Iftar and tea-time classic · Crispy

Samosa Recipe (Crispy Punjabi Aloo Samosa)

Stiff dough. Rub in fat. Fry low and slow.

Farwa ZeeshanRecipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchen

Punjabi samosas have a thick, blistered, crisp crust around spiced potatoes. They turn soft and oily when the dough is soft or the oil is too hot. The fix is rubbing ghee into the flour until it holds when pressed, a stiff dough, and frying on low heat for 15 minutes.

Prep40m
Cook25m
Servings6
kcal / serving260
LevelMedium
Jump to the method

The 3 laws of samosa

Why this recipe works

Rub in fat

Little fat

Makes the crust flaky.

Stiff dough

Soft dough

Soft dough goes oily.

Low heat

Hot oil

Blisters and crisps.

Shopping and prep list

Ingredients

Servings
Tap items as you gather them · 0 of 0 ready

Dough

Filling

The NineFoods oil gauge

Is the oil ready?

Drop a small piece into the oil.

Tap a stage to see what to do.

Method · 4 stages

Step by step

1

Dough

No heat · 30 min
  1. Rub ghee into flour, ajwain and salt until it holds when pressed.
  2. Add water to a stiff dough and rest 30 minutes.
Look for: stiff, smooth dough.
30:00
2

Filling

Medium · 8 min
  1. Fry cumin, coriander, ginger and chillies, add peas, potatoes and spices.
  2. Cool completely.
Look for: dry, spicy filling.
08:00
3

Shape

No heat · 15 min
  1. Roll ovals, cut in half, make cones, fill and seal with water.
Look for: tight, sealed samosas.
15:00
4

Fry

Low oil · 15 min
  1. Fry on low, turning, until blistered and golden.
  2. Raise heat for the last minute.
Look for: blistered, golden crust.
15:00

Chef's troubleshooter

What went wrong? Pick the symptom

Why

Dough soft or oil hot.

Fix next time

Make a stiff dough and fry on low.

Why

Oil too hot.

Fix next time

Start in warm oil on low.

Why

Not sealed.

Fix next time

Seal edges with water and press firmly.

Why

Under-seasoned.

Fix next time

Add amchur and salt.

Swap smart

Ingredient roles and substitutes

IngredientJob in the dishSwap with
Plain flourCrustHalf atta
GheeFlakinessOil
PotatoesFillingKeema for a meat samosa
Deep fryingCrispAir fryer 180 C, 15 minutes, brushed with oil

After the meal

Serve, store, reheat

Serve with

Imli chutney, mint chutney or chana.

Store

Freeze uncooked samosas up to 2 months.

Reheat

Oven or air fryer 180 C, 6 minutes.

How we tested this recipe

Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio

Farwa Zeeshan

Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.

  • Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 6 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
  • Every one of the 4 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
  • The doneness check (is the oil ready) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
  • Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.

Read our full testing process

Keep cooking

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Quick answers

Samosa FAQ

Why are my samosas not crispy?

The dough was soft or the oil too hot.

How do I get blisters on samosa?

Use a stiff dough and fry slowly on low heat.

Can I freeze samosas?

Yes, freeze them uncooked and fry from frozen on low.

Can I bake samosas?

Yes, at 200 C for about 25 minutes, brushed with oil.