- Prep time40 mins
- Cook time30 mins
- Servings6 (about 12 samosas)
- DifficultyMedium
- CategoryDesi
A great samosa shatters. That texture comes from moyan — oil rubbed into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs — and from frying low and slow, never hot and fast. The filling is deliberately dry: boiled potatoes crumbled (not mashed) with peas, so steam does not sog the shell from inside. Fold, seal with a flour paste, and fry until the crust turns the color of weak tea, then deep gold.
Ingredients
- For the dough: 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup (60 ml) oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds), about 1/2 cup cold water
- For the filling: 4 medium potatoes, boiled and crumbled
- 1/2 cup (75 g) green peas
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 2 green chilies, minced
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp amchur (dried mango powder)
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped
- Oil, for deep frying
Method
- Rub the oil, salt and ajwain into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add cold water a little at a time and knead into a firm, stiff dough. Rest 30 minutes — a soft dough makes oily samosas.
- For the filling, heat 2 tbsp oil, crackle the cumin seeds, then add ginger and chilies for 1 minute. Add the spices, then the crumbled potatoes and peas. Cook 5 minutes, stirring, until dry. Cool completely.
- Divide the dough into 6 balls. Roll each into an oval, cut in half — each half makes one samosa.
- Form a cone from each half, sealing the straight edge with a dab of water-flour paste. Fill with 2 tbsp of filling, then seal the top edge firmly, pinching out any air.
- Heat oil to 150 C (300 F) — medium-low. Fry the samosas in batches for 12 to 15 minutes, turning, until deep golden and crisp.
- Drain on a rack and serve hot with tamarind and mint chutneys.
Tips for success
- The dough must be stiff — soft dough absorbs oil and turns soggy.
- Low, slow frying is what makes the crust blister and shatter; hot oil browns the outside while the inside stays doughy.
- Seal every edge completely — a leak means oil gets in and filling gets out.
Watch video tutorial
Prefer to watch it being made? This from NishaMadhulika walkthrough covers the same samosa step by step — the spoken narration doubles as an audio tutorial.