Superb Samosas

Superb Samosas

Samosas are one of those things we genuinely get excited about making at home. There's something so satisfying about that first bite, the shatteringly crisp pastry giving way to a warmly spiced potato and pea filling that smells absolutely incredible while it's cooking. We've made these for dinner parties, lazy weekends, and honestly just for ourselves on a Tuesday night when we wanted something a bit special. The spices do all the heavy lifting here and the result is so much better than any takeaway version. Make these tonight and we promise you'll be glad you did.

Cook: 80 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Medium saucepan
  • Large bowl
  • Small bowl
  • Rolling pin
  • Large baking tray lined with parchment
  • Large plate lined with paper towels
  • Microplane or fine grater
  • Fork for mashing
  • Potato filling chilled for 15–20 minutes
  • Dough rested for 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ tsp sea salt
  • 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil
  • 225g plain flour
  • 75ml water
  • tbsp vegetable oil for frying - around 1 litre
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 white onion
  • 1 potato - around 150g
  • thumb sized piece of fresh ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • pinch of chilli powder
  • 100g frozen peas
  • ½ small bunch of coriander
  • 150ml water
  • salt to taste
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 200g plant-based yoghurt
  • ½ lime
  • ½ small bunch of coriander
  • ½ small bunch fresh mint

Method

1

Make the filling 

  • Peel and finely chop the onion
  • Peel the potato and cut it into 1cm cubes
  • Peel and finely grate the ginger and garlic
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in the medium saucepan
  • Add the onion and fry for 2–3 minutes until softened
  • Add the ginger, garlic and spices and fry for 2 minutes until fragrant
  • Add the potatoes, peas and a generous pinch of salt, stir to mix
  • Pour in the water
  • Cover the pan and cook for 13–15 minutes over a medium heat, until the potato is tender
  • Roughly chop the coriander and fold it in
  • Taste and season
  • Crush the potatoes a little with a fork, tip them into a bowl and set them aside to cool to room temperature
  • Put the bowl in the fridge to chill for 15–20 minutes
2

Make the dough 

  • Measure the flour and salt into a bowl and stir to combine
  • Make a well in the centre, add the oil and water and mix
  • Once the ingredients have come together, tip on to the floured surface and knead for 5–7 minutes until you have a smooth dough
  • Put the dough back in the bowl, cover and set aside for 30 minutes
3

Make the raita 

  • Finely chop the coriander
  • Pick the leaves from the mint and finely chop
  • Add the herbs, dairy-free yoghurt and the juice of the lime to a bowl and stir to combine
  • Taste and season with salt and pepper
4

Fill the samosas 

  • Divide the dough into 9 even balls
  • Roll each ball into a 12cm circle and cut each circle in half
  • Take one semicircle and lightly brush the straight edge with water
  • Bring the two corners of the straight edge together to form a cone, overlapping the edges by about 1cm
  • Press the overlap together to seal
  • Spoon 1 tablespoon of the filling into the cone
  • Pinch the top together to seal
  • Lay the samosa on the lined tray and repeat to make 18 samosas
5

Fry the samosas and serve

  • Pour the vegetable oil into the saucepan so that it comes halfway up the side of the pan
  • Heat the oil to 180°C, or until the oil sizzles around the edges when you dip in a wooden spoon
  • Gently lower 4–5 samosas into the oil and fry for 2–4 minutes until golden, puffed and crispy
  • Transfer the samosas to the lined plate and repeat until all the samosas are cooked
  • Serve immediately with the raita on the side

Tips & Variations

  • Get ahead with the filling: The potato and pea filling can be made a day in advance and kept in the fridge. It actually tastes even better the next day once the spices have had time to settle in.
  • Crimp them properly: Take your time sealing the edges firmly, pressing them together well. A loose seal means filling leaks out during frying and the oil gets messy fast. Trust us on this one.
  • Bake instead of fry: If you'd rather not deep fry, brush the samosas with a little oil and bake them at 200C for about 25 minutes until golden. They won't be quite as crispy but they're still absolutely delicious.

Why This Works

The trick here is getting the filling properly dry before it goes into the pastry. If it's too wet, you'll end up with soggy samosas and nobody wants that. We also fry off the spices with the ginger and garlic before adding anything else, which really wakes them up and gives the filling that deep, fragrant flavour that makes these so good.