Rediff reader Rachna tells us how to make crispy samosas at home. You can share your recipes too!
Samosas are a great anytime snack. Here's how to make it!
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
- 1/4 tsp salt as required
- 2 1/2 tbsp butter or ghee
- 3 tbsp cold water
- Oil for deep frying (I used olive oil. You can use any edible oil.)
For the stuffing
- 2 medium-sized potatoes diced (baking potatoes are recommended)
- 1/4 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1/4 tsp red chilli powder or 1 green chilli (adjust as per taste)
- A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- 1/2 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp oil
- 1/2 tsp dry mango powder (amchur)
- Salt as required
- 1 tsp whole spices roasted and crushed
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp dry pomegranate powder
- Green peas (optional)
Method
- Sieve the flour in a large mixing bowl.
- Add salt, butter or ghee and carom seeds.
- Mix well using your fingers. The colour must have changed to pale yellow from white. This is because of the butter we used.
- Add 2 to 3 tbsp of cold water to the mixture and start kneading to prepare the dough.
- Be sure the dough should be firm enough, else samosa crust will not be flaky. Dough should not stretch at all.
- Let it rest for at least 30 minutes so that gluten starts forming.
- Place the pan on medium flame and pour 1 tbsp of oil. Add cumin seeds. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for few seconds till raw aroma goes away.
- Add peas and saute. Add some cashews (optional).
- Add whole spices, potatoes and mix.
- Add salt and green chillies or red chilli powder. Mix well by crushing the potatoes a little. Don't mash it. Keep aside.
- To make the cone, knead the dough again. If it is too rough to handle, add few drops of water to make it smooth.
- Pinch a lemon size ball from the dough. Press it firmly to flatten it into a disc form.
- Roll out the dough into a flat pastry sheet. It should neither be too thick nor too thin.
- Make a cut with a knife or a pastry cutter through the centre of the pastry and cut in two halves.
- On the straight edge of the sliced pastry, apply some water with the fingertips. Here water acts as glue.
- Join the ends bringing the watered edge on top of the plain edge to give a cone shape.
- Make a small fold to shorten the circumference of the top of the cone.
- Fill the stuffing in cone, apply some water with fingertips on the circumference and press both the edges to seal the samosa.
- Stretch the lower edge and make it sit on a plate. This makes samosa to hold their shape.
- Repeat for the rest of the dough and cover them with a cloth. Let them rest for 20 minutes. Resting time is important because air drying reduces the chance of formation of air bubbles on crust of samosa.
- Heat some oil and deep fry the samosa on medium heat till it cooks evenly and the crust changes colour to golden brown.
- Drain the samosas on a paper towel.
- Serve hot with sweet tamarind chutney and green chutney or a cup of tea.
Image: Rachna
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