Potato & Pea Samosa

The receipe for the crust was contributed by my School-batch group formed in WhatsApp under the name – STC Madhatters Recipe group with a special thanks to our chefs -> Kinnari Sonchhatra and Rakhee Gehi

Ingredients for the crust dough: (makes 15)

  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 5 Tbsp. Vegetable Ghee/Dalda/Oil**
  • 1 Tsp. Carrom Seed (Optional)**
  • 1/2 Tsp. Salt
  • Chilled water as required

Ingredients for the filling:

  • 4 medium sized Potatoes
  • 1 Tsp Cumin Seed
  • 1 Tsp. Fennel Seed
  • 1 Tsp. Ginger paste
  • ½ cup Peas
  • ½ Tsp. Turmeric
  • 1 Tsp. Kashimiri Chilly Powder
  • 1 Tsp. Garam masala**
  • 1-2 Tsp. Lemon Juice
  • 2 Fist of fresh coriander leaves
  • 1 fist of curry leaves
  • 3 Tbsp. Grape seed or sunflower oil
  • pinch of hing
  • Salt as desired

Direction for the crust dough:

  1. In a mixing bowl, thoroughly mix all-purpose flour and carom seed;
  2. Now with your fingertips slowly add vegetable ghee to the flour to form breadcrumbs consistency. Addition of ghee ensure that bubbles are not formed in the crust when you fry the samosa’s;
  3. Slowly add water to the dough one Tsp. at a time as you knead into a tight firm dough being careful not to put too much water**;
  4. Wrap a wet muslin/cotton cloth on the dough** and keep it aside for 30-40 minutes. This will allow the dough to set down.

Direction to prepare the fillings:

  1. Boil potatoes in a pot till it is well cooked ** and you should be able to pierce a knife into the potato easily. Once it is cooked, drain the water in a colander and run cold water over it for about 2-3 minutes. Remove the potatoes and keep it in the empty pot to cool down;
  2. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and let it splutter;
  3. Now add fennel seeds and after it splutters, add curry leaves and mix it to fry a little;
  4. Add ginger and mix well. Now add peas, turmeric & chilly powder and mix well;
  5. Next add one fist of coriander leaves and mix it;
  6. Add diced potatoes, garam masala and salt. Mix it well for about 3-5 minutes and remove from the stove;
  7. After its cooled down completely, add a fist of coriander and fresh lemon juice. Mix well and keep aside.

Direction to prepare the samosa:

  1. Make small balls out of the dough, add a little flour to the ball and roll them into thin and round flat bread/chapattis;
  2. Cut each one of them into two semi circles and make a cone with each semi circle, ensuring the side is sealed properly by dipping your finger in the warm water bowl and applying water on the side;
  3. Put 1-2 Tsp. of the potato filling and seal the end by applying water on the edges and pressing the edges together gently;
  4. Now fry each of the samosa on low to medium heat on both side;
  5. Prepare a colander by placing some paper tissues at the bottom. Once fried, transfer the samosa to this colander so that all excess oil is absorbed in the tissue and remaining will drop in the plate below the colander.

** Tips

  • Carom seed is also known as Bishop’s weed, Thymol seeds or Ajwain in Hindi. It has a lot of health benefits. Here we mix it to combat acidity or bloating;
  • The ghee should be completely melted (I melted in a microwave) and warm when mixing with flour;
  • Instead of wet cloth, I just closed the dough in a bowl with a lid;
  • For boiling the potatoes, the water should be above the potatoes in the pot. This will ensure that the potatoes are cooked evenly on all sides;
  • Garam Masala can be found in your local grocery or Indian store. The recipe for this powder will also be posted shortly.
  • If you are using dough maker (I use Kitchenaid), then the dough should be firmer than the one made for roti and when rolling the dough flat, it should be a little thick.