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North India / pan-Indian street food · Indian

Samosa (Punjabi Aloo Samosa)

India's most famous snack: a crisp, flaky pastry triangle stuffed with spiced potatoes and peas. Made from scratch, with the secret of a low-and-slow fry for that signature blistered crust.

By Table & Traditions Editors

Published July 17, 2026

A plate of crisp golden Punjabi samosas with a blistered flaky crust, one broken open to show the spiced potato-and-pea filling, with bowls of tamarind and green chutney.

The samosa travelled to India from Central Asia and Persia (where the sambusak was a meat pastry) by the medieval period, and was adapted into the now-iconic potato-and-pea version of North India. Today it's the country's defining tea-time and street snack, sold everywhere from railway platforms to wedding buffets.

Yield
Makes 12 samosas
Prep
40 min
Cook
30 min
Total
About 1 hr 10 min
Difficulty
Intermediate

The samosa is India’s snack without rival — a crisp, flaky pastry triangle packed with spiced potatoes and peas, sold on every street corner and served at every celebration. It arrived centuries ago from Central Asia and Persia and was reinvented around the potato into the version the subcontinent now claims as its own.

The crust is the whole game

A great samosa is defined by its shell: crisp, flaky, with a faintly blistered, glassy surface. Two things deliver it. First, a stiff dough with plenty of ghee rubbed in (the moyan) — soft dough makes soft, greasy samosas. Second, and most important, a low and slow fry. Frying at a gentle 140–150°C for a quarter of an hour sets the crust gradually; rushing it on high heat gives you a bubbled, oily disappointment.

A filling with tang

The potato filling should taste lively, not bland. Amchur brings the signature tang, crushed coriander seeds add texture and aroma, and ginger and green chili keep it bright. Mash the potatoes roughly — a little chunk is welcome.

Shape, seal, serve

Form cones, fill, and seal carefully so no oil sneaks in. Serve hot with tamarind and mint-coriander chutneys, ideally alongside a cup of masala chai — or break them into a samosa chaat. Round out a North Indian spread with chole bhature and finish sweet with jalebi.

Ingredients

Makes
12

For the pastry

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (maida)
  • 4 tbsp ghee or oil (moyan) Rubbing fat into the flour is what makes the crust flaky — don't skimp.
  • 1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
  • 1/2 tsp salt, cold water to bind

For the filling

  • 4 potatoes, boiled and roughly mashed
  • 1/2 cup green peas, boiled
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 inch ginger, minced
  • 1–2 green chilies, chopped
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds (crushed), 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp amchur (dried mango powder), 1/2 tsp red chili powder, salt
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

To fry

  • neutral oil, for deep-frying

Method

Tap a step’s number to check it off as you go.

  1. Rub the ghee into the flour with ajwain and salt until it resembles coarse crumbs and holds shape when pressed. Add cold water a little at a time to make a stiff, firm dough. Rest, covered, 30 minutes.

    Why: A stiff dough with plenty of rubbed-in fat is the key to a crisp, flaky, blistered crust. A soft dough gives soft, oily samosas — the opposite of what you want.

  2. For the filling, temper cumin in oil, add ginger, chilies and crushed coriander, then the mashed potato, peas and dry spices. Cook a few minutes, finish with amchur and coriander leaves, and cool completely.

    Why: Amchur gives the tangy lift that defines a good aloo filling; cooling fully prevents the hot filling from steaming and weakening the pastry.

  3. Divide the dough into 6 balls, roll each into an oval and cut in half. Form each half into a cone, fill it, and seal the top edge with a little water, pleating to close.

    Why: A well-sealed cone holds the filling and gives the classic triangular shape; any gap will let oil in and filling out during frying.

  4. Fry in oil kept at a LOW-medium heat (about 140–150°C) for 12–15 minutes, turning, until pale gold and crisp, then raise the heat briefly at the end to deepen the colour.

    Why: Low, slow frying is the single most important secret: it sets the crust gradually and creates the blistered, glassy, restaurant-style texture. Frying hot gives a bubbled, soft, greasy shell.

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Variations

  • Keema samosa

    Fill with spiced minced lamb or chicken instead of potato for the Mughlai-style meat samosa.

  • Baked

    Brush with oil and bake at 200°C for 25–30 minutes; less flaky than fried but lighter.

  • Air-fryer

    Air-fry at 180°C for about 18–20 minutes, turning once, for a lower-oil version.

Serving & Storage

Serve hot with tamarind (imli) chutney and green coriander-mint chutney. Samosa chaat — broken up and topped with chickpeas, yogurt and chutneys — is a popular way to serve them too.

Pairs with: Tamarind chutney, Mint-coriander chutney, Masala chai, Chole.

Storage: Best fresh and hot. Shaped, unfried samosas freeze well for up to a month — fry from frozen on low heat. Fried samosas can be re-crisped in an oven or air-fryer.

Nutrition

Per serving (2 samosas)

Calories
340
Protein
6 g
Carbs
44 g
Fat
16 g
Fiber
4 g
Sugar
3 g
Sodium
480 mg

Notable micronutrients: Vitamin C, Potassium

Estimated using standard ingredient data. Values vary with brands and substitutions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are my samosas not crispy?

Two usual culprits: too soft a dough (use a stiff dough with plenty of rubbed-in ghee) and frying too hot. The secret is a low, slow fry — about 140–150°C for 12–15 minutes — which sets the crust gradually into a crisp, blistered shell.

Can I make samosas ahead?

Yes. Shape them, freeze on a tray, then bag them. Fry straight from frozen on low heat — no need to thaw. This is how many home cooks keep samosas ready for guests.

What makes the filling taste like a street samosa?

Amchur (dried mango powder) for tang, crushed-not-ground coriander seed for texture, and a generous hand with green chili and ginger. The potatoes should be roughly mashed with some chunks, not smooth.

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