Vegetable Samosa

Crisp, flaky pastry parcels filled with spiced potato and peas, fried until golden.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 1h
Cook: 30 min
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
Vegetarian
✅
Nuts
❌
Serves
8 people
Difficulty
Medium

Ingredients

  • 300g plain flour
  • 1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 120ml cold water, approximately
  • 600g floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper
  • 100g frozen peas
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil, for the filling
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
  • 1 tbsp fresh root ginger, finely grated
  • 2 green chillies, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp dried mango powder (amchur)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
  • 1 tbsp plain flour mixed with 2 tbsp water, for sealing
  • 1.5 litres vegetable oil, for deep frying

Method

  1. Mix the flour, carom seeds and salt in a bowl. Rub in the 4 tbsp oil until the mixture looks like damp breadcrumbs, then add the water a little at a time to make a stiff dough. Knead for 5 minutes, cover and rest for 30 minutes.

  2. Boil the whole potatoes in salted water for 20 minutes until a knife slides in easily. Drain, cool, peel and crush roughly with a fork so some small chunks remain.

  3. Heat the 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the cumin and coriander seeds and cook for 30 seconds, then stir in the ginger and green chillies and cook for 1 minute.

  4. Add the turmeric, chilli powder and peas and cook for 2 minutes. Fold in the potatoes, garam masala, mango powder, salt and fresh coriander. Spread on a plate and let it cool completely.

  5. Divide the dough into 8 balls. Roll each into an oval about 20cm long and cut in half across the middle to make 16 half-circles.

  6. Brush the straight edge of a half-circle with the flour paste, then fold it into a cone and press the seam shut. Fill the cone with 1 heaped tbsp of filling, brush the open rim with paste and pinch it closed. Repeat with the rest.

  7. Heat the frying oil in a deep, heavy pan to 160°C, checking with a thermometer. Fry 5 or 6 samosas at a time for 10 to 12 minutes, turning occasionally, until deep golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.

  8. Serve hot with mint chutney or tamarind chutney.