Giant Sharing Samosa
Make light work of preparing Indian samosas with this simple but show-stopping giant version. It's stuffed with a classic combination of potatoes, peas and spices, then oven baked to golden perfection.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 1 large baking potato, baked, steamed or microwaved until soft about 200g
- 40 g peas I use frozen
- 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
- 1/2 small onion finely diced (about 50g)
- 1/2-1 hot green chilli finely chopped
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp amchur dried mango powder
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander seeds
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp fresh coriander finely chopped
For the pastry:
- 125 g plain flour
- 1/4 tsp ajwain
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp any flavourless oil
- 40-50 ml warm water to bind a medium-firm dough
- 1 tbsp oil for brushing on top
Instructions
For the samosa pastry:
- Take plain flour in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add oil, salt and ajwain. Rub everything together between your fingertips to create a breadcrumb-like texture. This process will ensure the samosa pastry is crispy.
- Add water and bind the mixture to a soft dough. Knead for 4-5 minutes. It should be soft but still spring back when you press it with your finger. Cover with cling film or a damp tea towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
For the samosa filling:
- Once your cooked potato has cooled, peel off the skin. Place it in a bowl and roughly break it up using a spoon. Add the peas, onions, chillies, ginger, fresh coriander, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, amchur, turmeric, garam masala and salt. Mix well and mash it a bit as you go along to ensure everything binds well.
To form the samosa (watch the video for a visual guide on folding):
- On a lightly-floured surface, roll your rested dough out to around 35cm wide and 15cm long. It should be about 2-3mm thick. Slice 1cm off the bottom (long edge) for a neater finish.
- Take the upper right corner and diagonally, bring it to the centre of the rolled dough. Place some water on the surface of the part you just folded and bring the upper left-hand corner of the dough to the centre to overlap onto the wet part. This will form a triangle pocket. Press both sides together very gently.
- Lift the samosa pastry up and open the pocket you just created. You should have a little pouch ready for filling. Stuff the samosa with the potato and pea filling. Start with a small amount and use your fingers to tease it down into the pointed base so you have a good shape. Try not to stretch the pastry or it can break.
- To create the little crease in the back of the samosa so it can stand up by itself: Along the open seam of the filled samosa, place your finger in the centre of the round edge of the pastry. Create a tiny fold, about 2cm wide and pinch to seal (this will create a small dimple for the back base of the samosa. Press the open edge of the pastry together and seal to close. You should now have a giant samosa that can stand up loud and proud. If it feels a little out of shape, you can always use your hands to adjust it a bit.
To bake the giant samosa:
- Place the samosa on a large, flat baking tray. Brush with oil and bake in a preheated oven at 175°C/350°F for 55-60 minutes or until golden brown and crispy all over. I recommend brushing with more oil at the 25 minute and 45 minute mark for a very golden and crispy pastry.
Video
Notes
- Serve this giant samosa as it is with chai, or with your favourite chutneys.
- It's normal for the pastry to crack a little during the cooking process. This is a sign of a good, flaky and crispy samosa.
- To store: Keep the samosas in an airtight container lined with absorbent kitchen paper. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- To freeze: I recommend par-baking the samosa for a while before cooling and freezing. This will ensure the samosa isn't soggy or soft. Keep the samosas in an airtight container lined with baking parchment. Freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 175°C/350°F for 45-50 minutes to ensure samosa is piping hot all the way through. If you find that it browns too quickly, turn the oven down to 160°C/320°F.