Air Fryer Punjabi Samosa Recipe

Air fryer samosa, an absolute family favorite are easy to make at home. These crispy dough pockets are stuffed with potatoes and peas and air fried to give them a healthier twist.  They make a perfect starter or side dish or buffet food for your next party. 

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What is a Samosa?

Do you really need an introduction to Samosa? If you’ve ever been to an Indian restaurant or friend’s house, chances are good you’ve had a samosa. They are delicious fried pockets stuffed with spices, potatoes, and other veggies. 

Traditionally, they are fried in oil, which makes them crispy, but less healthy. Our family prefers making them in the air fryer or baking them in the oven so that we still get the same crispiness from our vegetable samosas.

Air Fryer Samosa Recipe Video

Why you will Love these Samosas

Air fryer samosas are easy to make and much healthier than the traditional fried versions. They still have a crispy texture but much fewer calories.

They are great for bringing to parties, potlucks, or sharing with your vegan friends. Or you can make these as a dinner just about any night of the week if you want to.

This samosa recipe is very versatile. You can make it in your air fryer, regular fryer, oven, or pressure cooker with the crisper lid or airfryer lid. 

Samosa Recipe Ingredients

To make these Indian samosas at home, you will need the following ingredients.

For the dough

• all purpose flour (maida) - you could try to make these gluten free using a gluten free all purpose flour, but you may need to adjust some of the ingredients for the dough
• salt 
• chilled water - helps make a stiff dough
• ghee or oil - use oil for a vegan version
• caraway seeds (ajwain) - this is optional

For Stuffing

• oil 
• potatoes - boiled and chopped
• sweet green peas
• ginger 
• garam masala 
• cumin seeds 
• salt - to taste
• water 

Optional ingredients to enhance flavors if you have them handy

• fennel seeds 
• crushed coriander seeds 
• caraway seeds 
• dry mango powder (amchur) 

For the airfryer or oven

• Oil - to coat the samosas to either air fry them or bake them. If you use a traditional fryer, you’ll need enough oil to safely use your fryer.

How to Make Samosas at Home

There are three cooking methods you can use to make vegetable samosa at home: traditional frying, air frying/baking, or using an air fryer lid for your pressure cooker. 

No matter which method you choose to cook them, they will turn out amazing and crisp. And they all start with these first few steps.

How to Make Samosa Dough

Start by placing the flour, salt, caraway seeds and ghee or oil into a large stand mixer with a dough hook attachment and giving it a short mix. Next, add in the chilled water gradually and mix on slow speed until a firm, stiff dough develops. With a hook attachment, this should take about 5 to 6 minutes.

You could also knead the dough with your hands. Start by mixing the flour, salt, caraway seeds and ghee or oil in a bowl. Gradually add in the chilled water and knead until the dough has formed. If you do this by hand, it will take about 7 to 8 minutes before it becomes smooth.

Cover the dough with a wet cloth to prevent the dough from drying out or forming a skin and keep it to the side. Often when I make it, I prefer to keep it in the Instant Pot on Yogurt mode on Normal Heat for an hour.

How to Make Samosa Stuffing

Once you have the dough made, you need to prepare the stuffing. To do this, heat oil in a pan and then add the ginger, cumin seeds, salt and garam masala. Heat the spices until they become fragrant or about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the chopped boiled potatoes. Use a spoon or potato masher to semi-mash them and cook until the potatoes start sticking to the pan. 

Add the peas and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes before removing the pan from the heat. Allow the stuffing mixture to cool down so that you can safely touch it without getting burned.

How to Stuff the Samosa

Once the stuffing mixture is cool enough to safely handle, divide the dough into 20 balls for mini samosas or 8 balls for large samosas. Roll each ball of dough into an oval about 10 inches long and 6 inches wide for the larger balls or about half the size for smaller balls. If needed, grease the balls with a drop of oil to help prevent sticking.

Cut each oval shaped rolled dough in half. Take the half so that the cut edges are towards the tip of your index finger and thumb. Dab your other index finger in water and rub the water from one edge to the other so it has just a little bit of moisture on it.

Next, shape it into a cone, slightly overlapping the edges with the cavity of the cone facing you. Gently press the overlapping edges to make sure the edges are sealed off and won’t leak during cooking. 

