Punjabi Potato Samosa

PUNJABI POTATO SAMOSA
Punjabi samosas are a crisp, fried Indian snack with a spicy potato and pea filling. This recipe will give you flakey and crisp samosas that are full of flavors. Serve these with green chutney or mint chutney. You can also air fry or bake them in place of oil frying.

Samosa Dough

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup oil or melted ghee

6 tablespoons water

¾ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)

¾ teaspoon salt

Potato Filling

4 medium potatoes

½ cup green peas (frozen)

1 tablespoon oil or ghee

1 tablespoon ginger, minced

1 to 2 green chilies chopped

1 pinch hing (asafoetida) (optional)

4 tablespoons coriander leaves, chopped finely

1 teaspoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon cumin seeds

¾ to 1 teaspoon garam masala

¾ teaspoon red chilli powder (adjust to taste)

½ teaspoon cumin powder

½ teaspoon fennel powder (optional)

Procedure for Dough

1. Mix together flour, carom seeds, salt, and oil in a mixing bowl.

2. Rub the flour well with your fingers or in between your palms for 3 to 4 mins to incorporate the oil. It should look like breadcrumbs. This is very important to make flaky samosa.

3. Take a handful of flour and press down with your fingers. It must hold shape and not crumble. This is an indication that the oil is well incorporated. 

4. Add water little by little and mix the flour to form a slightly stiff yet pliable dough. Cover and rest for 25 to 30 mins.

Procedure for Potato Filling

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them in half. Boil them in a pot of water until fork tender (not mushy). Crumble the potatoes without mashing them. Set aside.

2. Heat a large pan over medium heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds. When they begin to sizzle, add the ginger and green chilies. Saute until the ginger smells aromatic, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

3. Stir in the green peas and saute for 2 mins.

4. Add red chilli powder, garam masala, cumin powder, chaat masala (optional) & fennel powder. Saute for 30 seconds.

5. Stir in the potatoes and sprinkle with salt. Mix and saute for 2 to 3 mins. 

6. Mix in coriander leaves and then set aside to cool.

7. Add more salt to taste. If using lemon juice, add it now. 

8. Divide the mixture roughly to 10 portions.

Assemble the Samosas

1. Knead the dough gently until smooth. Divide it into 5 portions and roll into balls. Cover the balls of dough to prevent them from drying out.

2. Grease the surface rolling area and then flatten a ball. Drizzle a few drops of oil.

3. Begin to roll to a circle or oval shaped disc. (Around 8.5 inches long by 6.5 inches wide). 

4. Using a knife cut it to two semicircles. The 2 parts make 2 samosas. If the edges are too thick, gently roll it to thin down.

5. Work on one part - apply water over the straight edge (towards the cut side). Join the edges to make a cone. Press down gently to seal the cone from inside as well. (If you have trouble sticking them, make a paste of flour and water, smear that lightly & then stick)

6. Fill the cone with one portion of potato masala and press down with your finger to push it inside the cone. Smear water generously on both the other edges.

7. Bring the edges together and seal them by pinching off the edges together. If you prefer to make a standing samosa, make a pleat on one side. Bring back the pleat and seal it by pinching off the edges together. 

8. Make sure the samosa is sealed well. Cover them with a cloth to prevent drying.

Deep Fry

1. After 5 samosas have been assembled, begin to heat the frying oil in a deep pan until it reaches 200 degrees F.

2. To test the temperature of the oil, a piece of dough dropped in the oil should not sizzle or rise immediately. Instead you should see tiny bubbles in the oil and the dough should take a while to come up to the surface.

3. Fry the samosas in batches. Gently add the first batch into your pan and fry them on a low flame, undisturbed for about 12-15 mins.

4. When the crust becomes firm, increase the flame to high. Turn them to the other side and fry until crispy and golden brown, about 5 more minutes.

5. While the first batch of samosas is frying, assemble the remaining dough and filling. Remove the fried samosas onto a wired rack or a steel colander. Let the temperature of oil come back down to 200 degrees F before you fry the next batch.

6. Serve samosa with mint chutney or sweet tamarind chutney.

Bake Samosa in Oven

As an alternative to deep frying, the samosas can be baked in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Brush each samosa generously with oil and place them on a prepared tray. Bake for about 35 to 40 mins.