Samosas Recipe | The Recipe Critic

Craving some crispy, golden goodness? Look no further than these fried potato and pea samosas, seasoned to perfection with a savory curry blend. Trust me, your taste buds will thank you for trying this recipe!

Try your hand at making Indian food at home with a few more of my recipes: Butter chicken, garlic naan, and tomato chutney!

Homemade Samosas

Samosas are a staple in Indian cuisine for good reason. These delicious savory pastries are made with a vegetable or meat filling, spiced to perfection and tucked inside a buttery dough. From there, the samosas are shallow fried until they’re golden brown and crispy on the outside. YUM!

This specific recipe for samosas is made with a potato, pea, and curry filling. You are going to love every flavorful bite! Make them to accompany your next Indian-inspired meal. Trust me, your taste buds will thank you.

Ingredients Needed

I know it looks like a lot, but the spices and seasonings in this samosa recipe are what make it so good! Exact measurements are in the recipe card below.

Dough:

• All-Purpose Flour: The base of the samosa dough, providing structure and texture.
• Thyme: A subtle herb adding a touch of earthy flavor.
• Salt: Enhances all the flavors and balances the sweetness of the filling.
• Ghee (Clarified Butter): Adds richness and flakiness to the dough.
• Cold Water: Binds the dough together without making it tough.

Filling:

• Russet Potatoes: The main filling ingredient, providing a creamy, hearty base.
• Ghee: Adds richness and flavor to the sauteed vegetables.
• Cumin Seeds: A warm, earthy spice.
• Coriander Seeds: A citrusy, floral spice that complements the cumin.
• Fennel Seeds: A sweet, licorice-like spice.
• Ginger: Adds a kick of flavor to the samosa filling.
• Green Chili: So the filling has a touch of heat and freshness.
• Green Peas: Add pops of sweetness and texture to the filling.
• Lemon Juice: Brightens the overall flavor a bit.
• Turmeric: A warm, earthy spice that also adds a beautiful yellow color.
• Garam Masala: A warming blend of spices like cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.
• Cilantro: Because you can never go wrong with fresh herbs. Especially for homemade samosas!
• Salt: Enhances all the flavors. You only need a little bit.

Frying:

• Oil: You will also need any high-heat oil like vegetable or peanut oil, used for shallow frying the samosas in.

How to Make Samosas

Homemade samosas take a bit of preparation and you need to keep a close eye on them as they cook, but it’s SO worth it! Here is every step to making this Indian staple at home, broken up into 3 parts:

Make the Dough

1. Dough Mixture: To a bowl, whisk together the flour, thyme, and salt. Add the ghee to the four mixture and mix well with your fingers until all the ghee has been incorporated. You should have a shaggy dough that can hold its shape when pressed together.
2. Adjust Consistency: Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, kneading the dough as you add it until you have a fairly stiff dough, it shouldn’t stick to your hands.
3. Rest: Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Make the Filling

1. Boil Potatoes: Peel the potatoes and cut them into 2 inch chunks then boil them until they are just fork tender, you don’t want them to be too soft and mushy.
2. Drain: Drain the boiled potatoes then roughly chop or crumble them, do not mash them. Set the potatoes aside.
3. Heat Ghee With Spices: Heat the ghee in a medium size pan over medium high heat, add in the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and fennel seeds and saute until they begin to sizzle.
4. Add Veggies: To the pan add in the ginger, green chilis, and peas. Saute everything for about 2 minutes.
5. Add in Remaining Ingredients: Lastly add in the lemon juice, turmeric, garam marsala, fennel powder, cilantro, salt to taste, and potatoes. Mix everything together well and saute for another 2 minutes.
6. Cool: Remove the filing from the pan and then set it aside to cool. Once the filling has cooled nearly to room temperature it is ready to assemble.

Assemble Samosas / Fry

1. Divide Dough: Divide the dough into 6 equal portions, form into balls, cover and let them rest about 10 minutes.
2. Roll Out: Roll each ball into flat disks, about 7 inches across. Press them between two pieces of parchment paper to roll flat.
3. Cover: Keep the flattened dough sections covered to avoid drying them out, work with one dough section at a time.
4. Create a Cone Shape: Cut the round in half, wet the flat edge of one half of the round and press the ends together to form a cone.
5. Fill and Seal: Fill the cone with about 2 tablespoons of the filling, gently pack it in. wet the inside edge of the open side and press it closed.
6. Repeat: Repeat with the other half of the round and then with the rest of the dough. This will yield 12 samosas.
7. Heat Oil: Heat 2 inches of oil in a large heavy bottom pan over medium heat, a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the oil should sizzle when the oil is hot enough.
8. Fry: Add enough samosas to the pan to leave some room between, you will need to work in batches. Fry the samosas for about 1 minute on each side, they should be golden and crispy but not develop dark brown spots.
9. Transfer to Plate: Remove the fried samosas from the pan, place them on a paper towel lined plate to allow any excess oil to be absorbed.
10. Enjoy: Once all the samosas are finished frying, serve them fresh with Mango Chutney or tamarind sauce.