I love Samosa and I don’t think I could even put it in words, how much I love a good Aloo Samosa. I generally don’t like deep frying anything and I am not very fond of eating such stuff either. If there is one exception, that has got to be Samosa. I have very fond memories of packets of Samosa that dad used to bring home, from his visits to the market. We had one shop that made really good Samosas and all my first as well as best memories are from there.
During my college times, the now husband who was just a friend back then used to get Aloo Samosa for both of us to have for the hour long journey back home. Piping hot samosas with sweet dates chutney and spicy green chutney on the moving, crowded electric train used to be such a bliss! I guess I fell for the Samosa trick more than anything 😀 A few years ago when we had the chance to be at the same railway station, we looked for that little shop and got ourselves a samosa each, just to relive those beautiful days.
I have always wanted to make perfect, fail-proof Aloo Samosa at home. I have posted sweet corn samosa in the past but my quest for a perfect Punjabi style Samosa was still on. It’s strange what gives us inspiration at times. When the husband got me tea glasses, I just knew I had to make Samosas to go with it!
For making best Samosa at home, with crisp flaky pastry on the outside it is necessary to get the oil in the right temperature. There is no shortcut to making that perfect outer pastry than slow frying it in oil until golden brown. If the oil is too hot, the outside cooks quite fast with bubbles all over it. Although this version is as tastier, it doesn’t stay crisp for long. When Samosas are slow cooked, the outer pastry is mostly smooth, without many bubbles and it remains crisp for long.
There are some things that are better done the original way and if you ask me, Aloo Samosa is something I wouldn’t have it any other way. But if you are looking for low calorie version of Baked Samosa, let me tell you that this recipe works great for baking as well. I had to literally use a teaspoon of oil for brushing on the samosas, before baking and they turned out so good!
How to make Aloo Samosa | Punjabi Samosa
📖 Recipe
Detailed step-wise picture recipe of making Aloo Samosa | Punjabi Samosa
To Prepare the Samosa Masala
Boil potatoes in their jackets in a pressure cooker for a single whistle. Remove the skin and chop into small squares.
In a pan, heat oil. Add coriander seeds and finely chopped green chillies along with ginger garlic paste. Fry for a few seconds.
Add all spice powders – asafoetida, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder and fry for a few seconds.
Next add chopped boiled potatoes and green peas. Add salt as needed and cook for few mins.
As the masala is coated on the potatoes, gently mash them.
Add finely chopped coriander leaves and remove from heat. Let it cool down completely.
To Prepare Samosa Pastry Dough: In a wide mixing bowl, add all purpose flour, salt, ajwain/carom seeds and oil.
Mix everything together and when the flour is held together, it should form a lump.
Add 1 tablespoon of water at a time and knead the dough.
The dough should be firm and kneaded well.
Separate the dough into six equal parts.
To Make Aloo Samosa
Roll a ball of dough into a circle of 2mm thickness. It should neither be too thin nor too thick. Cut it in half.
Take one half and apply water on the longer side.
Fold & press the longer side edges together and form a cone.
Fill a tbsp. of potato masala in the center. Make sure not to put a lot of masala as it may come out while frying.
Brush water around the edges and seal them together. This way, the samosa would stand up straight.
Prepare the rest of the samosas similarly and keep it ready.
Meanwhile heat oil for deep frying. Once the oil is hot, set it on low flame. When a piece of dough is added, it should not immediately come to the top. It means the oil is too hot. Add samosa one or two at a time and slow fry on low flame for 5-6 mins.
When there are no more bubbles from the oil and the samosa is golden brown, it can be removed from the oil.
Right side is how a samosa would turn if the oil is too hot and on the left side is the perfect flaky, crisp samosa fried on oil at right temperature.
To make Baked Samosa
Place prepared Samosa on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Brush oil on the samosa.
Bake at 180°C for 15-20 mins until the Samosa is crispy and golden. Wait for a couple of minutes before serving it.
To serve Aloo Samosa
Serve the samosa hot with dates tamarind sweet chutney, spicy mint coriander green chutney, chopped lemon wedges alongside a strong cup of tea or coffee.
Recipe Notes
Adjust spices as per preference. Don’t skimp on the oil while making the dough – it ensures that the samosa is flaky. Don’t rest the samosa dough for more than 10-15 mins. It might absorb more oil as time passes by.
I would be delighted to know if you have tried this recipe, don’t forget to share your feedback and comments below. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me! I am also available on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter 🙂
