A great samosa is all about contrast: a shatteringly crisp, slightly flaky crust against a soft, warmly spiced potato filling. Two things make or break it — a stiff dough with enough fat, and frying low and slow so the shell turns glassy and bubbled rather than soft.
Ingredients
- Dough: 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 tbsp oil or ghee · ½ tsp ajwain (carom) · salt · cold water
- Filling: 3 potatoes, boiled & roughly mashed
- ½ cup green peas · 1 tsp cumin seeds · 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground coriander · 1 tsp grated ginger · 1–2 green chilies
- ½ tsp amchur (dried mango powder) · oil for frying
Method
- Rub the oil into the flour with the ajwain and salt until it clumps when pressed. Add cold water a little at a time to form a stiff, firm dough. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
- For the filling, temper cumin seeds in a little oil, add ginger and chilies, then the boiled potatoes, peas, garam masala, coriander and amchur. Season well and cool.
- Divide the dough into balls and roll each into a thin oval. Cut in half. Take one half, form a cone (seal the straight edge with water), fill with potato, and pinch the top closed firmly.
- Heat oil to a moderate 150–160°C (300–325°F) — not screaming hot. Fry the samosas slowly, turning, for 10–12 minutes until pale gold, blistered and crisp.
- Drain and serve hot with mint or tamarind chutney.
🥟 Low and slow is the secret
Fry samosas in moderately hot oil, not blazing. Too-hot oil browns the outside while the crust stays soft. A gentle fry gives you that classic glassy, bubbled shell.