Baked Samosa Recipe with Enhanced Crust and Filling

Air-fried or baked samosa recipe with enhanced crust and nutritious filling to make the whole snack experience delightful and healthy. This enhanced baked samosa recipe also allows for freezing samosa for extended time and fresh air-fry them when needed. We are one samosa lover family like many others. As always, here is my attempt to make this traditional and popular delicacy in a healthier way.

It took me a few attempts to perfect my enhance baked samosa recipe for baking. The most intimidating part of samosa is folding them into perfect triangles. In this baked samosa recipe I have tried to simplify that process as well by trying a new creative shape. Aren’t these looking pretty?

What is Samosa?

Samosa is so popular that it will be hard to find someone in this universe who is not familiar with them. Though Samosa dose not need any introduction, still let me give it a try. Samosa is a deep fried savory pastry filled with savory filling such as potato mixture, lentils or meat. Dough for samosa crust dough is usually made of all-purpose flour. Samosa tastes best when served hot with fresh cilantro mint green chutney and sweet & sour  tamarind chutney.

Origin of Samosa

Very few people know that samosa did not originate in India, but instead traveled to India from middle east and central Asia with travelers and explore around medieval times. Their samosa were stuffed with minced meat, almonds, pistachios, walnuts and spices. Over the course of time, these samosas slowly got acclimatized to Indian vegetarian diet with spiced potato filling. However, like other, I am happy to say that these Samosa filled with spicy potato mixture are from my homeland of India.

Can Samosa be baked?

Yes of course, samosa can be baked with some recipe modifications. In fact, the baked samosa taste even better than fried samosas and are light on tummy since it is not filled with saturated fats from deep frying. Another advantage of baked samosa is that you can freeze them ahead of time and just slide them in the pre-heated oven or air fryer when ready to indulge.

Air-Fried Samosa – Can Samosa be Air-Fried?

Absolutely, this is a perfect recipe for air-fried samosas as well. Since, I was making a big batch I baked them in the oven to avoid the multiple rounds of air frying.  If I am trying to cook just few pieces I would prefer air-fried them instead heating up my whole oven. Temperature setting would be same as oven.

Popular Regional Variations of Samosa

Samosa are popular by different names in in different region with some regional changes to the recipe. For example, in eastern India people call these Shingadas,  in Hyderabad it is popular by the name of Lukhmi and in further south the samosa are more like Portuguese Chamucas.  In North Indian, Samosa aka Punjabi samosa or Delhi Samosa are mostly filled with spicy potato mixture.

Enhanced Dough Recipe for perfect crust of Baked Samosas

The crust dough for samosa is traditionally made with all-purpose flour or maida. To make it little healthier, I have added whole wheat flour and almond flour into the dough mix. I was able to significantly reduce the amount of oil in the dough by adding almond flour. If you are allergic to nuts then just skip the almond flour and increase the quantity of oil. The flour ratio I used to make the dough is 1 cup of all-purpose flour; 1 cup of whole wheat flour; ½ cup of almond flour and 2 tbs of oil for every cup of flour exclusive of almond flour. The flakiness in the crust comes from the fat, aka moyen, and almond flour also has high ratio of fat in it.

Best potato filling for baked Samosa

In this baked Samosa recipe, filing consists of potatoes, paneer and green peas. For vegan version just skip the paneer. I have further enhanced the filling by adding mixed nuts and seeds (cashew, almond, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds) for additional crunchiness and increasing the nutritional value. If any family member is allergic to tree nuts or making them for a big get together, then best is to avoid them to be on safe side.

Splitting the Work over the Course of Two Days

Sometime, it can be hard to complete the whole baked samosa recipe in one go. You can prepare dough for crust few hours in advance or can keep prepared dough for maximum of one day in fridge. I personally don’t like to keep in the fridge as the dough for crust is supposed to be stiff. Keeping dough in the fridge would make it stiffer and more difficult to work with. The filling can be made in advance in refrigerate it for 2-3 days. If you want to break down the whole process in two parts, then prepare the filling first day and refrigerate it. Second day, prepare the dough for crust, fill the samosas and bake them.

Are these Samosa Freezer Friendly?

This baked samosa recipe is perfect to make ahead of time. Just shape and fill them as per the instructions, arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Now place the baking sheet with unbaked samosa in freezer. Make sure to cover the baking sheet with cling wrap. Try to  keep the baking tray as straight as possible in the freezer. When ready to bake take out the baking sheet from freezer, remove the cling wrap and place it in the preheated oven. No need to thaw them before.

