These crisp Traditional Potato Samosas are packed with fluffy spiced potatoes, chillies and fresh ginger in a golden pastry crust. So much flavor in one of my favorite authentic Indian recipes.
Table of Contents
- Why You’re Going To Love These Potato Samosas
- Potato Samosa Ingredients
- How To Make These Life-Changing Samosas
- What To Serve These With
- Make Ahead Instructions
- Storage InstructionsÂ
- Variations of Potato Samosas
- FAQs
- Other Recipes You Won’t Want To Miss
- Variation: To Make Samosa Potatoes
- Potato Samosas Recipe
Why You’re Going To Love These Potato Samosas
- They are crispy and crunchy on the outside, and soft in the center.
- My Indian husband agrees that this recipe is the ultimate in comfort food. Serve as a starter before my favorite Butter Paneer, the best Butter Chicken, Vindaloo Lamb or Pork Curry, or this incredible Shrimp Korma recipe. (Along with a batch of this Instagram-viral Butter Naan recipe!)
- Taste explosion, the combination of potato, spices, and fresh peas, is absolutely delicious.
- A convenient snack item to keep in your freezer and whip out when needed.
Potato Samosa Ingredients
- Potatoes. Pick russet potatoes for their lovely waxy texture. Yukon golds are a great option too.
- Oil. Use an oil with a high smoke point and neutral-tasting flavor to carry the spices in.
- Butter. You can use ghee or plant-based butter if you prefer.
- Onion. Choose a juicy white onion that is full of sweetness.
- Cumin. Toasty cumin seeds always put their best food forward.
- Jalapeno. These give the perfect amount of heat and they won’t overpower the whole recipe. You may substitute others like green chillies or Thai red chillies but the samosas will be spicier.
- Ginger. Use minced of grated fresh, juicy ginger.
- Garam masala. Key to the curry flavor and fragrance in these potato samosas.
- Turmeric. Earthy, glowy turmeric is a must in this filling.
- Cayenne. I love the little kick from cayenne pepper.Â
- Peas. Frozen or fresh green peas will work fine. These add a pop of fresh flavor to the dish.
- Cilantro. Fresh coriander really lightens the rich filling of this samosa recipe up.
- Flour. You can use all-purpose flour in the recipe for samosa dough.
How To Make These Life-Changing Samosas
- Boil the potatoes in a pot of salted water until tender but not falling apart. Drain thoroughly.
- Meanwhile, heat oil and butter in a dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin seeds and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
- Next, add jalapeno and ginger; cook until softened, about a minute more, then add the salt and remaining spices.
- Reduce heat to low. Add the drained potatoes and peas and toss gently but thoroughly to coat. Cook, frequently stirring, until hot. Taste and add more salt if needed. Stir in cilantro.
- To make the dough, combine flour and salt in large mixing bowl, then stir in oil. Add water, little by little, to form a workable dough. Form the dough into a ball and wrap in a damp kitchen towel to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- To shape the samosas, divide the dough into 6 equal portions, then roll each into a smooth ball on a well-floured surface. Roll each ball into a thin, oblong shape, then use a knife to slice in half lengthwise to make a half-moon. Take one half in your hand, brush some water on the edges, and fold into an open cone shape, pressing edges to seal. Hold the cone and fill with about 2 tbsp potato filling. Pinch to seal Allow it to sit on a cutting board to form a flat bottom. Finish shaping remaining samosas.
- To fry the samosas, pour the oil into a deep saucepan or dutch oven to a depth of 3″ over medium heat. Fry the samosas in batches once the oil reaches about 200ºF. Fry for 15 minutes until golden, then increase heat to high and cook for 5 minutes at a hotter temperature until deep golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain.
What To Serve These With
Make Ahead Instructions
You could make your filling ahead of time; a day or two is fine. Just keep it in an airtight container in the fridge.
You can wrap the samosa filling in its dough casing and then store them in the fridge until you’re ready to fry them.
You can also deep fry the samosas, allow them to cool, and reheat them in the oven a day or two later.
Storage Instructions
If you have any leftover samosas, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Place the samosas in an airtight container and cover them with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.
Variations of Potato Samosas
- Cheese and potato samosas: Adding grated cheddar cheese to the potato filling can make for a creamy and delicious alternative. Serve these with a tamarind chutney.
- Sweet potato samosas: Sweet potatoes can be added instead of regular potatoes for a bit of fun.
- Mixed veggie samosas: A mixture of vegetables, such as carrots, green beans, and corn, can be added to the potato filling for a healthy and colorful twist.
