Samosa Recipe – Immaculate Bites

Samosas vs. Empanadas

Both samosas and empanadas consist of dough filled with meat, potatoes, or veggies that are either fried or baked. But they vary in shape. Samosas are somewhat triangular, and empanadas are usually semi-circle.

Samosas are commonly associated with Asian, Mediterranean, and African cuisine and are heavily spiced with turmeric, cayenne, and curry powder. Empanadas are a popular snack among Latino communities and can be sweet, like pineapple empanadas, or savory, often filled with picadillo.

Recipe Ingredients

1. Dough Ingredients – Flour, sugar, salt, and ghee (or oil) mixed with water make the simple but delicious, crispy outer layer. 
2. Chicken – I like to grind my chicken at home, but finely diced chicken or pre-ground chicken meat from the store will work just fine for this recipe. You can also use ground beef or pork.
3. Peas – Opt for frozen peas instead of canned ones for optimal flavor in this recipe.
4. Aromatics – Garlic, onion, and ginger add aroma and flavor to the filling.
5. Seasonings – Curry, cayenne, smoked paprika, white pepper, and hot pepper or chili sauce make a comforting, spicy curry that’s second to none. Fresh chopped parsley makes for a nice contrast, too. 

How to Make Samosas

Make the Filling

• Saute – In a medium-large skillet, add the oil, onions, garlic, ginger, and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent burning. (Photo 1)
• Season – Add the curry, pepper sauce, paprika, white pepper, and cayenne, and continue stirring with a heavy wooden spoon for about 2 minutes. (Photo 2)
• Add Meat – Add ground meat and mix thoroughly. (Photo 3)
• Simmer for 5 minutes or more. Finally, throw in peas, parsley, and salt to taste. Adjust seasonings to taste. Remove from the heat and let it cool. (Photo 4)

Make the Dough

• Combine – In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center and add water and ghee or oil. Knead to form a soft and sticky dough. (Photo 5)
• Knead – Place the dough on a heavily floured board and knead for 3-4 minutes. Continue to flour dough as needed to facilitate kneading, being careful not to overdo it. The dough should be soft, elastic, and smooth. (Photos 6-8)
• Divide – On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into eight balls. (Photo 9)
• Roll a dough ball with a lightly floured rolling pin into a circle; cut it in half.  (Photo 10)

Assemble the Samosas

• Spoon 1-2 generous tablespoons of filling in the center of a half-circle. (Photo 11)
• Seal – Next, lightly moisten the dough edges with water or flour paste with your finger. Fold the end over the filling to form a triangle, and then continue to fold up the strip in triangles, like you would a flag. Repeat with the remaining dough. Set the samosas on a tray. (Photos 12-13)

Cook the Samosas (Frying Instructions)

• Heat Oil – In a large saucepan, pour vegetable oil until it is at least 3 inches deep, and heat on medium until the oil is at least 350℉ (180℃).
• Fry – When the oil is hot enough, gently place a few samosas at a time into the saucepan. Fry for a few minutes until the bottom side is light brown. Turn over and fry for a few more minutes until the other side is golden brown.
• Drain – Use a large slotted spoon or spider to take them out of the oil and place them on a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining samosas.
• Serve – Allow to cool slightly and serve hot or at room temperature with avocado ranch dressing and pepper sauce.

Cook the Samosas (Baking Instructions)

• Prep – Place the samosas on a baking sheet and brush them with canola oil. 
• Bake at 375℉ (190℃) for about 20 minutes until golden brown, turning once. (Photo 14)
• Serve hot or at room temperature.

Recipe Variations

1. Swap the meat. You can use any ground meat you’d like for this recipe. Switch out the chicken for beef, pork, lamb, or even venison.
2. Make a vegetarian samosa. Skip the chicken and use cubed potato, peas, and carrots or sweet potatoes and chickpeas instead. 
3. Try seafood samosas. Follow the recipe, but use shrimp or fish instead of chicken for the filling. Yum!
4. Samosa chaat. You can use these samosas as the base for a popular Indian street food. Pile mango chutney, roasted chickpeas, and fried potatoes and vegetables on top of your samosa for an incredibly satisfying meal.

Tips and Tricks

1. If pressed for time, pick up a package of filo or phyllo dough at the store instead of making the dough yourself.
2. Don’t overcrowd the pan when you fry the samosas. That can make the oil temperature drop quickly. The samosas will take longer to cook, may cook unevenly, and will likely taste greasy.
3. When frying, use a heavy-bottomed pot pan with reasonably high sides. The heavy bottom (like you have with a cast iron pan) will keep the oil temperature steady. The high edges will protect you from oil splatters while you deep fry. 🙅🏿‍♀️

Make-Ahead Instructions

Samosas taste best fresh from the frying pan, but you can make the filling one day ahead. Simply store it in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to assemble and cook the samosas. 

Serving and Storage Instructions

Serve them warm or at room temperature with refreshing drinks and fun dipping sauces.

Store leftover chicken samosas in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. To reheat them, pop them in an air fryer or convection oven for a few minutes, and they’ll crisp back up nicely. Or put them in a 350℉ (180℃) oven for about 10 minutes or until warmed through and crisped. 

What Goes With Samosas

Dipping sauces go great with samosas. Peruvian green sauce or African pepper sauce is amazingly tasty. Even ranch dressing tastes excellent with these babies.

For a whole appetizer bar, serve them alongside smoked brisket sliders to balance the flavors and textures. 👌

More Fantastic Fried Pastries to Try

1. Jamaican Fried Dumplings
2. Sopapillas
3. Puff Puff
4. Aloo (Potato) Pie
5. Fried Dough

Watch How to Make It

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”01NFZ5Og” upload-date=”2019-05-07T06:56:10.000Z” name=”Samosa Recipe” description=”Samosa Recipe – Baked or fried super crispy Chicken Samosas full of well-seasoned chicken, peas  and spiced up with just enough spices and heat. Great make ahead appetizer for parties .”]

This blog post was originally published in October 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.