There is a particular sound a good samosa makes — a light, shattering crunch as the shell gives way to a warm, spiced potato filling — and once you have heard it from your own kitchen, the shop-bought kind never quite satisfies again. This is the Punjabi-style aloo samosa: a thin, flaky pastry wrapped around potatoes and peas, seasoned with cumin, coriander and a squeeze of dried mango powder, fried low and slow until deeply golden. It takes a little patience, especially the folding, but the technique is forgiving once you get the rhythm of it, and a batch of twelve will disappear faster than you expect. Serve them hot with green chutney and tamarind chutney, and a cup of doodh patti on the side.
Makes 12 samosas | Prep: 45 minutes, plus 30 minutes resting | Cook: 25 minutes
For the pastry
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (maida)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
- 4 tablespoons oil or ghee, plus more for brushing
- About 1/3 cup cold water
For the filling
- 4 medium potatoes (about 500 g), boiled whole until knife-tender, peeled
- 1/2 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon amchur (dried mango powder)
- Salt, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves
- Oil, for deep frying
Method
- Make the pastry. Mix the flour, salt and ajwain in a large bowl. Pour in the oil or ghee and rub it into the flour with your fingertips for two or three minutes, until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs and holds together in a clump when you squeeze a handful. This step — moyan — is what makes the shell shatter-crisp instead of bread-like, so do not rush it. Add the cold water a tablespoon at a time and knead into a firm, stiff dough, noticeably firmer than bread dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Cook the filling. While the dough rests, roughly mash the boiled potatoes, leaving plenty of small chunks — a smooth paste makes a dull filling. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for about 20 seconds, then add the ginger and green chillies for 30 seconds more. Stir in the peas and cook for two minutes, then add the ground coriander, garam masala, chilli powder and turmeric and stir for 20 seconds until fragrant. Crumble in the potatoes, fold everything together, and season with amchur, salt and fresh coriander. Spread the filling on a plate and let it cool completely — hot filling steams inside the pastry and can burst the samosas while frying.
- Roll and cut. Divide the rested dough into six balls. Roll each one into an oval about 7 to 8 inches long and roughly an eighth of an inch thick, then cut it in half across the middle to make two half-moons. Keep the pieces you are not working with covered so they do not dry out.
- Shape the cones. Take one half-moon and wet the straight edge with water. Bring the two corners together, overlapping the wet edge by about a quarter inch, and press firmly to form a cone. Hold the cone in one hand and spoon in about two heaped tablespoons of filling, pressing it down gently. Wet the top edge, pinch a small pleat at the back, and press the seam closed. Seal well — a weak seam is the one that opens in the oil.
- Fry low and slow. Heat about two inches of oil in a heavy pot to around 280–300°F (140–150°C). The samosas should sink when they go in, with only a few small bubbles rising. This gentle start is the secret: hot oil blisters the pastry and leaves the inside undercooked, while a slow fry cooks the shell through and keeps it crisp once cool. Fry four or five at a time for 10 to 12 minutes, turning occasionally, then raise the heat slightly for the last two minutes until deep golden. Drain on a rack, not paper, so the base stays crisp.
- Serve warm with green chutney and tamarind chutney. Samosas are at their best within the hour, but they re-crisp beautifully in a hot oven for a few minutes if you need to hold them.
Tips for a first batch
- If your dough feels soft and stretchy, you have added too much water — a stiff dough is what keeps the shell thin and crisp.
- Fry a single test samosa first. If it bubbles aggressively and browns in two minutes, the oil is too hot; let it cool and try again.
- To bake instead of frying, brush generously with oil and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once. The shell will be less flaky but still very good.
- Unfried, shaped samosas freeze well in a single layer. Fry straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes.
Photo credit: Vis M, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
