These homemade samosas are golden, crispy, and filled with a spiced potato filling that’s totally irresistible. Serve them on their own or with chutney on the side!
Wrapped in a crispy, seasoned dough, these homemade samosas are just like the real deal. Deep-fried until crumbly, these golden packets are all about the spiced potato filling inside. Flavored with garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and other whole and ground spices, these samosas are an Indian spice market in every bite. Between the crunchy pastry and the savory filling, they’re pretty addictive, so it’s good that this recipe makes 24!
What Are Samosas?
Samosas are traditional Indian packets made of deep-fried dough filled with a variety of meat or veggie fillings. Their shape, like their filling, depends on the region. There are triangular, conic, and even half-moon samosas. They’re a common Indian street food served on their own or with different chutneys as dipping sauces.
Recipe Ingredients
It’s all about the spice mix for these homemade samosas! Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for full ingredient amounts.
For the Dough
- All-purpose flour – Whole wheat flour works too. No cake flour, bread flour, oat flour, or any GF alternatives.
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Caraway seeds
- Ghee – Don’t substitute this.
- Water – You won’t need the whole thing.
To Make the Spice Mix
- Garam masala – Chaat masala is a good alternative.
- Ground cumin
- Ground turmeric
- Cumin seeds
- Coriander seeds
- Chili powder – Feel free to leave this out.
For the Filling
- Potatoes – Use your favorite kind.
- Water
- Ghee – Vegetable oil works too.
- White onion – Feel free to use yellow onion.
- Coriander
- Salt
- Vegetable oil – Corn and canola oil work too. No olive oil because its smoke point isn’t high enough for frying.
How to Make Samosas
Fried over low heat for the best results; the key to easily making entire batches is letting the dough rest. Do that and add some peas, and you’ll be making samosas just like the ones in New Delhi street food markets. Prepping ahead and making sure you’re not in a rush will make the production of homemade samosas much quicker.
For the Dough
- Rub the ghee. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, salt, garlic powder, and caraway seeds until well combined. Pour the melted ghee in. Use your hands to carefully rub the ghee into the flour for 5-7 minutes. You should get a sandy mixture.
- Knead it. Add in 1 tablespoon of water at a time, kneading in between each one until a smooth dough comes together. You don’t need the full cup of water. The dough typically requires 4-7 tablespoons of liquid.
- Let it rest. Roll the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set it aside to rest for 1-2 hours.
- Roll the dough. Divide the dough into 12-14 equal portions. Roll each one into a ball. You can get more samosas if you make them smaller. Cover the balls with a clean kitchen towel so they don’t dry out.
Make the Filling
- Make the spice mix. While the dough rests, make the spice mix. Combine the garam masala, ground cumin, ground turmeric, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and chili powder in a small bowl. Set it aside.
- Boil the potatoes. Fill a large pot with water. Add your potatoes and bring them to a boil over high heat. Let them cook for 12-15 minutes or until fork-tender. Strain them and set them aside.
- Bloom the spices. Melt the 3 tablespoons of ghee in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add the whole spice mix. Use a spatula to stir it around constantly. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Watch out for popping coriander seeds!
- Cook the onions. Add the diced onion to the pan and stir it into the spice mix. Let it cook for 5-6 minutes or until softened.
- Mash the potatoes. Place the boiled potatoes in the pan and use a potato masher to purée them. Make the mixture as chunky or smooth as you like. Add the chopped coriander and mix it in. Season with salt to taste. Remove them from the heat and set the filling aside.
Assemble the Samosas
- Flatten it. Sprinkle a little flour onto your work surface. Flour your rolling pin too. Roll out one ball of dough at a time into a large oval. The dough should be thin like a tortilla or pasta. Slice the oval in two down the middle, through the shortest width.
- Shape them. Place one half of the oval into your extended palm. The flat (cut) side should be pointing toward your fingers. Carefully cup your hand and use your other hand to gently tuck the dough into your palm, creating a small crevice. You will do this for every samosa.
- Fill them. Add 1-1.5 tablespoons of filling to the center. Repeat this for every samosa too.
- Seal them. Moisten the edges with water and pinch the samosa closed in a triangular manner. You can also seal them like half moons for an easier take on this. Whichever way you decide to do it, make sure the edges are completely sealed. Repeat the last three steps for all the filling and dough.
Fry the Samosas
- Fry them. Fill a medium-sized pot with vegetable oil. Place it over medium-low heat. Allow the oil to heat for 3-5 minutes before gently lowering 4-5 samosas into the oil. There shouldn’t be any vigorous sizzling, only a gentle bubbling of the oil. In comparison to other deep-fried foods, it will seem like the oil is too cold— but be patient. Let them fry for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are just starting to gain a little color.
- Make them golden. Raise the heat to medium and let the samosas fry for another 3-5 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully remove them from the oil and set them on a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to cool. Serve warm and enjoy.
Tips for Success
- Let the dough rest. Sometimes the weather will be against you and you’ll need to let the dough rest for longer than 2 hours. Just let it be. If you try to work with stiff dough, making your samosas will be super hard.
