# Indian Potato Samosas

> The shell of an Indian samosa should be **blistered and crisp, not smooth** — because it fries over **very low heat for a long time** (12-15 minutes). High heat puffs it up, leaves it smooth and lets it soften quickly.

**Indian Cuisine · 90 min · 6 servings · 210 kcal per serving**

The samosa is the best-known snack of the subcontinent, sold on every street. A slightly thick pastry filled with spiced potato and peas, fried until crisp. Entirely vegetarian, cheap, and it freezes beautifully.

## Ingredients


### Dough
- 2 cups — flour
- 4 tbsp — ghee or oil
- 1 tsp — salt
- 1 tsp — ajwain (carom seeds) — optional
- 0.5 cup — cold water

### Filling
- 5 حبات — boiled potatoes, coarsely mashed
- 1 cup — peas
- 2 حبات — green chillies, chopped
- 1 tbsp — grated ginger
- 1 tsp — cumin seeds
- 1 tsp — ground coriander
- 1 tsp — garam masala
- 0.5 tsp — turmeric
- 1 tsp — amchur (mango powder) or lemon
- 1 tsp — salt
- 0.25 cup — fresh coriander

### القلي
- 3 cups — oil

## Method

1. **The pastry** — Rub the flour with the ghee, salt and ajwain by hand until it looks like coarse sand. Add the cold water **gradually** to make a **firm, slightly stiff** dough — not soft.
2. **Rest** — Cover with a damp cloth and leave **30 minutes**.
3. **The filling** — Fry the cumin seeds in two spoonfuls of oil, add the ginger and chilli, then the peas and spices, and finally the mashed potato, amchur and salt. Stir 4 minutes and let it cool.
4. **Shape** — Divide the dough into 8 balls, roll each into a circle and cut it in half. Take a half, brush the straight edge with water, form a cone, fill it, and seal the base.
5. **Fry over low heat** — Oil over **low heat (140-150°C)**. Lower the samosas in and leave them **12 to 15 minutes**, turning, until pale golden and blistered.
6. **Drain** — Drain on a wire rack and serve with tamarind or mint chutney.

## Tips

- A firm pastry, not soft — soft pastry puffs and comes out smooth.
- Very low heat and a long time — that is what creates the blistered surface and the lasting crunch.
- The filling completely cold before shaping.
- They freeze raw beautifully — fry straight from frozen over low heat with two extra minutes.

## FAQ

### Why did my samosas come out smooth instead of blistered?
The oil was too hot, or the pastry was too soft. Low heat and a firm pastry are what give that distinctive blistered surface.

### How are they different from Arab sambousek?
Arab sambousek uses thin ready-made pastry and fries fast. The Indian samosa uses a homemade, thicker pastry fried slowly, so the shell is crisp like a biscuit.

### Can I bake them?
Yes — brush with oil and bake at 190°C for 30 minutes, turning. Much lighter, but the shell will not blister.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/indian-cuisine/indian-potato-samosas
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-09-12