Vegetable Samosas

By
Stephanie Gallagher
Stephanie Gallagher
Stephanie Gallagher is a journalist and food writer who has authored multiple cookbooks.
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Updated on 05/9/22
Vegetable Samosas on a plate

The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

Prep: 45 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 90 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
165 Calories
10g Fat
18g Carbs
3g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 165
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 122mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 6%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 7mg 36%
Calcium 23mg 2%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 310mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

There's no need to go out for great Indian food. These vegetable samosas are super easy to make at home. They are made using a shortcut with store-bought puff pastry instead of making the dough from scratch, but they are nonetheless delicious.

Samosas are typically savory and can be filled with ground meat, such as lamb or beef, along with vegetables. They're also an excellent Indian vegetarian dish, as in this recipe, which includes cubed potatoes, peas, carrots, and onions. A good vegetable samosa often contains garam masala, which is a combination of several spices: coriander, cumin, cloves, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, and bay leaves. If you've never worked with it, it's not hard to find; you can buy it in most large supermarkets, gourmet markets, or online. You may find this warming, gently spicy blend goes well with a lot of foods.

Serve them as part of a spread for a party or as an appetizer alongside a larger Indian-themed meal. You'll need some parchment paper (or cooking spray) to line the baking sheet with so the samosas don't stick.

Ingredients

  • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry

  • 1 cup peeled, cubed potatoes (use refrigerated potatoes, such as Simply Potatoes, to save time)

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil

  • 1 small onion, finely chopped

  • 3/4 cup frozen peas and carrots

  • 1 teaspoon garam masala

  • 1/2 teaspoon curry powder

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Cooking spray

  • All-purpose flour, for dusting

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Vegetable samosas ingredients

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  2. Remove the puff pastry from the freezer and let it sit out at room temperature, about 40 minutes. Heat the oven to 400 F.

    Frozen puff pastry on a marble countertop

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  3. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan. Cover completely with water.

    Cubed potatoes in a saucepan with water

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  4. Bring to a boil.

    Potatoes cooking in boiling water in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  5. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Let simmer 10 to 15 minutes until fork tender.

    Potatoes simmering in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  6. Drain the potatoes and set aside.

    Drained potatoes in a colander

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  7. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

    Cooking oil in a skillet

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  8. Add the onion and cook until softened, 4 to 5 minutes.

    Onions cooking in a skillet

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  9. Add the peas and carrots, garam masala, and curry powder to the skillet. Cook 3 to 4 minutes.

    Peas and carrots, garam masala, and curry powder with onions in a skillet

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  10. Add the potatoes and salt. Cook, stirring, another 2 to 3 minutes until the flavors meld. Remove from heat.

    Potatoes, carrots, peas, onions, garam masala in a skillet for samosas

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  11. Have a small bowl of water and a pastry brush next to your work surface. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.

    Baking sheet lined with parchment paper, bowl with water and brush

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  12. On a lightly floured surface, unfold the puff pastry.

    Puff pastry on a floured surface

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  13. Cut into 9 equal rectangles.

    Puff pastry cut into 9 pieces

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  14. Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each rectangle.

    Samosa vegetable filling on top of puff pastry squares

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  15. Dip the pastry brush in the water and wet one long side and one short side of each rectangle.

    Edges of puff pastry with samosa filling, brushed with water

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  16. Fold over to create a triangle and seal in filling.

    Samosas folded over to create a triangle and sealed in filling

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  17. Place samosas on the prepared baking sheet.

    Vegetable samosas on a baking sheet lined with parchment

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  18. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.

    Vegetable samosas baked until golden on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

Tip

You can work on this recipe in stages if desired. Make the filling a day or two ahead of time and refrigerate it, covered. Bring it to room temperature while the dough is thawing, and prepare as directed.

Variations

Samosas can be made with a variety of ingredients. Consider the following substitutions:

  • Cauliflower or broccoli (or a combination of both), instead of potatoes, peas, or carrots.
  • 1/2 to 1 pound cooked ground beef, lamb, chicken or turkey, mixed in with the vegetables (freeze leftover filling, or toss it with basmati rice for a light lunch).
  • 1/2 to 1 cup cooked lentils.
  • 1/4 cup diced nuts, such as almonds or pistachios.
  • 1/4 cup finely diced dried fruit, such as mango, dates, raisins, or apricots.



How to Store and Freeze Vegetable Samosas

Samosas will keep refrigerated and covered for up to five days. Reheat in the oven at 350 F until hot.


Samosas can be frozen. Wrap them individually in foil and store in the freezer in an airtight container or zip-close freezer bag for up to six months. Reheat from frozen for about 15 to 20 minutes.

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