- Keep it off cold counters. Marble and stone countertops make it really hard for the dough to relax because they tend to be cold. Try to keep the dough in a cabinet or inside the oven (turned off) to let it rest properly.
- Add peas. Adding 1/4-1/2 cup of green peas to the filling will make another very traditional kind of veggie samosa.
- Don’t over-knead. Knead the dough until it’s smooth, but don’t keep going forever. If you knead too much, you’ll develop the gluten in the dough and it’ll become tough and stringy.
Serving Suggestions
These homemade samosas are great on their own as snacks, but you can also serve them as appetizers with all your Indian-style dishes. I particularly love them with my Jeera Rice (Cumin Rice) and Sheet Pan Tandoori Chicken for some protein. Butter Chicken is also a favorite!
How to Store Leftovers
Once fully cooled, refrigerate leftover samosas in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To freeze them, assemble them as usual, but do not cook them. Place the samosas on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 1 to 2 hours. Transfer them to a freezer-friendly bag or container and freeze them for up to 3 months. Don’t thaw them before cooking; add them to the oil straight from the freezer, but add 2-3 minutes of cooking time.
More Indian Inspired Recipes
ENJOY!
Samosas Recipe
These golden and crispy homemade samosas are filled with Indian-spiced potatoes that make every bite an explosion of texture and flavor.
Servings : 24 samosas
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
- ¼ cup melted ghee
- 1 cup water
For the spice mix:
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon chili powder
For the samosas:
- 4 medium potatoes, about 1-pound, peeled and roughly chopped
- water, for boiling
- 3 tablespoons ghee, melted
- ¾ cup diced white onion
- 3 tablespoons freshly chopped coriander
- salt, to taste
- vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, salt, garlic powder, and caraway seeds in a large mixing bowl until well combined. Pour the melted ghee in. Use your hands to carefully rub the ghee into the flour for 3 to 5 minutes or until the dough resembles crumbles.
- Add in 1 tablespoon of water at a time, kneading in between each one until a smooth dough comes together. You don't need the full cup of water. The dough typically requires 5 to 7 tablespoons of liquid.
- Then roll the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set it aside to rest for 1 to 2 hours.
- Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water. Add your potatoes and bring them to a boil over high heat. Let them cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until fork-tender. Strain them and set them aside.
- Make the spice mix: combine the garam masala, ground cumin, ground turmeric, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and chili powder in a small bowl. Set it aside.
- Melt the 3 tablespoons of ghee in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add the whole spice mix. Using a spatula, stir constantly while it cooks for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the diced onion to the pan and stir it into the spice mix. Let it cook for 5 minutes or until softened.
- Place the boiled potatoes in the pan and use a potato masher to purée them. Add the chopped coriander and mix it in; season with salt to taste. Remove from the heat and set the filling aside.
- Divide the dough into 12 to 14 equal portions. Roll each one into a ball. You can get more samosas if you make them smaller. Cover the balls with a clean kitchen towel, so they don't dry out.
- Sprinkle a little flour onto your work surface. Flour your rolling pin too. Roll out one ball of dough at a time into a large oval. The dough should be thin, like a tortilla or pasta. Slice the oval in two down the middle through the shortest width.
- Place one-half of the oval into your extended palm. The flat (cut) side should be pointing toward your fingers. Carefully cup your hand and use your other hand to gently tuck the dough into your palm, creating a small crevice. You will do this for every samosa.
- Add 1.5 tablespoons of filling to the center. Repeat this for every samosa.
- Moisten the edges with water and pinch the samosa closed in a triangular manner. Make sure the edges are completely sealed. Repeat the last three steps for all the filling and dough.
- Fill a medium-sized pot with vegetable oil. Place it over medium-low heat. Allow the oil to heat for 4 to 5 minutes before gently lowering 4 to 5 samosas into the oil. There shouldn't be any vigorous sizzling, only a gentle bubbling of the oil. Compared to other deep-fried foods, it will seem like the oil is too cold, but be patient. Fry the samosas for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges gain a little color.
- Raise the heat to medium and let the samosas fry for another 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully remove them from the oil and set them on a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to cool.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- All-purpose flour: Whole wheat flour works too. No cake flour, bread flour, oat flour, or gluten-free alternatives.
- Let the dough rest. If your working area/room is cold, you’ll need to let the dough rest for longer. Making samosas will be challenging if you try to work with stiff dough. I suggest resting the dough in a warmer spot or inside a (turned-off) oven.
- Don’t over-knead. Knead the dough until it’s smooth, but don’t keep going. If you knead too much, you’ll develop the gluten in the dough, becoming tough and stringy.
- Ghee: Don’t use butter or any other substitutes.
- Potatoes: I like to use about 1 pound of medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes, but you can use your favorite kind.
- Add 1/2 cup of green peas to the filling to make another traditional veggie samosa.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 samosas | Calories: 75 kcal | Carbohydrates: 9 g | Protein: 1 g | Fat: 4 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 10 mg | Sodium: 50 mg | Potassium: 25 mg | Fiber: 0.5 g | Sugar: 0.2 g | Vitamin A: 8 IU | Vitamin C: 0.4 mg | Calcium: 5 mg | Iron: 1 mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
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