Recipe of the month: Vegetarian Samosa

This weekend, I thought I’d make samosas at home from scratch. Although I do eat samosas, I am rather picky about the filling and more often than not, I come across samosas that I don't like. 

My ideal samosas should be crispy, not oily and have a simple and mildly spiced filling. The heavily spiced varieties that have two dozen ingredients crammed into them just don't do it for me. I particularly detest biting into a chunk of pungent coarse whole spices. That is the reason I am quite weary of ordering samosas from unfamiliar food establishments. I tend to stick to the places that make them the way I prefer. 

I feel quite lazy to prepare samosas at home since they are not at the top of my list of favourite deep-fried snacks. On the occasions that I have prepared them at home in the past, I’ve taken the easy way out by preparing the filling and then using store-bought spring roll sheets to wrap them in. This time I thought why not do everything myself especially since my husband loves homemade samosas. It turned out to be not as time consuming and labor intensive as I imagined it would be. And the results were good so it was indeed worth the effort 😊

Here is my samosa recipe. I have slightly modified it from the way my Atthe (mother-in-law) makes them. Samosas are highly customizable so you can modify the recipe based on your preferences. My MIL serves her samosas with a coconut based chutney. I prefer mine with a chilli sauce and mint chutney. 

Here is my rendition. I hope you give it a try.

Vegetarian Samosa

Preparation time: 1 hour
Cook time: 20-30 min
Makes: 20 medium sized samosas
Serves: 5-6

Recipe category: Starter or Snack/North Indian

Recipe level: Intermediate
Recipe source: Adapted from my MIL


Ingredients:

For the outer covering: 
2 cups plain flour (maida)
4 tbsp corn flour

1/4 tsp ajwain, Optional
1/2 cup warm oil
Salt to taste
Water to knead dough

For the filling: 
4 large potatoes, cooked, peeled and mashed
1 heaped tsp cumin seeds
1/2 cup green peas
1 large red onion, finely chopped 

1-2 green chillies , finely chopped (adjust according to spice level)
1 pod garlic, minced  

1 large bunch finely chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp amchur (dry mango) powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder, Optional
Salt to taste

1/2 tsp sugar
Vegetable oil, for deep frying


Method:

For the dough: 

Rub the plain flour, corn flour, ajwain (if using) and salt together with the warm oil for about 3-4 minutes till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. This step is important so please take the time to do it. Then add cold water little by little, kneading just until it turns into a stiff and firm dough. Make sure to not over knead and do not make the dough too soft. Cover with a damp towel and let it rest for 30-40 minutes.

For the filling: 

1. Heat oil and add cumin seeds. Once they start to splutter, add green chilli and garlic. Fry for a minute and then add onion and sauté till light brown. Add turmeric powder, amchur powder, salt, sugar, red chilli powder (if using) and garam masala powder. Stir fry for 2 min. Now add the cooked and mashed potatoes and cooked peas. Stir for further 2 minutes. Add the chopped coriander leaves. 

Keep aside to cool completely.

2. Divide the dough into 10 equal sized balls and the filling into 20 equal sized balls. Keep in mind that from one dough ball you can make two samosas, hence the difference in number. 

3. Roll out a dough ball into a uniform 5" diameter round (disclaimer: I am not very good at rolling round shapes). It should not be too thick or thin. Try to roll it out by smearing a little oil on the rolling surface. Sprinkle a little flour only if necessary. Cut into two semi-circles. 

Fold as shown below.

4. Place the filling in the cone and seal (use water to moisten the edge and press together).

5. If you want, you can crimp the edge with a fork to make it look prettier or else just it pinch together. I have done both ways. 

6. Fry in moderately hot oil (the oil shouldn't be too hot or on a high flame), on low to medium heat till the samosas turn golden brown. Do them in small batches so as to not overcrowd  the oil and lower the temperature. Drain thoroughly on paper towels.

7. Serve hot with the chutney/sauce of your choice. You could go for chilli sauce, tamarind-date chutney or mint chutney. 


Notes:

• Preferably use russet potatoes as they have lower moisture content
• You can bake the potatoes in the oven to eliminate moisture
• Adjust the spice level according to your preference

Cheers,
Megha