heat for browning. Turn the samosas occasionally to ensure even browning. Once they are golden and crisp, lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain on a colander or wire rack.
- Before you add the next batch of samosas, lower the heat and let the oil temperature drop again. Continue frying the remaining samosas in batches, adjusting the heat as mentioned above to maintain a steady temperature.
Serving & Storing
- Samosas are at their best when served hot, the crust shattering with each bite to reveal the soft, spiced potato filling inside. Pair them with chutneys, or a simple cup of hot masala chai for a truly comforting experience.If you wish to freeze, cool down the samosa completely and layer them in a single layer on a tray and let freeze until they harden. Transfer to a ziplock bag and store frozen for 1-2 months. Air fry or deep fry (thaw them if frying) before serving.
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