Chicken Samosas Recipe

Active Time:

1 hr 10 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 40 mins

Yield:

14 samosas

Tender, flaky dough is folded into triangular pockets around a savory chicken filling and fried until golden and crisp in this easy-to-love chicken samosa from Vijay Kumar of Semma restaurant in New York City, who prepared them for Padma Lakshmi’s Diwali celebration. The heavily spiced filling, seasoned with fragrant garam masala, is balanced by an herbaceous mint chutney dipping sauce. Be sure to use ground chicken that contains a mix of white and dark meat to guarantee the filling stays juicy while frying.

Frequently asked questions

How do you fold samosas?

Divide the samosa dough into balls, each about 1 1/2 ounces. Roll each ball into a six-inch circle, then cut each circle in half. Working with one dough semicircle at a time, dip your fingertip into bowl of water, and moisten the dough halfway across the straight edge of the semicircle. Form into a cone by folding the straight edge in half and overlapping wet side over dry side, pressing to seal. Hold the cone in one hand, and stuff it with two tablespoons filling, gently pressing the filling down to compact it. Lightly moisten the inner top edge of cone with water, and press together to seal. Make sure all points of the triangle are tightly sealed. Transfer the samosa to a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Repeat the process with remaining dough and filling.

Suggested pairing

A peppery, medium-bodied red wine, such as Sula Vineyards Shiraz, is a perfect match for these spicy samosas.

Make ahead

Yes, both the samosas and mint chutney can be made ahead of time. Freeze uncooked samosas, uncovered, in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper until firm, about 30 minutes. Transfer the frozen samosas to a large ziplock plastic freezer bag and freeze for up to a month. Fry the samosas from frozen, increasing the oil temperature to 370°F and increasing the cook time to eight to nine minutes.

The mint chutney can be made and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Chef Vijay Kumar uses maida flour, an Indian all-purpose flour, when he makes these samosas. Maida is a finely milled flour (similar to cake flour); we found that the dough required more water, and was somewhat less pliable than when we used American-style all-purpose flour in our tests. Aijwan seeds, from a plant called bishop’s weed, are similar in appearance to celery seeds. Their flavor is like an intense, peppery thyme. Maida flour, ajwain seeds, and ginger-garlic paste are available at most Indian grocery stores or online at gandhifood.com.

You may have leftover chicken filling depending on the coarseness of the ground chicken. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days and serve over rice or with fried eggs.

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Ingredients

Mint chutney

2 cups packed fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1 cup packed fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup water, divided, plus more as needed
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 teaspoon chopped unseeded green chile (such as serrano)
1 teaspoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

Dough

1 1/2 cups maida flour or all-purpose flour (about 6 3/8 ounces), plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon ajwain seeds
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup water, plus more as needed

Filling

2 tablespoons canola oil
2/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 teaspoon finesea salt
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste (such as Taj Gourmet Foods)
1 tablespoon finely chopped unseeded green chile (such as serrano)
1 pound ground chicken
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Additional ingredient

Canola oil, for frying

Directions

Make the mint chutney

Process cilantro, mint, 1/4 cup water, onion, chile, and ginger in a food processor until mostly smooth, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides of processor bowl as needed. Transfer mixture to a small bowl; stir in lemon juice, salt, sugar, and remaining 1/4 cup water, adding up to 2 tablespoons additional water until desired consistency is reached. Season with additional salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate while preparing samosas.

Make the dough

Stir together flour, ajwain seeds, and salt in a large bowl. Using your fingers, rub oil into flour mixture until evenly incorporated. Add 1/4 cup water; knead until dough forms a smooth ball, about 3 minutes, adding up to 2 tablespoons additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if dough feels dry. Wrap dough in plastic wrap; let rest at room temperature 30 minutes.

Make the samosas

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add onion and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, about 3 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste and chile; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add chicken, chili powder, garam masala, black pepper, turmeric, and coriander; cook, stirring occasionally to break up meat into small pieces, until chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Remove from heat; set aside.
Divide rested dough into 7 (about 1 1/2-ounce) balls. Lightly flour 1 dough ball, and place on a clean work surface; cover remaining dough balls with a clean kitchen towel to prevent drying. Roll ball into a 6-inch disk using a rolling pin. Cut disk in half to form 2 semicircles. Repeat process with remaining dough balls, keeping semicircles covered with a kitchen towel.
Fill a small bowl with water for dipping. Working with 1 dough semicircle at a time, dip your fingertip into bowl of water, and moisten dough halfway across the straight edge of the semicircle. Form into a cone by folding the straight edge in half and overlapping wet side over dry side, pressing to seal. Hold cone in one hand, and stuff with 2 tablespoons filling, gently pressing to compact. Lightly moisten inner top edge of cone with water, and press together to seal. Make sure all points of the triangle are tightly sealed. Transfer to a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Repeat process with remaining dough and filling. Reserve any remaining any filling for another use.
Heat 2 inches of oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high to 350°F. Working in batches, fry 4 or 5 samosas, flipping occasionally, until deep golden brown and crispy, about 6 minutes, occasionally pressing with a spoon to submerge and basting with oil to ensure they cook evenly. Transfer cooked samosas to a paper towel–lined wire rack set inside a baking sheet to drain. Serve samosas warm with mint chutney.