How to make samosa?
Samosa is prepared easily and in one hour. The result? Aromatic, extremely tasty and honestly, unforgettable.
Vegetables - Use seasonal vegetables (in our case: cauliflower, carrots, frozen peas, onion, and garlic). You could also use other vegetables like celeriac or parsnip.
Sweet potato - Adds a nice, sweet flavor and a thick, creamy texture. You could use regular potato as a substitute.
Spices - In this recipe, we used spices like coriander, turmeric, cumin, paprika, chili - this beautiful combination of spices creates amazing Indian flavors.
Lentils - Use a combination of red and green lentils, if you don’t have them at home, no worries, you can substitute with any lentils really.
Pastry - Brick is our favorite pastry of choice, however, a thin layer of good filo dough will work too. It’s just important that the pastry is thin, only that way you can get that crispy exterior.
Vegetable oil (for frying) - You can use any oil that’s great for frying, like canola or sunflower oil.
Samosa Origin
Samosa is an amazing dish, that’s fried (in our case) or baked. It has been eaten for centuries and it spreads from India through the Middle East and all the way to Africa (that’s another proof that this is one tasty dish). It’s also prepared on the Maldives, you know, the dream destination we all want to visit. If you are not planning a trip to the Maldives any time soon, now you can at least make an amazing dish from the Maldives at home. In general, a samosa should be stuffed with delicious ingredients such as potatoes, lentils, peas, onion, but there are so many varieties and options. A lot of people make chicken samosas, beef samosas, fish samosas or cheese samosas too. You will also see these in all shapes and sizes, but we like the rectangle shape most. It just makes them even more special.
Samosa Recipe Step by Step
Crispy Samosa Dough
Worldwide many types of pastry are used for samosas, but the common denominator is that the pastry should be crispy, flaky and crunchy once fried. We used brick pastry in this recipe, but you can use a very thin sheet of filo pastry too. Here’s a quick and easy recipe for a homemade filo pastry dough (click).
Can I make samosas ahead of time? Do samosas freeze well?
Yes, you definitely can make samosas ahead of time. Here are some ways.
Stuffing: You can freeze only the stuffing or the whole thing. Once the stuffing is completely cooled, add it to freezer bags, place in the freezer and freeze for up to 2 months.
Samosas before frying: Before frying, you can keep samosas in the fridge for one day or you can freeze them. Place them on a large tray lined with baking paper. Place in the freezer. Once they've been frozen, transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
How to reheat samosas?
Reheat: Reheat samosas in an oven for about 5 - 10 minutes at 180 °C / 355 °F.
How to fry frozen samosas: You can fry frozen samosas. Once the oil has reached the needed temperature, add the frozen samosas and fry for about 4 - 5 minutes.
What to serve with samosa?
Serve samosa as an appetizer, main dish or snack. They are perfect with yogurt dip, sweet chili sauce or mango chutney. You can serve the stuffing as a curry with basmati rice.
METHOD
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prepare the vegetables
Peel and dice onion, garlic and ginger. Cut the cauliflower on small cubes. Peel the sweet potato and carrots. Cut on small cubes.
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cook the vegetables
Place a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook for about 2 - 3minutes, then add the cauliflower, sweet potato, and carrots. Cook for another 5 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Add the chopped coriander/cilantro (or parsley) and all the spices. Stir to combine and cook for 2 minutes or until the spices are nice and aromatic. Add the frozen peas, red lentils, and green lentils. Stir from time to time and cook for another 5 minutes. Pour 250 ml water to the skillet, cover with a lid and cook for about 30 minutes on low heat.
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stuffing
Before stuffing, make sure the vegetables are nice and soft. Remove from the heat and leave the stuffing to cool to room temperature. Cut 25 cm x 5 cm (10-inches x 2-inches) stripes from your brick or filo dough. The dough should be super thin. Wrap the stripe of dough as seen on the photos above. Add about one teaspoon of your stuffing and close tightly. Repeat until all the dough is used up.
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Fry
Pour vegetable oil to a large heavy-bottomed pot. Heat the oil to 175°C / 350 °F. Working in three batches, add samosas to the oil making sure not to overcrowd the pot. Fry for about 2 - 3 minutes or until crispy and golden brown, turning them occasionally. Once fried, take them out on a plate lined with kitchen towels to absorb the excess oil.
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Serve
Serve the samosas immediately with sweet chili sauce, yogurt dip or mango chutney. Enjoy.
