Healthy Samosas (Baked or Air-Fried) - Urban Farmie (2024)

5 from 75 votes

For Samosa Dough

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons oil, can be substituted with ghee
• ¾ cup water
• ¼ teaspoon salt

For Samosa Filling

• 2 potatoes, medium to large size, prefer Yukon Gold
• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided: 1 tablespoon for masala, 1 tablespoon for baking or air frying
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro, optional

Start by boiling the potatoes

• Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil on a high heat. In the meantime, quarter the potatoes. Once the water has boiled, turn down to medium heat, add potatoes and cover with a lid. Cook for 20-25 minutes until fork inserted goes in smoothly and comes out clean.

While potatoes are boiling, prepare samosa dough

• Add flour, salt, 1 tablespoon of oil to a mixing bowl and mix using a fork.

• Slowly add water and knead slowly into a ball. Add ¼ cup at a time, until the dough falls into a neat ball. If you have a stand mixer, you can dump all the ingredients in the mixing bowl and use the paddle attachment to get it to the right consistency.

  Note: You can add baking soda if you'd like to make it crispier!

• Dab the rolled dough with a little bit of oil, and set aside for at least 15-20 minutes so the dough can rest while the potatoes are boiling.

Prepare the samosa filling

• Once the potatoes have boiled, drain the water, remove the peels and then mash the potatoes with a spatula or masher

• In a medium skillet, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and turn the stove to medium heat

• Add the mashed potatoes, salt, pepper, turmeric, and red chili powder. Stir the spices to evenly coat the potatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes, tasting and adjusting along the way for your preference.

• Add peas and stir them into the mix for about 30-45 seconds. Turn off the heat, and add a few sprigs of cilantro (if you choose to include them). Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Folding the Samosa (aka, the fun part!)

• Take the kneaded dough and roll it out into a long cylinder, roughly as long as your two hands side-to-side (~7-8 inches long)

• Using a knife or sharp edge, portion this cylinder into 8-9 smaller pieces. Take one of the pieces and roll into a smooth ball (while you set the others aside)

• Now, dust this ball with a bit of flour, and then using a rolling pin, roll it into a circular shape, roughly 6-7 inches in diameter (for reference, the rolled out dough should be slightly larger than the size of your hand)

• Slice this dough diagonally so you get two (roughly) semi-circular pieces. Pick up one of these pieces and lay it on your left hand so the straight edge lines up against the left side of your hand (it should look like the letter D on your hand).

• Wet the straight edge with some waterand form a cone so that the top is wider and also open for you to stuffthe filling. Add ~2 heaped teaspoons of filling per samosa and push it in so it evenly fills out (but only till about ¾ of the cone). You might end up adding a bit more depending on how big you rolled the dough out.

  Note: Please check the post for detailed instructions on how to fold the samosas (or watch the linked video below!)

• Add a bit of water to the edge of the cone and seal it shut (either by pressing together or folding one edge over the other)

• Coat with enough oil to cover all the sides and place aside. Repeat for the rest of the samosas.

Option 1: Air Frying Samosa!

• If you’re air-frying, after you’re done folding the first samosa, pre-heat to 425 F. Depending on the size of your air-fryer, you might need to make a couple of batches – take care not to overcrowd the samosas since that will prevent the dough from cooking properly

• Place the samosas carefully in the air fryer and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, and then flip the sides and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes. Depending on your air fryer, you might need to add a few extra minutes. When it's done, the samosas should be crisp on the outside and a nice golden brown color on both sides.

  Note: Air fryers are quite different, so the temperatures might vary. Mine takes 18 minutes total to cook. But yours might take longer or shorter depending on the size, power, etc. I suggest checking after 10 minutes to see if one side is done, and then checking again after the 5-7 minutes. You might need to add 5-10 more minutes depending on the fryer!

Option 2: Baking Samosa!

• If you’re baking samosas, after you're done folding the first samosa, preheat oven to 400F.

• On a sheet pan lined with a silicon liner or parchment paper, place each samosa roughly 2 inches away from each other

• Bake for 20 minutes and check on the color – if golden brown, flip to the other side and bake for another 10-15 minutes

• Remove and serve with ketchup, a nice aioli or a chutney!

• Timing is everything for this recipe. Make sure to start by boiling the potatoes; once they’re in the pot, knead the dough and set aside. Once the potatoes are out, make the filling; and by the time the filling is done, the dough is ready to be shaped. The whole process should take roughly an hour for about 15-16 samosas. Please check the post for more details and step-by-step instructions / pictures for folding samosas (I promise you, you won't regret it!)
• You can use phyllo pastry sheets instead of the dough as the base if you don’t want to make the dough from scratch. Also, if you want your samosas to be extra crispy, you can add a pinch of baking soda to the dough.
• Depending on the size of your cone, you might need more than just 2 teaspoons of filling. Go with the flow!
• To make a more "restaurant" style samosa (versus the version in the main recipe card, which is quite simple and super easy) - I suggest the following spice modifications: once your potatoes are cooked, heat some oil in a skillet and add half a teaspoon each of cumin seeds and black mustard seeds. When they splutter, add a teaspoon each of ginger and garlic paste as well as finely chopped Indian green chili peppers (or jalapenos!) Then, potatoes along with red chili powder, and the two "key" ingredients that flavor most Punjabi samosas: a tablespoon of amchur powder (aka dried mango powder, which you can find in most Indian grocery stores) as well as a half teaspoon of garam masala. Mix that all together, and finish with some cilantro. Restaurant-style samosas are ready!