FAQs
Samosas are deep-fried which brings into question whether they are healthy. Eating them in moderation and in line with a healthy balanced diet overall, is perfectly healthy.
Yes, samosas are part of Indian cuisine.
Crispy, crunchy, golden delicious on the exterior. Filled with spicy, savory goodness in the center.
Commonly, aloo samosa is made with potatoes, herbs, and spices.
Other Recipes You Won’t Want To Miss
If you adore comfy Indian food as much as I do, you need these beloved Indian recipes in your life! This Shrimp Korma and fan-favorite Butter Paneer or Butter Chicken recipes are great places to start. Or for vegetarians, this recipe for Creamy Madras Lentils is so easy and so, so delicious. My Authentic Indian Chai is a perfect accompaniment to these crispy samosas.
And here are a few other favs not to miss:
Variation: To Make Samosa Potatoes
“Samosa Potatoes” are what I call this dish when I make just the filling component. It makes a savory, delicious mashed potato dish like the inside of a potato samosa (because, well, it IS!).
Double the ingredients of the filling to serve it as this delicious Indian-style potato side dish that’ll serve 4 people.
Potato Samosas
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ¾ cup water plus 1 tbsp
For Potato Samosa filling:
- 1 lb potato peeled and chopped
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 finely chopped medium onion
- 2 tbsp finely chopped jalapeno
- 2 tsp finely grated ginger packed
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp cayenne
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- â…“ cup frozen peas
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
To make the dough
- Combine flour and salt in large mixing bowl, then stir in oil. Add water, little by little, to form a workable dough. Form the dough into a ball and wrap in a damp kitchen towel to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
To make the potato filling
- Cover the potato with 1" of water in a medium saucepan. Cook until tender, then drain in a colander and coarsely mash it with a fork. Set aside.
- Return saucepan to medium heat and melt the butter. Add onion plus ½ tsp salt and cook about 6 minutes, until translucent and just starting to brown.
- Add jalapeño and ginger, cook a minute more, then stir in the spices. After about 30 seconds (when spices smell aromatic) add mashed potato, remaining salt, frozen peas and cilantro; stir until well combined, then transfer to the fridge to cool.
To shape the samosas
- Divide the dough into 6 equal portions, then roll each into a ball. Roll each ball into a thin circle, then use a knife to slice in half lengthwise to make two half-circles. Take one half in your hand, brush some water on the edges, and fold into an open cone shape, pressing edges to seal. Hold the cone and fill with about 2 tbsp potato filling. Pinch to seal Allow it to sit on a cutting board to form a flat bottom. Finish shaping remaining samosas. You’ll have 12.
To fry the samosas
- Pour the oil into a deep saucepan or dutch oven to a depth of 3" over medium heat. Fry the samosas in batches once the oil reaches about 200ºF. Fry for 15 minutes until golden, then increase heat to high and cook for 5 minutes at a hotter temperature until deep golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain.
Video
Notes
- 1 lb potato is about 1 large russet or two medium yellow potatoes.
- Fry the samosas in small batches, so the oil doesn't cool.
- Use a damp towel while it's resting the dough, so it doesn't stick or dry out.
- Taste seasoning before "finalizing" the filling. You don't want it to be bland.
- Customize the heat level by adjusting how many jalapenos you add to the mix.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love samosas but have never tried to make them myself. This recipe turned out perfectly and the samosas were so good. Thank you!
These samosas are perfect! I recently had them at a friend’s for the first time and can’t wait to try these myself. Thanks!
Loved this samosa recipe! The dough was so crispy and flaky, and the potato filling was wonderfully creamy.
Oh wow! Now these sound absolutely addictive. 🙂 I love the flavor combo happening here.
Any chance you can air fry these?
I haven’t tried it but I’ll do it this week! I’m sure it would work, you’d just need to brush or spray with oil on all sides.
Could you share the sauce you pictured serving. Thanks
Hi Katie! That’s storebought tamarind chutney: https://amzn.to/3IyWetU
Thank you!
These are perfect. Love them!
Could these be air fried ???
Sure! Just brush all over with oil first and rotate them a couple of times for even cooking. They’ll probably take about 15 mins to heat through but check often.
These are so good!
This recipe is PERFECT. It was my first time making samosa filling which we had as a side, not as a samosa. But there’s so much leftover I will attempt samosas with it tomorrow. The flavor was exactly what I was looking for and have already shared the recipe with others. Thank you so much.
PS- Your story about your sister is funny.