In this post I am sharing with you step by step directions to make spicy aloo stuffing, samosa dough and how to wrap samosas. To make it easy I have shared recipe video along with my secret tips to make best samosas. So here is recipe to make Indian Punjabi Samosa that I have learned through experimenting and trying. And, not to make tall claims, till now whoever have tasted it, says these are easily the best samosas they have tasted. However, if you want a shortcut recipe you can make samosa with Samosa sheets. But if you want real taste of samosa, then make this Indian Punjabi samosa recipe at home from scratch. These homemade Punjabi samosas have flaky samosa pastry, spicy potato stuffing and then deep-fried to golden perfection. It is easy to make samosa at home but it requires time and its lengthy procedure. If you ask me the whole process of making samosa requires a lot of patience and a care, but end result, the crispy and flaky hot homemade samosa just like your favourite Halwai shop (sweet shop) is totally worth it.
How To Make Samosa ?
Making samosa is a long process and, each step is important. Getting the dough right, making spiced aloo stuffing or frying at the right temperature for crispy texture.
Making Samosa Dough
Samosa dough is made with flour, oil and salt. The flour used for making dough is All purpose flour or maida. Depending upon the type of cover you want to make, different ingredient ratio is used. For a puffy and thick cover use 6 tablespoons of oil plus ¾ cup of water while kneading the dough. Keep it aside for ½ an hour covered with a thin cloth. This will make a semi-soft, smooth dough known as khasta samosa with a flaky crust. This covering cover looks like the picture given below. For a crisp and thinner cover, use ¾ cup of water and 4 tablespoons of oil in the dough and rest the dough in a similar way. The result of this cover is given below. Here I have shown you both the covers, you can choose the perfect one for you. For me, the best Indian Punjabi samosa cover crust with 4tbsp of oil works better.
How to Make Perfect samosa covering
You can choose from two types of samosa dough according to your preference. Always remember the rules of deep frying, which is to keep the heat in medium-low when putting in the samosas, switching it to medium when frying, and later turning it to medium-high when you are taking them out. High heat turns the oil thin which makes it less oily. It is important to mix the oil in the flour before adding water so that you get the desired texture of the pastry/crust.
How to Make Spiced Potato Filling for Samosa
Potato or Aloo filling is main component of a good Punjabi samosa recipe. I make this spiced aloo stuffing with some green peas or matar. Very few spices are used and a fresh coriander, green chillies and ginger. Sometimes I add small cubes of paneer in the stuffing. But if you do not want to add too many other ingredients and make just aloo samosa skip peas or any other addition because you know aloo samosa is always THE BEST. Another most important aspect of filling is, I do not add onion or garlic. One can add or skip depending on preference. But I have never come across both of these in Punjabi style recipe. This recipe is naturally Vegetarian and Vegan, so it is good for vegans and vegetarians both. In fact, you will find most of the Indian cooking is Vegan and vegetarian-friendly.
Three Ways to Cook Samosa
Deep Fried Samosa
Traditionally Samosas are always deep fried. For deep frying samosa are either fried in deep fryer or a pot of hot oil. One by one samosa is added in hot oil and then cooked on medium to slow heat till it becomes crispy. With newer cooking methods available and some people want to avoid deep fried food. I am sharing various cooking methods of making samosa.
How to Bake Samosa
Yes! You can make baked samosa in the oven very easily. I suggest using the first type of dough for the baked version. To make baked samosa in oven first brush it with oil and then bake at 200C for 20-30 minutes. In between baking, once or twice again brush it with oil Now with the New microwave coming up with preset menus and diet fry functions, you can even make baked samosa in the microwave.
How to make Air fried samosas
As I always say, these are foods for indulgence, I still prefer deep fried ones as far as taste is concerned. But if you want to make Air Fryer samosa, these taste good too. For making Air fried Samosa, use second type of dough I have mentioned above made with less oil. Air fry at 200C for 15 Minutes, brush with oil again change the side and air fry for 5 more minutes for perfectly crispy air fried samosa. { Baking and Air Frying time May Vary slightly depending upon oven or Air fryer brand so I suggest watch them in between if you are making this recipe for the first time}
Step by Step Samosa Recipe
First to make dough, add flour, salt, carrom seeds, oil in a big bowl and mix. Rub it nicely to make a crumbly bread crumb like mix. Using cold water kneed a stiff dough. Do not over knead, just combine and mix everything to bring the dough together
Next Make Spicy Potato and Peas filling for the samosa.
Pour 2-3 tablespoon water and cook peas. Tip in the roughly mashed boiled potatoes and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Take it off heat and keep aside. The samosa filling is ready.
Shape 1, cocktail samosa a.k.a small triangles. Roll out the dough in a round chapati with the help of a rolling pin. Cut the chapati from the middle. Take one half and make a cone out of it using very little water to stick the ends. Fill in the aloo matar stuffing. Seal the ends of samosa-like I have shown is step by step video and deep fry them.
To deep fry fill a pan with oil to fry. Heat the oil till smoky point. Slow down the heat and add 2-3 samosa together. Deep fry on low heat till light golden and crispy (12-14minutes). Now increase the heat to brown them perfectly and drain out of oil. Prepare next batch like wise. Samosas are ready.
How to Make Samosa Ahead and Refrigerate
You can make samosa in advance and refrigerate them. You can make the recipe till folding step and refrigerate them. Now the question is till how long you can keep these samosas. You can store them in the freezer. You can store frozen samosa in the freezer for up to 6 weeks. You can keep them refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. To cook take them out of freezer and fry up without thawing.
How To Serve?
If you make small ones, you can serve them as appetizers or finger snack is known as cocktail samosa. You can serve them with green chutney and Imli ki chutney/ sweet tamarind chutney. You can also serve it as samosa chat just the way I did (Watch video for that) Samosa with tomato ketchup or Red chilli sauce is not bad either. if you are feeling lazy. You can serve them as chole samose with topping them with this Pindi Chana or Amritsari chana and chutneys.
Recipe Notes
While making dough, properly mix oil and flour. Rub flour and oil till it resembles like bread crumbs. Do not over knead the dough. For the flaky texture you just mix and bring it together. The texture of the dough had to be stiff . If dough is soft it does not make crispy samosa. Always rest the dough for 30 minutes before rolling it out for making samosa. For crispy samosa roll the sheet thinly and evenly. The thickness should be enough to contain the samosa filling. DO not roll too thin otherwise filling may spill out. For rolling samosa, do not dust with flour. If it is difficult to roll apply few drops of oil to make it easy. To fry samosa always keep the heat low. This way you will get crispy samosa always. In the last 2-3 minutes you can increase the heat for perfect browning.
Originally the recipe was posted on 16 June 2018 updated on 28April 2020
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