Crispy Onion Samosa Recipe

 Onion Samosa recipe is one of the most sought after snack recipe by many of my blog readers. I am talking about the addictive, small, crispy onion samosas that are served in the college canteens, railway stations, movie theatres, Irani tea cafes and the like. Seriously, I am no expert in making this classic Indian addictive snack that also goes by the name, Irani samosas. Trying to achieve perfectly crisp onion samosa is not an easy task. Having said that, I will also say that one can make it at home with near perfection. 

Onion samosa is different from the regular Punjabi style recipe in terms of the filling as well as the texture of the outer dough layer. Onion samosa has a super crispy, smooth exterior with a lightly spiced onion filling. The onion filling is mixed with powdered poha aka beaten flat rice flakes which absorbs any moisture that the filling might have. The key to a crisp samosa is in the samosa pastry dough that has to be kneaded to the right consistency, rolled to the perfect thickness which is neither too thick nor too thin and the samosas have to be fried in oil that is not too hot, on a low medium flame to achieve a golden brown, crisp exterior.

preparing of samosas

Ingredients

• Flour - 1 1/2 cups( u can use puff pastry sheets)
• Salt - 1/4 tsp
• Lemon juice - 1 1/2 tsps
• Oil for deep frying
• Flour paste (mix 1/4 cup maida (flour) in little water to make a paste)
• For filling:
• Onion - 1, very large, sliced
• Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
• Poha - 1/3 cup beaten rice/atukulu), ground to a powder
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves - 2 tsps, finely chopped (optional)
• Oil - 2 tsps

Method

1. In a bowl, add flour, salt and lemon juice and mix well. Add warm water, little by little, to make a smooth yet pliable dough. Cover with a damp cloth and leave aside for 20 mts.
2. Meanwhile make the filling. Heat a cooking vessel, add oil. Once oil is hot, add sliced onions and saute on low to medium flame for 3-4 mts. Add red chili powder and mix well. Turn off flame.
3. Add the ground beaten rice and coriander leaves and mix well. Remove to a bowl, leave aside while you prepare the samosa pastry.
4. To prepare the samosa pastry, make lemon sized balls of the dough and leave them covered while you roll the balls into thin rotis.
5. Make two rotis that are 3" in diameter. Smear a little oil all over one roti and place the other roti over it. Sprinkle some flour on the work surface and roll it into a thinner and larger roti. Keep aside the prepared roti and cover with a kitchen towel till you prepare rotis in the same manner with rest of the balls.
6. Heat a tawa or skillet on medium flame. Place a roti on the tawa and allow to cook slightly for approx 18-20 seconds on each side. Do not allow to cook completely. Remove from tawa and slowly separate the two rotis.
7. Prepare with rest of the rotis likewise and keep them covered with a kitchen towel.
8. Cut each roti into two halves and keep aside. Add salt to the onion filling just before you begin to stuff the samosa pastry with the filling.
9. Follow the above pictures on how to fold the samosa pastry sheet along with filling and seal them with the flour paste. Prepare samosas with rest of the pastry sheets. Cover the prepared samosa with a kitchen towel and allow to sit for 10 to 15 mts.
10. Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel. Once the oil is medium hot, reduce flame to low-medium, add 4 to 5 samosas into the oil carefully and allow to cook on both sides till they become golden brown. Do not cook on high flame.
11. Remove the fried golden brown samosas onto an absorbent paper.serve with tomato ketchup.

Tips

• You can use raw onions to make filling i.e you need not saute the sliced onions. I like to slightly saute the onions.
• Coriander leaves is optional.