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Flavorful, extra crispy, non-frustrating Samosas. Yes, you can! The only tricky thing about making Keema Samosas is learning how to fold the pastry sheet. This recipe breaks it down with an EASY, fuss-free folding method that requires no precise cutting – complete with a step-by-step video walk-through.
Essential Iftar Recipe – Keema Samosas!
Last year, I asked my Instagram community to share what they most often have on their Iftar table, from their childhood memories to now. Specifically, I wanted to know what the #1 most common Iftar item was (apart from dates). From the 100+ responses I received, here are the top 5 Iftar recipes people mentioned:
- Fruit Chaat (44+ responses)
- Pakora (36+ responses)
- Samosa (17+ Responses)
- Chana Chaat or other Chaat/Kala Chana/Chickpeas (17+ Responses)
- Dahi Bhalla or Dahi Phulki (12+ Responses)
This year, I decided it’s high time I share the 3rd most popular Iftar recipe – Samosas! (Obviously, these aren’t the chunky, Punjabi-style Potato Samosas, but the smaller, crispier, store-bought wrapper kind.)
Top 3 Reasons You’ll Love this Recipe
If you’re new to making Samosas, you’re in the right place. This recipe features:
- Comprehensive folding instructions! Along with the step-by-step photos and a full process video, you’ll also find a 1-ish minute video walk-through that leaves no room for confusion.
- Zero hassle of cutting the pastry sheets! We’re using full sheets, which create layered, extra crispy samosas that stay crispy.
- A quick and easy filling that takes just 15 minutes to make! It’s juicy, savory, and perfectly spiced (hint: you need to generously season it, or it’ll taste bland inside the samosas).
More Snack and Chai-time recipes: Chicken Puff Pastry, Chicken Tikka Club Sandwiches, Chicken Mayo Sandwiches, Aloo Tikki, Chicken Kofta
Samosa Ingredients
Samosa Pastry Sheets:
- Spring roll pastry sheets (called Patti in Urdu): The best brand I’ve tried is the Spring Home TYJ Spring Roll Pastry (1 12-oz package has 25 ~8”x8” sheets). These are available at most Indo-Pak and Asian grocery stores as well as American supermarkets. You don’t want any containing egg, often labeled egg roll pastry sheets. They’re less crispy, chewier and develop bubbles on the surface.
Notes on Filling Ingredients:
- Ground beef: This recipe has been tested with ground beef (use full-fat, not lean, for better flavor) and ground chicken.
- Onions: I dice them so that they retain texture and don’t get lost inside the samosa.
- Aromatics, Spices, & Salt: The filling’s flavors will soften inside the samosa. A generous amount of aromatics, especially green chili peppers, is key to flavorful samosas. Similarly, 1.5 tsp kosher salt may seem like too much for 1 lb of meat, but it’ll be just enough once the aromatics are added and the samosas are fried.
Step 1 – Make the Samosa Filling
- Prepare the Filling: Heat oil and allow cumin seeds to sizzle. Add the ground beef and sauté until the color changes from pink to brown, about 3 minutes. To ensure no chunky meat inside the samosas, use a wooden spoon or potato masher to break up the meat.
- Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until aromatic.
- Add the spices and salt and continue sautéing (bhunai) for 2 minutes. Pour in 1/2 cup water and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and allow to cook until the meat softens and the water mostly evaporates.
- Uncover and increase the heat. Sauté until the water evaporates and the beef begins sticking to the bottom, another 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and allow it to cool while you prepare the vegetables. (Allowing it to cool prevents soggy dough and helps ensure the vegetables stay crunchy in the samosas.)
- Add the onions, green chili, green onions, and cilantro to the cooled keema mixture and mix well.
- Prepare the Binder: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, flour, and water to form a smooth, pancake batter-like paste. Place it on your work surface. You won’t be using all of it, so you can freeze about half for another day.
Method 2 (Alternative Method) – Video Walk-Through
I love Method 1 and find it just makes better Samosas, but Method 2 is an easier option I saw on Youtube that mimics Method 1 results.
- To freeze: Assemble samosas, freeze them raw on a tray just until set, so they don’t stick to each other or lose shape. Once frozen, store in airtight freezer bags. When you’re ready to use, thaw and fry as per recipe.
- To fry from frozen: Heat oil to low-medium heat (240-260°F/115–125°C). Place the frozen samosas directly into the oil, then increase the heat so that the oil is medium-hot.
- To reheat pre-fried, frozen samosas: Thaw until close to room temperature. You can either air-fry or bake at 350°F until heated through and crispy.
Tried this recipe? If you have a minute, please consider leaving a comment telling me how it was! You can also take a quick picture and upload it directly into the comments. If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I truly love hearing from you. Thank you!
Crispy Keema Samosa Recipe (Easy Folding!)
