Samosa
April 19th, 2007 filed under Appetizers, Chaat, VeganPart 1:
Part 2:
Samosas are probably the most popular Indian appetizer and are often served as hors d’oeuvres. This recipe is for traditional north Indian Samosa.
Makes 8 samosas.
Ingredients:
- Dough:
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tablespoon sooji (semolina flour)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 11/2 tablespoons oil
- 1/4 cup minus 2 tablespoon lukewarm water
Filling:
- 3 large boiled potatoes, peeled and chopped into very small cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 chopped green chilies
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon amchur (mango powder)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1/2 cup green peas (frozen)
Method
Dough:
- Mix the flour, sooji, salt, oil and salt togather to make a soft dough (add more water as needed).
- knead the dough for about 1 to 2 minutes to make the dough smooth and pliable.
- Set the dough aside and cover it with damp cloth. Let the dough sit for at least 15 minutes.
Filling:
- Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium high heat. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if it cracks right away oil is ready.
- Add cumin seeds as cumin seeds crack, add green chilies, coriander powder and stir for few seconds.
- Next add green peas and turn heat to medium and stir until tender.
- Add the potatoes and stir-fry for about 4 minutes. Stir in garam masala and amchur. Add more salt or amchur according to taste.
- Let the filling cool to room temperature.
Making Samosa:
- Take 2 tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour to make a paste and keep aside.
- Knead the dough for a minute.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and make into balls.
- Roll each ball into 6-inch diameter circles and cut each circle in half.
- Spread the paste lightly all along the edge of one semicircle. Pick this semicircle up with both hands and fold it into a cone shape. Pinch the side of this cone so that it is completely sealed.
- Fill the cone with 3 tablespoons of filling. Press this filling down with your fingers. Now close the top of this cone into a triangle shape, pinching the top edge so that it is completely sealed.
- Continue filling the rest of the samosas.
- Heat about 1-1/2 inch of the oil in a frying pan on medium heat. To check if oil is hot enough place a small piece of dough in oil and dough should sizzle and come to the surface slowly.
- Place the samosas in the frying pan a few at a time.
- After samosas are floating on top of the oil turn them slowly. Fry the samosas until the samosas turn a light golden-brown color on all sides. If you use a high heat, the samosa crust will be too soft and not crispy.
Tips:
- Boil the potatoes just until tender. Be careful not to poke the potatoes multiple times while they are cooking, as they will absorve the water. Drain immediately and keep aside until cool enough to touch.
- The dough has to be kneaded well; otherwise, the samosas will not come out as crisp.
- If the filled samosas sit for too long, they will dry. To avoid this, cover with a damp cloth.
Suggestions:
- Samosa can be prepared ahead of time and can be freeze for a month.
- Before freezing fry them enough untill samosa changes the color to very light gold brown.
- After samosas are on room temperature bag them in zip lock bags and freeze them.
- To use frozen samosas take out as many you need and fry them on medium heat.
hello Manjula ji,
Awesome recipe…this recipe is perfect..no doubt about it.
Everyone just loved it…Thank u very much.
Fantastic recipe for samosas. Glad they can be frozen.
You mentioned to take out of the freezer – do they have to stand or defrost before frying them again?? And how long will they then be fresh for.
I want to cook some for a friends wedding and mine is a couple of weeks later so want to do all the messy stuff and cooking in one go.
Many thanks
Erica,
Defrost before frying them, you can freeze them for a month.
Love how simple and easy you demonstrate. Recipe is just a wee bit spicy for this one but great. I have a problem with the dough, though. I tried twice now and it is always too gooey. One I cannot roll in a perfect circle but that’s ok I can cut the right shape. However, when I put in my hand to make the cone it is too stretchy, will not stay flat. Am I using to much/little of something? Thanks!
This was the first recipe of yours I made years ago. These are a lot of work, but still very simple to make, and delicious. Try them with ketchup as well!
dear manjula,
i have made many of your recipes and when i go to the city of copenhagen on rare occasions i buy dals, flours and spices and bring home.
what is the green chutney in the middle of the finished dish?
thank you for sharing your wisdom.
michael
hey michael go to this link for green chutney http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2007/02/04/cilantro-chutney/
u can also serve it with tamarind chutney which is a bit on the sweet side or with both of them
http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2007/06/29/tamarind-chutney/
Howmany grams of flour in one cup?
Thanks aunty for all awsome recipes.
Hi Manjula ji,
Samosa came out real good..
I love samosa with north indian flavour..
I’m so happy that I can make such samosa by myself with you recipe..
Thank you very much!!!
Dear Manjula!
I tried the recipe for the first time it was really great thank u so much your website is awesome… Im trying all the recipes and all are very nice for me nd my family.
But can i ask your suggestion with what i can serve the samosas? in your case u made some green sause.. would be great to know the name of it ?
They look delicious. I am a bit surprized that you don’t put onions and garlic in them though as nearly all the samosas I’ve tried from different places do use onion and garlic
Dear Manjula Aunty,
Thnx aunty for such a nice recipe. i needed this recipe badly as i hv 6 yr old son and he loved it very much. actually i hv stopped eating onion and garlic recently and i was confused abt cooking but ur website made it easy for me . tnx once again
aparna