Homemade samosas are a world away from those dry cardboard triangles sold under the name in supermarkets. Instead, they have delicately flaky and deliciously rich pastry and a generous stuffing that’s easily tweaked to suit all tastes. Veggie-friendly, portable and very moreish, they’re easy to prepare ahead, too, making them a great choice for picnics or taking to work for lunch.
Prep 15 min
Rest Up to 1 day
Cook 1 hr
Makes 24 mini samosas or 12 larger ones
For the pastry
130g plain flour
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp nigella seeds (optional)
2 tbsp neutral oil, plus extra for greasing
For the filling
1 medium potato (about 175g)
1 small green chilli
1 tbsp finely grated ginger
1 tbsp neutral oil
½ onion, finely chopped
½ carrot, finely chopped
50g green cabbage, cored and finely shredded
50g paneer, cut into small dice (optional; or crumbled feta, chopped cashews or peanuts, or more of the vegetables)
Fine salt
40g peas
Juice of ½ lemon
1 small bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped
Neutral oil, for deep-frying
For the masala
10g cinnamon sticks
1 tsp cloves
1½ tsp cumin seeds
3-4 small dried red chillies
1 Start the pastry
To make the pastry (if you’re really averse to pastry making, you could use two layers of filo brushed with melted butter instead, but I promise you it’s worth the relatively minimal effort), put the flour in a large bowl and whisk in the salt and nigella seeds, if using (though optional, they look pretty and taste great).
2 Knead, then rest
Rub the oil into the flour, then add just enough cold water (probably about 50ml) to bring everything together into a stiff dough. Knead the pastry on a lightly greased surface for about five minutes, until smooth, then brush with a little oil, cover and leave to rest. (You can make this a day ahead and store, wrapped in the fridge.)
3 Cook the potato …
Give the potato a good scrub (leave the skin on, unless it’s very dirty) and put it in a small pan of cold water with a generous shake of salt. Bring to a boil, simmer until tender in the centre, then drain, return to the hot pan and leave to steam dry. Roughly mash the potato, then set aside.
4 … and make the masala
While the potato is cooking, finely chop the chilli, removing the seeds and pith if you don’t want the samosas to be too hot. Pound to a paste with the grated ginger, then set aside. Toast the ingredients for the masala in a hot pan until fragrant, then grind to a smooth powder.
5 Fry the veg
Put the oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat and fry the onion until soft. Add the carrot, turn down the heat slightly, and cook, stirring, for five minutes. Add the cabbage and fry for another five or so minutes, until it’s beginning to soften. Meanwhile, if using paneer, sprinkle it with salt (there’s no need to do this if you’re using a saltier cheese).
6 Finish the filling
Add the paneer and peas, cook for a couple of minutes, then stir in the ginger and chilli paste and half a teaspoon of the masala spice blend, and cook, stirring, for another couple of minutes. Stir in the mashed potato and lemon juice, then season to taste. (You can, if need be, make the filling a couple of days in advance.)
7 Roll and shape the pastry
Divide the pastry into 12 x roughly 18g balls for small samosas (or six x 35g ones for larger pastries), then cover with a damp tea towel so they don’t dry out. Roll out one ball into a roughly 10cm-diameter circle (or 18cm for larger samosas), then cut it in half. Wet the round edge of one half with water, form into a cone, then press together the edges to seal.
8 Stuff the samosas
Stir the coriander into the filling mixture, then stuff into the cone. Wet the top edge, pinch to close, then fold over any remaining pastry. Repeat with the remaining dough balls and filling, making sure each samosa is well sealed. (Once filled, they can be kept, covered and in the fridge, for a few hours until you’re ready to fry.)
9 Fry and serve
Heat a deep frying pan with about 4cm of oil to about 175C (or use a deep-fat fryer). When the oil has come up to temperature, add a batch of samosas (don’t overcrowd the pan) and cook until golden brown, turning as necessary. Scoop on to paper towels and serve immediately, or pack in a single layer for transporting.