For the Samosa Wrapper:
- 1 12- oz package spring roll pastry sheets, 25 ~8”x8” sheets – (I use Spring Home TYJ), thawed overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for 30-40 minutes – Note 1
For the Filling:
- 2 tbsp neutral oil, plus more for frying
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 lb (454 g) ground beef, (I use full-fat (20%) but lean is also fine)
- 5-6 garlic cloves, finely chopped/crushed
- 1- inch piece ginger, finely chopped/crushed
- 1 1/2 tsp coriander powder, preferably roughly ground
- 1 tsp red chili flakes
- 3/4 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala, I use homemade
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, it should be salty because it’ll mellow out within the samosa
- 1 small (150 g) yellow onion, diced, then broken apart– you don’t want to run it through the food processor
- 2 large (15-20 g) Indian finger chilies (less spicy) or Serrano peppers (more spicy), deseeded to reduce heat and finely chopped
- 2-3 (30 g) green onions, thinly sliced or finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (16 g) cilantro, both leaves and stems are fine
For the Sealing/Binder:
- 1 small egg
- 1/3 cup (45 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup water
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Prepare the Filling: Heat oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a few seconds. Add the ground beef and sauté until the color changes from pink to brown, about 3 minutes. Use a wooden spoon or potato masher to break up the meat as needed (Note 2). If it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, deglaze with 2-3 tbsp water.
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Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until aromatic. Add the spices and salt and continue sautéing (bhunai) for 2 minutes. Pour in 1/2 cup water and bring to a simmer.
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Reduce the heat to low, cover, and allow to cook for 7-10 minutes, until the meat is tender and most of the liquid has absorbed.
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Uncover and increase the heat. Sauté until the water evaporates and the beef begins sticking to the bottom, another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and allow it to cool while you prepare the vegetables. (Allowing it to cool helps ensure the vegetables stay crunchy in the samosas.)
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Add the onions, green chili, green onions, and cilantro to the cooled keema mixture and mix well.
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Prepare the Binder: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, flour, and water to form a smooth, pancake batter-like paste. Place it on your work surface.
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Assemble the Samosas (Method 1 Video Walk-Through – See Note 3): Lay one pastry sheet in square shape on your work surface, keeping the remaining covered with a damp paper towel or cloth. Fold the bottom right corner over to the top left corner to form a triangle. Press gently to secure the shape.
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Fold the bottom left corner of the triangle upward, dragging it further (about 1.5”) above the top line so that it’s about the same height as the top left corner. Gently press the fold to keep it in place.
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Brush the bottom edge of the new triangle with egg binder.
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Next, lift the right edge and fold it over, aligning it with the egg binder line to create a snug triangular pocket. Press gently to secure the egg binder.
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Now you have a cone-shaped triangle with 3 flaps. Lift it in one hand like you’re holding an ice cream cone so that the longest flap is toward the back, and the two remaining ones face you. Add 2 tbsp (~20g-25g) filling in the middle. You want to make sure you fill the filling in the place where it doesn’t have the folding glue/binder. (See video)
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Snugly fold the 2 flappy edges in so they form a parcel shaped like an ice cream cone. Try to keep the edges as neat as possible as they’ll ultimately affect the neatness of the samosa.
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Brush the top triangle all over with binder and fold down to form a complete samosa. (See video on how to roll the samosa tightly back.) Make sure all corners are sealed. If not, pinch to seal with the binder. Keep the samosa covered under a damp cloth or paper towel while you proceed with the remaining samosas. You can also fold all the samosas, then fill before frying.
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Fry the Samosa: Pour oil into a large frying pan so that it’s about 1.5-2”/4-5 cm deep. It should be deep enough so that the samosas don’t stick to the bottom. Heat the oil to med-high heat (360-380°F/180°-190°C), and adjust heat level as needed to maintain this heat. Add 5-6 samosas to the oil, stirring gently to prevent sticking. Fry for 4-5 minutes, turning frequently for even browning. If the oil is too hot (over 380°F), samosas will darken too quickly, they’ll puff immediately and get soggy later more easily. If the oil is too cold (less than 330°F), they’ll get extra oily. Maintain medium-high heat for the best results. Once golden brown and crispy, remove and drain on paper towels. Serve hot with mint chutney, imli chutney, or mint raita.
Note 2: You want finely ground of meat instead of chunky meat pieces inside the samosas. For this reason, I recommend using a wooden spoon or potato masher to finely grind the meat.
Note 3: Before you begin, take a look at the accompanying video walk-through and pictures. I suggest trying Method 1 first, but I’ve also included a video walk-through for Method 2. It’s simpler and mimics Method 1, but for me it doesn’t make samosas as well as Method 1.
Yield: Makes approximately 25 samosas for 1 lb of filling if you’ve packed a moderate amount of filling. If using less/sparse filling, makes ~30 samosas.
Calories: 111kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 21mg, Sodium: 242mg, Potassium: 85mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 0.3g, Vitamin A: 90IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 18mg, Iron: 1mg