Punjabi Samosa
The king of Indian street snacks: a flaky, blistered pastry folded into a cone and stuffed with spiced potatoes and peas, fried slowly until deep golden. Serve hot with mint and tamarind chutneys.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Make a stiff dough
Rub the oil into the flour, and salt with your fingertips until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs, then add the water a little at a time to form a firm, smooth dough. Cover and let it rest 30 minutes so the crust bakes up blistered and crisp.
- 250g flour
- 1 tsp
- 60ml vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 90ml cold water
✅ Done when: dough is smooth, firm, and springs back slowly when pressed
Cook the filling
Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle a few seconds, then add the ginger, chilies and peas and cook 3 minutes until the peas are bright green and tender. Stir in the potatoes, ground coriander, , and salt, cook 3-4 minutes until hot and well mixed, then fold in the cilantro and let the filling cool completely before using.
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp ginger
- 2 green chilies
- 100g green peas
- 600g potatoes
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp
- 1 tsp
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 small bunch fresh cilantro
✅ Done when: filling is dry, fragrant, and completely cool
Shape the cones
Divide the dough into 6 balls, roll each into a 20cm oval, then cut in half to make 12 pieces. Wet the straight edge of each piece, fold into a cone, seal the seam, fill with 2 tablespoons of the cooled filling, then wet and pinch the top edge closed.
- all the dough from step 1
- all the filling from step 2
- 2 tbsp water
✅ Done when: cones are fully sealed with no gaps and the filling is enclosed
Fry slowly
Heat the frying oil in a deep pan to about 150°C (just warm, not sizzling) and fry the samosas gently for 10-12 minutes, turning now and then, until the pastry feels firm. Raise the heat to 175°C and fry 2-3 minutes more until deep golden and crisp.
- 1 liter vegetable oil
- all the shaped samosas from step 3
✅ Done when: crust is deep golden brown and crisp to the touch
Serve hot
Drain the fried samosas on paper towels and serve hot with mint and tamarind for dipping.
- all the fried samosas from step 4
- to taste mint
- to taste tamarind
Make a stiff dough
Rub the oil into the flour, and salt with your fingertips until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs, then add the water a little at a time to form a firm, smooth dough. Cover and let it rest 30 minutes so the crust bakes up blistered and crisp.
- 250g flour
- 1 tsp
- 60ml vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 90ml cold water
✅ Done when: dough is smooth, firm, and springs back slowly when pressed
Cook the filling
Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle a few seconds, then add the ginger, chilies and peas and cook 3 minutes until the peas are bright green and tender. Stir in the potatoes, ground coriander, , and salt, cook 3-4 minutes until hot and well mixed, then fold in the cilantro and let the filling cool completely before using.
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp ginger
- 2 green chilies
- 100g green peas
- 600g potatoes
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp
- 1 tsp
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 small bunch fresh cilantro
✅ Done when: filling is dry, fragrant, and completely cool
Shape the cones
Divide the dough into 6 balls, roll each into a 20cm oval, then cut in half to make 12 pieces. Wet the straight edge of each piece, fold into a cone, seal the seam, fill with 2 tablespoons of the cooled filling, then wet and pinch the top edge closed.
- all the dough from step 1
- all the filling from step 2
- 2 tbsp water
✅ Done when: cones are fully sealed with no gaps and the filling is enclosed
Fry slowly
Heat the frying oil in a deep pan to about 150°C (just warm, not sizzling) and fry the samosas gently for 10-12 minutes, turning now and then, until the pastry feels firm. Raise the heat to 175°C and fry 2-3 minutes more until deep golden and crisp.
- 1 liter vegetable oil
- all the shaped samosas from step 3
✅ Done when: crust is deep golden brown and crisp to the touch
Serve hot
Drain the fried samosas on paper towels and serve hot with mint and tamarind for dipping.
- all the fried samosas from step 4
- to taste mint
- to taste tamarind
The Story Behind the Dish
Filled, fried pastries travelled to South Asia from Central Asia and the Middle East, where versions called sambusak and sanbosag were described in medieval texts. Early Indian samosas were often filled with minced meat, and they were served at royal courts.
The potato filling that most people know today came much later — potatoes only reached India with Portuguese traders in the 16th–17th centuries and became popular afterwards. In Punjab the samosa took its now-classic large, cone-shaped form with a spiced potato and pea filling.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Samosas are sold everywhere in India, from railway platforms to wedding buffets, and are the go-to snack with a cup of chai.
💡 Fun Fact
The tiny bubbles on a great samosa crust are called 'khasta' — they come from rubbing plenty of fat into the flour and frying the pastry very slowly.
Punjab, North India
31.63°N, 74.87°E
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