Samosas are the most traditional snacks of India. They are so delicious that Indians often make a meal of them. Aloo Samosas are stuffed with potatoes and is the more popular as Indian snack.

The unique feature of Aloo samosas is their delicious ‘khasta’, meaning crispy and flaky pastry crust. This special texture is obtained by incorporating fat into the flour before adding the water, by a special technique called ‘Moyan dena’ or “rubbing into it.” Samosas take some time to make, since both the filling and the dough have to be prepared before rolling, filling, shaping and frying.

Ingredients of Aloo samosa
For pastry dough:

235 gram unsifted plain flour

1 tsp salt

60 gram vegetable fat 6-7 tbsps cold water

For spicy potato filling:

60 gram vegetable oil or 4 tbsps light vegetable oil

2 tsps coriander seeds

90 gram finely chopped onions

1½ tsps finely chopped fresh ginger root

7 medium-sized potatoes, boiled till soft, peeled, and cut into moderate sized cubes

90 gram cooked shelled peas

2-3 green chili peppers, seeded and chopped, or ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1 ¼ tsps garam masala

2 tsps ground pomegranate seeds, or 1 tbsp lemon juice 2 tsps salt

60 gram plain flour for dusting

Peanut or corn oil enough for frying

Method of preparing Aloo Samosa

Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Pour 6 tbsps water over the flour, and mix gradually until all the flour adheres together in a mass that can be kneaded.

The ‘Moyan’ is done in a special way. Place the flour in a bowl. Make a well in the centre of the flour, and add oil. Pick up some flour or oil-coated flour in one hand. Place the other hand over the flour and fat mixture. Now slide two hands back and forth from heel to fingertips, rubbing the flour and fat between palms. This entire motion should be carried out directly over the bowl containing the flour and oil, so that the oil-coated flour may fall back into the bowl as the rubbing continues. When the whole handful of flour has fallen back into the bowl, pick up more flour and fat, and continue until the entire batch of flour in the bowl is evenly coated with the oil, and no more lumps of fat can be seen.

Place the dough on a marble or wooden board. Knead the dough for 10 minutes to make the dough firm but pliable and not at all sticky. Cover with a towel or plastic sheet, and let the dough rest for half an hour.

To make the filling, heat the oil over medium-high heat in a frying pan for two minutes. Add coriander seeds for about 15 seconds and fry until they turn dark brown. Add onions and ginger root, and continue frying for 4-5 minutes until the onions turn light brown. Add potatoes and peas, stir rapidly and fry for 10 minutes until the potatoes begin to become dry and look fried. Turn off heat.

Add the remaining filling ingredients, mix well and set aside.

Knead the dough again for a minute, and divide into 2 equal portions. Roll the dough and cut into 8 equal parts. Roll the small pieces into smooth balls.

Then place a ball on a workboard, dust it lightly with flour, and roll it into a 15-cm/6-inch circle. Cut the circle in half. Each semicircle will make a samosa.

Place a small bowl of water next to the workboard. Form a cone: Moisten half of the semicircle’s straight edge with water, and bring the other half of the straight edge over it, so that the dry side overlaps the moistened portion by 3-6 mm. Press the overlapped edges securely together to seal.

Place a scant tablespoon of filling in the cone. Moisten the open end of the cone, and quickly pinch the open end shut in a straight line, closing the cone into a triangular shape. Press tightly to seal. Moistening is essential to ensure a good seal. Continue with the rest of the dough and filling the same way. To make the samosas more crunchy and flaky, they should be left out to dry for 2 hours.

Heat the pan with optimum oil and slowly drop the samosas on it. Maintain the temperature at this low point by regulating the heat between medium-high and medium-low. This low-temperature cooking is essential for samosa, because it enables the pastry dough to brown evenly and become flaky. Fry, stirring and turning the pastries for about 12 minutes until they are light brown. Take them out with a slotted spoon or tongs, and drain on kitchen paper. Continue with the remaining pastries the same way. Serve hot or warm, accompanied by Imli Chutney, or Podina Chutney.