Ingredients For Baked Samosa Recipe

Dough for Baked Samosa Crust

From Pantry

• Whole wheat flour – 1 cup/140gms
• All Purpose flour– 1cup/130 GMA
• Almond Flour– ½ cup/50 gms
• Oil – 4 tbsp
• Water or milk– 1/2 cup

Spices

• Salt – 1 tsp or as per taste
• Ajwain – 1 tsp

Ingredients for Spicy Potato Filling:

Produce

• Potato Aloo – 200 gms/1 cup boiled and crushed
• Frozen Peas– 100 gms/ ½ cup
• Green Chillies – 2-3/1tsp diced
• Ginger– 1 inch piece/1 tbs finely chopped/grated
• Cilantro – 2 tbs chopped

Dairy

• Paneer/Cottage cheese – 200 gms/1cup chopped into small cubes

From Pantry

• Choice of Nuts & Seeds – ¼ cup chopped into small pieces
• Oil – 2 tbs

Spices

• Asafetida (Hing) – 1/8 tsp
• Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
• Fennel seeds – 1 tbs
• Coriander seeds– 1 Tbs crushed roughly
• Cinnamon stick – ¼ inch piece roughly crushed
• Black Pepper – 5-6 in number roughly crushed
• Salt – 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder / Cayenne pepper – ½ tsp
• Coriander powder – ½ tsp
• Garam Masala – ¼ tsp
• Dry Mango Powder/Amchur– 1 tbs

Instructions for Baked Samosa Recipe:

Overall Recipe Sequence

This recipe involves preparing multiple different components and then assembling them all to bake. Hence it can get confusing sometimes, where to start and what to do next. To keep it simple, broadly speaking:

1. First we’ll boil potatoes for the spicy potato filling.
2. Second we’ll prepare the dough, while potatoes are getting boiled.
3. Then we will prepare the spicy potato filling while dough rests. Use boiled potatoes from first step.
4. Assemble the samosas to get them ready for baking or air frying
5. Bake of air-fry the samosas

Boil Potatoes for Spicy Potato Filling

Potatoes can be boil in pressure cooker or instant pot. Time needed to boil varies with the size of the potato. I have used medium size potatoes and boiled them for 15 minutes in Instant Pot. with natural pressure release on a trivet with 1 cup water in the bottom of the pot.

Prepare Dough for Baked Samosa

1. Take a large bowl and add all three flours, ajwain (carom seeds), salt, and oil.
2. Mix well. Alternatively use stand mixer with dough hook and stir at lowest speed.
3. Rub the flour and oil in case making dough with hands or mix the flour at lowest speed setting in case of stand mixture. The oil should be well incorporated in all of the flour. Do this for 3 to 4 minutes, you don’t want to rush this step. Once incorporated,  the mixture resembles crumbly. Press some flour between your palm- it should form a shape (& not crumble) – means oil is enough and well incorporated.
4. Now, start adding water, little by little and mix to form a stiff dough. It should just come together and form a stiff dough. I used around ½ cup of water here to get the right stiffness.
5. Cover the dough with a moist cheesecloth/kitchen towel and let it rest until you are done making filling. I usually soak a cheese cloth in water and then squeeze out all the water and cover the dough with that. While the dough is resting, let’s move on to prepare filling for baked samosa.

Prepare Spicy Potato filling for Baked Samosa

1. By now, potatoes should have been boiled and natural release would be going on.
2. While waiting for steam to release naturally from Instant Pot, chop green chilies, ginger, nuts and paneer.
3. When potatoes are ready to use, peel the skin and mash the potatoes. Set aside.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add hing, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and crushed coriander seeds.
5. Let the seeds sizzle for few seconds and then add crushed cinnamon stick, black pepper, chopped nuts, ginger, green chili and saute for 1 minute.
6. Add the boiled & mashed potatoes, chopped paneer and green peas to the pan. Mix everything together.
7. Add salt, red chili powder, cayenne in case using it, coriander powder, garam masala and dry mango powder. Mix to combine.
8. Lastly, add chopped cilantro. Remove pan from heat and let the filling cool down.

Shape & baking of Baked Samosa

1. While the potatoes filling is getting cool, take out the rested dough on a flat surface. Knead the dough few more times using knuckles and form one long log of dough.
2. Divide the dough into 5 equal parts and keep aside.
3. Take one piece of dough , keep the remaining dough portions covered at all times with a moist cloth or cling wrap else the dough will dry out and roll it between your palms to make a round ball, place it on rolling board and flatten it out by pressing with heal of your palm.
4. With a rolling pin, roll it out around 8-9 inches in diameter and then cut it into 4 equal parts.
5. Take one triangular part and apply water on the curvy edge/side. Then make two slits on rest of the two sides. Making sure not cutting through.
6. Now place one table spoon of potato filling making sure not overfilling it.
7. Bring one end of the watered edge in the middle and press firmly so that both layers get stick. Now bring the other end to the center and press again firmly. For more clear and details on folding checkout the pictures.
8. First samosa is now ready. Repeat the same process with remaining pieces and rest of the dough. As you go making them remember to keep the filled samosa covered with kitchen towel so that the crust doesn’t dry out while you are working on rest of the samosa. Leaving some gap between them without overcrowd the baking sheet. You will get 20 samosas with this quantity.
9. For baking the samosa first preheat the oven at 350F and bake the samosa for 18 minutes then carefully flip all of the samosa and bake for another 6 minutes.
10. Baking time and temperature, needs to be adjusted according to your oven. 

“For pleasure has no relish unless we share it.” 

― Virginia Woolf, The Common Reader

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