I luuuurve samosas. The kind we get around here are mostly vegetarian – mashed potatoes, soft peas, gentle heat from green chili, enclosed in a flakey, deep-fried pastry crust and served with a sticky-sweet chutney… serious Indian comfort food. Like these incredible homemade potato samosas.
Sometimes we make the hike out to Vancouver’s Little India (49th & Main, if you’re local) to purchase our weight in fifty-cent samosas and eat them in the car, straight out of the greasy paper bag – pastry flaking all over our shirts, tamarind chutney dribbling down our chins, rogue peas making their way under car seats (and into bras…). And we call it dinner.
The filling-to-(deep fried)-pastry ratio, however, isn’t really optimal for calling it a meal on a regular basis (especially if you want to get the heck back into your pre-pregnancy jeans!). And so we have my super yummy brain-child, Samosa Pie.
Lean ground turkey (or chicken), potatoes, peas, lots of chopped fresh cilantro, and ample spice, topped with just enough crust (try my easy homemade pie crust recipe or just use puff pastry) to have a bit of buttery flavour and textural contrast with every forkful.
You can alternatively use this recipe to finish leftover mashed potatoes (see: the best mashed potatoes recipe you’ll ever try) and skip boiling freshy potatoes.
You can make your own mango chutney to serve alongside it, or buy a bottle (psst. if you love Indian mango recipes, you should make this Mango Kulfi for dessert). It’s actually quick and simple (and delicious!) to make while the pie bakes… and you can replace the mango with fresh peaches or plums, when they’re in season.
If you’d like to use homemade pastry, you could halve this recipe to make a single crust. Bake the same way, until golden brown.
Also, I have doubled the recipe and stuck one in the freezer (pastry unbaked) – it’s excellent as a cook once, eat twice meal! Just lower oven temperature by 25 degrees and bake from frozen – covered in tin foil for an hour or so first, then remove foil and continue baking until pastry is done.
If you adore samosas as much as I do, you must also try these to-die-for Chicken Samosas. And while we’re boarding the Indian comfort train, you haven’t lived if you haven’t tried this viral Butter Naan recipe, these insanely delicious and arguably best Butter Chicken and Butter Paneer recipe, or my off-the-hook tasty Chicken Korma. Ok, I’d be doing you dirty if I also didn’t point out my Lamb Vindaloo or Vindaloo Pork Curry as well. Enjoy, friends!
Samosa Pie
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp ghee or butter
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb ground chicken or turkey
- 2 tbsp garam masala or curry powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- salt
- 1 ½ lbs potato about 2 medium russets, diced
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup green peas frozen or fresh
- ½ cup minced fresh cilantro
- 1 sheet of puff pastry thawed (1/2 a 17-oz package) OR homemade single pie crust recipe
Instructions
- Heat ghee or butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Add jalapeno and garlic; cook 1 minute more.
- Stir in ground chicken, garam masala, turmeric and 1 1/2 tsp salt. Cook until chicken is no longer pink.
- Stir in diced potatoes and water; cover pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Stir in peas and cilantro. Taste, and adjust seasoning – you’ll probably need more salt.
- Transfer mixture to a 2-quart (2 L) baking dish. Roll out pastry and place over top. Cut a few steam vents.
- Bake at 400 degrees until crust is golden brown, about 25 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 499kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 20gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 195mgPotassium: 1024mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 537IUVitamin C: 39mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 3mg
Last Updated on October 4, 2023 by Jennifer Pallian BSc, RD
To make this vegetarian, would you recommend simply omitting the meat or omit and increase the pea and potato amounts? Thank you! I can hardly wait to make this!
I love this recipe for its simplicity, flavor, and because it allows me to enjoy a restaurant favorite in a healthier way. I make it with sweet potato and a can of chickpeas in lieu of the meat and it still tastes great.
Delicious! I diced the potatoes on the smaller side and didn’t have a problem with the cook time at all. Definitely follow the recipe and check if you need more salt, add suggested – I did. Even more delicious the next day! I can’t wait to make it with a gluten-free crust for my friend who’s been missing out on samosas for too long 🙂
I think I’ve probably made this 20 times by now, but all but two times, we just make the “filling”, and then serve it over rice. Ha! We just got a new convection oven today, and this is the first recipe I’m cooking in it, with the puff pastry top, of course. 🙂
I’ve been making this for years and I always enjoy it. My family loved it when I made it for them, too. Very nice with a chutney. I do make some changes to cook times, though.
I think when you add the chicken, cook it and break it up for a minute or two and then add your potatoes to boiling, salted water once this time is up. Leave potatoes in this water for five minutes (no need to bring it back to a boil; it will, though) and continue to work the chicken. When the five minutes are up, remove potatoes with a slotted spoon and transfer to chicken mixture and add the remaining ingredients. Toss to combine. and follow steps 4-5.
This shaves off about 20 minutes of cooking time and it doesn’t come out dry or anything.
This is also nice if you can bloom some cumin seed in the oil before adding the onion. Maybe some fennel seeds as well.
Such a genius recipe! So delicious and makes two sets! Love it.