Air Fryer Samosa Recipe

One type of universally popular food consists of pastry stuffed with some sort of delicious filling. These can be sweet like jelly donuts or cream puffs, or they can be savory like wontons, pork buns, or calzone. Samosas are an Indian version of stuffed pastry, and recipe developer Miriam Hahn says her version is "very traditional," explaining that "you will always see potatoes, peas, onion and garlic along with a variety of Indian spices."

She does say, though, that if you want to get creative with this recipe, "You can actually use this method and put anything inside the dough." Her suggestions include Italian-type samosas with tomato sauce and mozzarella, Mexican-style ones with black beans and rice, or an American version where the filling consists of cheese and sausage. You could also go with ground beef and cheese for a yummy cheeseburger samosa. Hahn tells us that one of her favorite variants is to make a breakfast samosa filled with potatoes, mushrooms, spinach, and tofu. "The options are endless," she says. This recipe keeps it classic with a veggie-stuffed samosa — let's dive right in!

While many samosa recipes call for making the pastry from scratch, Hahn makes it easy on us by using frozen puff pastry instead. The veggie filling includes potatoes (she favors Yukons, but other potatoes will work), carrots, onion, and frozen peas, while the spices and seasonings include ginger, garlic, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, and red pepper flakes.

You'll also need some flour and a little oil, but, as Hahn points out, using an air fryer means a lot less oil than you'd be using if you deep-fried your samosas. Cooking them this way, she says, is "much healthier than frying them in oil." She does note, though, that "if you want to cut down on the oil to make them a tad healthier, you can just spray them with avocado oil spray instead of brushing them with oil." No avocado oil? Olive oil or plain old vegetable oil will work, too.

Begin by thawing the pastry sheets, in hopes that these will be pliable by the time you've finished the filling. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium high heat, then add the cumin and mustard seeds to the pan and fry them for three minutes. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger, then cook those for 5 minutes. Now add the potatoes, carrots, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, red pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon salt, stirring to combine. Stir in ¼ cup water, too, then cover the pan and turn the burner down to low.

Cook the vegetables for eight minutes, checking to make sure they are tender. Once they are just about done, add the peas and cook for two more minutes to thaw them out and warm them up. Turn off the burner and let the mixture cool for a few moments as you prepare the pastry.

Mix the flour with 6 tablespoons of water, a little at a time, until you have a smooth "glue." Now use a rolling pin to roll out the pastry into one big rectangle, stretching it about 2 inches. Cut the pastry sheet into four equal rectangles.

Here comes the slightly complicated part: working with one dough rectangle, position it so it is in landscape mode with the long side facing up. Fold the upper right corner down to the bottom to make a triangle. Now, bring the lower right corner up to the top edge. Turn the dough 45 degrees so the point of the triangle faces down, then seal up the right side using the flour and water mixture. Take approximately 2 tablespoons of the vegetable filling and stuff it into the "pocket" of each samosa, this being the open space at the top. Fold the top flap down to cover the filling and glue it in place with the flour mixture.

Brush or spray each samosa with oil on both sides, Working in batches, place a few samosas at a time in the air fryer. Cook them for three to four minutes, then turn them over and cook them for another three to four minutes on the other side until they are golden brown all over. Repeat until all of the samosas are cooked.

If you'd like to serve these samosas with a condiment, Hahn says, "Any type of dipping sauce will work with these," but suggests adding sriracha to salad dressing. She says of these samosas, "You can serve these as a meal with a big salad or a pot of soup," adding that "They are great game food or appetizers for a party." Should you wish to reheat them, she says two more minutes in the air fryer ought to do it.