Neutral tasting oil like vegetable or canola oil to fry the samosas.
Instructions
Make the samosa dough:
To make the samosa dough, first take the flour, salt, carom seeds in a large bowl and mix well.
Now add the oil or ghee to the flour and rub the flour and ghee together until the ghee is mixed well with the flour.
The texture of the flour should look like breadcrumbs and you should be able to form a shape of sorts if you squeeze some flour in your palm.
When the oil/ ghee is well incorporated, add the water little by little and make a stiff dough.
When the dough is done, cover it and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
Make the filling:
Boil the potatoes until they are soft. You can do this in a pressure cooker/ instant pot or in a sauce pan.
When the potatoes are done, peel the skin if you have done so already and chop them roughly into cubes and set it aside.
Mince the ginger and green chilies and set it aside.
In a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, crush the cumin seed, coriander seeds, fennel seeds into a somewhat coarse powder and set it aside. (You can add the cumin seeds and fennel seeds whole and add ground coriander powder instead and it will still taste good.)
In a skillet add the oil needed for the filling and when it becomes hot, add the ginger and green chilly, let it sizzle for a minute.
Now add the crushed cumin, coriander and fennel and sauté for a minute in low-medium heat. Do not burn the spices.
Quickly, add the cubes potatoes, green peas, salt to taste and mix everything well with the spices.
Add the black pepper powder, chaat masala, kasuri methi, chopped cilantro leaves and mix well.
Let the potatoes become slightly toasty and the peas become soft. Mash the potatoes and peas roughly as they are getting cooked, but make sure you have some potatoes chunks here and there so you get a nice bite when you eat the samosas.
When done, switch off the stove. Let the mixture cool.
Make the samosa:
Take some dough and make a ball.
Roll the dough into an oval shape.
Use a knife to cut the oval in the middle into 2.
You will now have 2 rolled doughs that looks like the letter D and another Flipped D. (Semi circle)
Take one of the semicircle and apply some water to the edges.
Now make a cone shape with the dough. (To do this simple bring together the 2 ends and press them together.) You will now have a pocket of sorts to put the stuffing inside.
Seal the pointed end so there’s no gap. The filling should not come out when you stuff it inside.
Now add about 1 ½ tbsp or so of the filling inside the cone. You will add more or less depending on how big your cone is.
When the potato filling is stuffed, bring the open ends together and seal them. You can use some water to make the dough stick together.
It will now look like a triangle and the filling should be totally enclosed within the cone.
Do the same steps for the other semi-circle and the rest of the dough. Set it aside.
Heat a large pan with neutral tasting oil like vegetable or canola oil.
The oil should not be too hot.
It should be warm. When you drop a small piece of dough it should slowly float up.
Drop the shaped samosas in the oil and cook them in low -medium heat until they look golden and crispy.
You might have to turn the heat down if you see them browning quickly.
When done, drain the samosas and serve them with some green chutney or your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
You can also get ready made pastry in Indian stores.
For an even easier version, you can try stuffing them in puff pastry sheets. It might not be authentic but it will taste delicious nevertheless.
You can substitute chaat masala with amchur (Dried mango powder). Both are available in Indian stores or on amazon.
To store: Store leftovers in an airtight-container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. You can reheat samosas in an air fryer, in the microwave, or in a 400ºF oven until they’re warmed through.
To freeze: Freeze samosas in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Reheat them in a 400ºF degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes (depending on their size), or until they’re warmed through.