In this Easy Potato Samosa Recipe, seasoned mashed potatoes are wrapped in egg roll wrappers and fried till crispy. Dipped in cilantro mint chutney or tamarind dipping sauce, these are a favorite tea-time snack in Pakistan and India.
A much lighter version of the traditional Punjabi samosas, this tiny cocktail-style potato samosa is what most Pakistanis eat at home regularly. The mundane task of batch-making the samosas is often a family activity, like making shami kabab. This fun and chatter-filled process is how recipes and kitchen skills are passed on to future generations.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Comfort food & party appetizer - Enjoy the easy potato samosa as comfort food with a cup of tea or serve some to your guests as an appetizer at your next big party.
- Good after-school snack - Samosas are super kid-friendly, and your kids will love coming home to them.
- Lots of filling options - There are many fillings, two of the most popular: ground beef and lentils.
- Healthier than traditional samosas - The easy potato samosa, half the calories of the larger Punjabi samosa, becomes even healthier when baked or air fried.
- Easily adaptable to specific dietary needs - Egg roll wrappers come in a wide variety, making it easy to cater to a vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free diet with this easy potato samosa recipe.
The Ingredients
- Potatoes - Yukon gold or Russett potatoes are best for this easy potato samosa recipe.
- Spices - I use a simple mix of salt, red chili powder, and cumin seeds for this filling. If you want to try something different, check out the alternatives below.
- Cilantro - Some fresh chopped cilantro adds flavor and aroma to the potato samosa filling.
- Egg roll wraps - Although I'm not vegan, Nasoya is my preferred brand. I love the taste and texture, and I'm comfortable serving them to my vegan and vegetarian friends.
- Flour - whatever flour in your pantry will work for the potato samosa recipe.
- Cooking oil - I use canola oil for all my frying and avocado oil for all my cooking. Any high smoke point oil will work for this recipe.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
Substitutions & variations
- Use different spices - Chopped green chilies, amchur powder (dried mango powder), garam masala, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, onion seeds, and ajwain(carom seeds) all taste wonderful in the potato filling. Switch it up occasionally and try different combinations to change the flavor of your potato samosas.
- Try ketchup - Not in the mood to make chutney? Try some ketchup with your samosa. It tastes delicious.
- Use rice paper spring roll wrappers - Although gluten-free wrappers are available, supply is limited, and they are expensive. A great alternative is to use spring roll sheets made of rice. When fried, they make delicious samosas.
- Bake your samosas - Preheat your oven to 350 degrees; brush the potato samosas generously with oil on both sides; place on a baking sheet, and bake for 20 minutes. Check and brush with oil periodically to prevent your samosas from drying, and flip them halfway through.
- Air fry the samosas - Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees for 5 minutes; brush the potato samosas generously with oil on both sides and Air Fry for 10 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Brush the samosas with oil every few minutes to prevent them from drying.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1 - Samosa strips are always a rectangle, but since egg roll wrappers are square, I cut each in half to make my potato samosas.
Step 2 - Use a pizza slicer to get a neat and straight line, ensuring each strip has a uniform width from top to bottom.
Step 3 - Line up the strips on a cutting board or baking sheet and fill the samosas.
Step 4 - Place two tablespoons of the potato filling at the top of each strip.
Step 5 - Start folding the potato samosa into a triangle, as shown in the picture above, and keep folding until you reach the strip's end and have a perfect triangle shape samosa.
Step 6 - Mix some flour and water to make a paste, and when you get to the last fold of the strip, apply the flour paste to the straight edge to seal the samosa.
Step 7 - I use the flour paste to help seal all the edges and any visible gaps in the samosa so that no oil can get in the samosa filling.
Step 8 - The paste is completely invisible after the samosas are cooked.
Step 9 - Preheat a little oil in a large skillet or a large pot once your samosas are ready. Add the samosas, a few at a time, and fry till both sides are a nice golden brown. Since the filling is already cooked, this takes very little time. If you're deep frying the samosas from frozen, you may have to reduce the flame to medium heat after you add them to the hot oil so the potato filling has time to warm up.
Expert Tips
- Make a batch of samosas and freeze them - I like to make a large batch of samosas and freeze them. Make the samosas per this recipe and lay them flat on a baking sheet (no overlapping) for perfect results. If they don't fit in one layer, place foil over your first layer and lay the rest out in a second layer until they're all made. Freeze them overnight, then put them in a ziplock freezer bag for easy storage. This method ensures that each samosa is separate. If you have to pull them apart, the wrapper will rip and tear, causing problems during the frying.
- Ensure there are no lumps in the potatoes - Since the spring roll wrappers are very thin, any lumps can cause tears. This allows oil to get to the filling and spoils the taste and texture of the samosas. For best results, make sure the potatoes are well mashed.
- Ensure the filling is cool before you fill the wrappers - If the potatoes are still hot, the wrapper will become soggy. For a crispy samosa, the potato filling must be at room temperature.
- Seal the wrappers tight before frying them - For a perfect samosa, ensure that each samosa is sealed tight and has no gaps.
- Prevent the samosas from drying when baking or air frying - Keep some oil and a basting brush on hand if you're not frying the samosas. The wrappers absorb a lot of oil as they cook, so you must brush some oil on them at intervals to prevent them from being too dry.
Recipe FAQS
Traditionally, samosas are fried in a Karahi, a traditional South Asian cooking utensil shaped like a Wok. If you don't have one, you can use a Dutch oven.
Samosas are best eaten fresh as they get soggy after a while. However, if you have leftovers, store them in your fridge for two days maximum. I don't recommend freezing fried samosas, as they will be too soggy.
To reheat any leftover samosas, the best option is to brush them with some oil and air fry at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes. If you don't have an air fryer, brush them with oil and reheat them in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-7 minutes.
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Easy Potato Samosa Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 potatoes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp red chili powder (see notes)
- 1 tsp white cumin seeds
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tbsp flour
- 4 tbsp water
- 10 square spring roll wraps
- 1 cup cooking oil
Instructions
- Boil, peel and mash the potatoes.
- Mix the salt, red chili powder, white cumin seeds and cilantro with the mashed potatoes.
- Cut the square spring roll wrappers in half to make 20 rectangular strips.
- Make a paste of the flour and water and set aside for later.
- Place 1 tablespoon of the potato filling at the top of each strip.
- Fold into a tight triangle, making sure the potato filling is nicely tucked in and there are no gaps or holes in the wrapper. (see notes)
- Use the flour paste to seal the open side and to glue down any loose flaps. (see notes)
- Preheat the oil and fry the samosas till they are a nice golden brown. (see notes)
Notes
- Adjust the spices - I recommend cutting the red chili powder in half if you're not a spicy food fan.
- Seal the samosa well - If there are gaps, use the flour paste to seal them.
- Preheat the oil - The samosas will be nice and crisp this way.
- Bake your samosas - Preheat your oven to 350 degrees; brush the samosas generously with oil on both sides; place on a cookie sheet, and bake for 20 minutes. Check and brush with oil periodically to prevent your samosas from drying, and flip them halfway through.
- Air fry the samosas - Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees for 5 minutes; brush the samosas generously with oil on both sides and Air Fry for 10 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Brush the samosas with oil every few minutes to prevent them from drying.
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