Chicken Samosas
The Iftar table item people actually queue for. Fold a large batch before Ramadan, freeze them raw, and fry as many as you need each evening.
Why it works for Iftar
- They freeze raw and fry straight from frozen, which turns a fiddly job into a one-time task.
- A protein-filled samosa is more substantial than a plain potato one, so two or three are a real course.
- They are the traditional Iftar starter across South Asia, East Africa and much of the Gulf.
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken minceor finely chopped thigh
- 1 large onionabout 150 g, finely chopped
- 3 garlic clovescrushed
- 1 tbsp gingergrated
- 2 green chilliesfinely chopped
- 100 g frozen peas
- 3 tbsp oilfor the filling
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 4 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
- 24 samosa pastry stripsspring roll pastry works well
- 3 tbsp plain flourmixed with 3 tbsp water to a paste, for sealing
- 1 litre oilfor deep frying
Method
- 1Cook the aromatics8 min
Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry the onion for 6 minutes until soft, then add the garlic, ginger and chillies and cook 2 minutes more.
- 2Cook the chicken8 min
Add the chicken mince and cook for 8 minutes, breaking it up, until cooked through with no pink remaining.
- 3Season and dry it out5 min
Add 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander and 1/2 tsp chilli powder, then the peas. Cook 4 to 5 minutes until the pan is completely dry. A wet filling will burst the pastry.
- 4Finish the filling2 min
Stir in 1/2 tsp garam masala and the fresh coriander. Spread on a tray and cool completely — at least 30 minutes, and it must be cold before folding.
- 5Fold30 min
Take a pastry strip, fold the end into a cone, spoon in about 1 tbsp of filling, then fold along the length into a triangle. Seal the final flap with the flour paste. Repeat for all 24.
- 6Fry15 min
Heat the oil to 170 °C. Fry 5 or 6 at a time for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until deep golden. Drain on a rack, not on paper, so the bases stay crisp.
Notes that make the difference
- The filling must be cold and dry before folding. Warm filling steams the pastry and it tears.
- Freeze them raw on a tray, then bag them once solid. Fry from frozen at 165 °C for about 6 minutes.
- Oil that is too cool makes them greasy; too hot and the pastry colours before the inside heats through.
Storing and reheating
Raw samosas freeze for 3 months. Fried ones are best eaten within the hour.
Substitutions
- Vegetarian: 500 g boiled crushed potato with peas, cumin and coriander.
- Baked: brush with oil and bake at 200 °C for 20 to 25 minutes, turning halfway. Crisp, though not the same as fried.
Cooking times assume a standard domestic hob and oven and will vary with your equipment. No nutritional figures are given: calculating them reliably needs the exact brand and weight of every ingredient, and an invented number would be worse than none. If you are managing a health condition, follow your doctor’s dietary advice.
Published Editorial standards: editorial policy.