Vegan Samosas
These delicious Vegan Samosas are packed full of flavour with spices, carrots, peas, and potatoes, making this the perfect party appetizer. Alternatively, throw them on the side of a curry next time you make a Lentil Curry.
Skip to any part of the recipe by clicking on the one of the links below:
Introduction
It’s no secret to my friends and family that I love Indian food - it’s my go-to takeout food, my favourite food to cook, and I’ll always have it locked and loaded as my answer for the age-old question “Okay, if you got to choose your last meal, what would it be?”.
So I decided to give samosas a go. The first time round, I baked them. They came out tasting great, but they fell apart in your hands - not anything like the samosas I know from a proper Indian restaurant.
I bought more potatoes, more peas, and more carrots, and tried again. This time, I made sure I was prepared before going in. I learned how to fold them properly (I wrapped the first samosas about as well as I wrap Christmas presents, and I’m horrible at wrapping Christmas presents). Instead of baking them, I fried them to make sure they had a crispy outside.
They came out incredibly. But don’t get me wrong, these take practice. They take patience. You’ll take water breaks. But they’re so, so, so worth the effort and time. Saying they’re one of the best things I’ve ever made is an understatement, and you’ll be thinking the same thing, too.
So if you’re looking for something fun to do in the kitchen (a perfect date night), give these a go. You won’t regret it.
The secret to these is use two layers of phyllo pastry per samosa. It creates a thick enough shell that the outside stays crispy while the insides cook. Taste the mixture that you put inside the phyllo. Add salt if it needs more. Add more spices. If you want to add more or less carrots and peas, do your thing.
Check out the Spruce it Up section down below for ideas on how to take this recipe to the next level.
Before we Get Started
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour
Yield: 12 Samosas
Ingredients
1 box Phyllo Pastry
1/2 cup Peas
I used frozen
1/2 cup Carrots
3 medium Potatoes
1 tbsp. Curry Powder
1/2 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Garam Masala
A splash of Lime Juice
Method
Ensure your Phyllo Pastry are room temperature by taking them out of the fridge or freezer and letting them sit until completely defrosted.
Bring two pots of water to a boil. When they’ve reached a boil, add a generous amount of salt to each.
Cut your potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Dice your carrots into pea-sized cubes.
Don’t worry about peeling your potatoes if you don’t want to. I didn’t, and the taste isn’t affected at all.
Add your potatoes and carrots to the pots of boiling water. They will each take a different amount of time to cook, so keep an eye out. The potatoes will take approx. 10 minutes, and the carrots will take approx. 3 minutes.
Carrots in one pot, potatoes in the other.
Test your carrots by pulling one out of the pot and having a bite. If it’s soft, they’re ready to be drained.
The potatoes are ready to be drained when you can easily slide a knife or fork through them.
After the potatoes have been drained, add them into a bowl. Mash them up with a potato masher or fork. Then, add your carrots, frozen peas, spices, and lime juice, and mix thoroughly. Add salt and pepper, then taste. If it needs more of anything else, add now, and taste again.
Take two sheets of your phyllo pastry and lay them on top of each other. Cut them into rectangles with your knife that measure approximately 5 cm. x 15 cm. Following the video below, use your favourite technique to fold and fill your samosas.
Repeat Step 6 until all of your filling has been used.
Preheat a pan over medium-high heat, with oil. Lay your samosas into the pan, and cook for approximately 1-2 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
This may take shorter or longer than described depending on your oven. You’re aiming for colour over time, so just keep an eye on them.
Place them onto a paper towel and dab each side to get rid of any excess oil.
Pair with your favourite sauce.
Enjoy.
Spruce it Up
Cook some onions and garlic in a separate pan and add it to your filling for even more flavour.
Chop up some parsley and add to the filling, or add some chili if you like heat.
Pair with this delicious Vegan Curry Sauce.
Have on the side of this Easy Vegan Lentil Curry.
Use your favourite technique from the video below for folding your samosas. I used Technique #1 for my samosas. Aim for the same sized rectangle she does when cutting your phyllo pastry.