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.
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 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 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 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.
For more Pakistani recipes like this, check out 20 popular Pakistani recipes. If you decide to try this recipe, Please don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below! If you take a picture then tag me on Instagram! Thank You!