Very gently fill in the samosa dough with the stuffing. Don’t overstuff it!  Apply water on the open edges and then seal the edges again by pinching them closed.

Press the bottom of the samosa gentle on your palm to give it a firm seat, this will allow it to stand up on its own. Once you have stuffed all your shells, you are ready to cook them using your preferred method below.

Can I fry, bake, or air fry these samosas?

Yes, you can fry with oil in a wok or dutch oven, bake, or air fry these delicious golden brown pockets. My family prefers air fried or baked because it means less oil and a healthier meal. No matter what method you choose, the results will be crispy and tasty.

Samosa Instructions for Frying

Frying is a traditional and tasty method to cook Indian samosa. Here is how to do it.

In a large, heavy bottom wok or dutch oven, heat enough oil so that you can deep fry the pockets. Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat from high to medium to help prevent burning. 

Carefully place the samasos in the oil using tongs, a spoon, or other metal kitchen utensil. Once the one side has turned golden brown, carefully flip it and cook the other side until it turns golden brown.

Remove samosa and place it on a kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil. Repeat the procedure for the remaining dough pockets.

How to Air Fry or Bake Samosas

For a healthier alternative to deep frying, you can use your oven, air fryer, or crispy lid. Here’s how to do it.

Generously coat each pocket with oil and arrange them in your air fryer’s basket or baking sheet. Be sure to leave a little room between them so you don’t over crowd them. 

Air fry or bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until the samosas are golden brown. At 10 minutes, flip them for even cooking.

Samosa Instructions for Air Fryer Lid or Crisp Lid

An air fryer lid or crisp lid allows you to turn your Instant Pot or other pressure cookers into an air fryer. It is very similar to using a separate air fryer, but takes up a lot less space.

To use the air fryer lid on your instant pot, start by coating the samosas in oil and arranging them so they are not touching on the basket. You will need to make more than one batch.

Set the air fryer function to 350 degrees for 20 minutes or cook until they are golden brown. Around 10 minutes, flip them over so both sides crisp up nicely.

Pro Tips for Crispy Indian Samosas

• When using an airfryer, oven, or crispy lid, don’t overcrowd the basket or baking sheet! You need air to be able to pass to all the surfaces, so if they are touching each other, they won’t get as crispy.
• If frying them, don’t add too many to the pan at once. You can accidentally cool off the oil, which will result in soggier end results.
• Don’t forget to boil your potatoes first! If you don’t, they won’t cook and will be raw and tough.
• Make sure you seal the sides of the dough well. You don’t want the stuffing to leak out when cooking. It’s better for them to not look as pretty but hold together than to look pretty but lose their stuffing.
• If you can, don’t skip the optional spices and seasonings. They add great flavor to the stuffing.

Samosa Serving Suggestions

Some of my favorite pairings include:

• Green chutney
• Sweet chutney
• Chole

You should also try it with this Chana Masala recipe or tea. 

To wash it all down, my family loves this Mango Coconut Lassi . It is cool and refreshing and makes a perfect pairing.

Why is my samosa not crispy?

If your samosas didn’t come out crispy, it is likely from either the dough not being soft or overcrowding in the basket or sheet. If you are using oil, it may be that your oil was not hot enough or the pan was overcrowded. Try cooking fewer at a time.

How to store Samosa?

You can store them once they have cooled. I recommend placing a paper towel between them and storing them in an air tight container or bag in the refrigerator. They should last for about 3 to 5 days.

To reheat, remove them from their containers and place in the oven or air fryer at about 300 degrees for about 10 minutes or until warmed through. This will reheat them and keep their original crispiness.

Can I meal prep this samosa recipe

Yes. You can make this samosa recipe but stop once you have stuffed the samosa. Once they are stuffed, you can freeze them in a freezer safe container or bag. When you want to cook them just bring them out and thaw them for a few minutes. You can then cook them directly, just add a few minutes to the cook time.

What can I do with leftover samosa 

One of my favorite thing to do with leftover is make samosa chaat with them. Its a tasty way to enjoy them.

Make it, share it

If you made this samosa recipe, be sure to take a quick pic and share it with us on Instagram @dbellyrulesdmind!