Samosa (Crisp Potato and Pea Pastries)
Local name: سموسہ
In short: Golden, flaky pastry triangles filled with spiced potato and green peas, fried until crisp and served hot with tamarind or mint chutney. It takes about 2 h in total and makes 8 servings.
- Prep
- 50 min
- Cook
- 1 h 10 min
- Resting
- 30 min
- Total
- 2 h
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 330 kcal
Few snacks say tea time in Pakistan as clearly as the samosa. A crisp, blistered shell of dough holds a filling of spiced potato and peas, seasoned with cumin, coriander and dried mango powder. The pastry is rolled firm enough to stay crisp, shaped into a cone, sealed with a flour paste and fried slowly so it blisters. Street vendors sell samosas hot from the pan, wrapped in paper, with a sharp tamarind or mint chutney on the side.
Instructions
- Mix the flour, carom seeds and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a bowl. Rub in the 4 tablespoons of oil until the mixture looks like damp sand. Add the water a little at a time and knead for 5 minutes into a firm, smooth dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the cumin and coriander seeds and let them sizzle for 20 seconds. Stir in the ginger and green chilies, then add the peas and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the potatoes, turmeric, chili flakes, mango powder, garam masala and 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt. Mix well and cook for 3 minutes, then fold in the fresh coriander. Spread the filling on a plate and cool it completely, or the steam will soften the pastry.
- Divide the dough into 8 balls. Roll one into an oval about 2 mm (1/16 in) thick and cut it in half across the middle. Brush the straight edge of one half with the flour paste.
- Fold the half into a cone, overlapping the straight edges by 1 cm (1/2 in) and pressing to seal. Fill it with about 2 tablespoons of filling, brush the open rim with paste and pinch it shut firmly. Repeat to make 16 samosas.
- Heat the frying oil in a deep pan to 150°C (300°F). Fry 4 or 5 samosas at a time for 12 to 15 minutes, turning now and then, until the shells blister and turn pale gold. Raise the heat to 175°C (350°F) for the last 2 minutes to deepen the color.
- Drain the samosas on a wire rack and serve hot with tamarind or mint chutney.
Tips
- Fry samosas slowly at a moderate temperature, since oil that is too hot browns the shell before the dough inside is cooked. The pastry should look blistered and feel crisp and firm when tapped.
- To bake instead, brush the samosas with oil and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once. They will be less blistered than fried ones but still crisp.
Questions and answers
Why did my samosa shells turn soft?
Soft shells usually come from oil that is too hot or too cool, or from stacking samosas while they are hot. Fry at about 150°C (300°F) and cool them in a single layer on a rack so the steam can escape.
Can I make samosas ahead of time?
Yes. Shape the samosas, freeze them uncooked on a tray, then bag them for up to 2 months. Fry straight from frozen at a slightly lower temperature for a few minutes longer.
What chutney goes with samosas?
Tamarind chutney and mint-coriander chutney are the classic pair. A sharp, herby chutney cuts the richness of the fried pastry, and a cup of hot tea completes the tea-time snack.
How long does it take to make Samosa (Crisp Potato and Pea Pastries)?
About 2 h in total: 50 min of preparation and 1 h 10 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Samosa (Crisp Potato and Pea Pastries)?
About 330 kcal per serving, with 6 g of protein, 42 g of carbohydrates and 15 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 330 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 42 g |
| Fat | 15 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Sodium | 480 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
