Crispy spicy snacks have been a part of Indian cuisine since ages. The evening chai is perhaps incomplete for many of us without something crunchy to munch on. Now we sure have namakpare, kachoris, cutlets and pakodas to gorge on, but put a humble samosa on the other side and our hearts would just melt in no time. Isn’t it right? With dollops of chutney on the side, I would barter anything for a plateful of that. One of the most loved snacks across the country, samosa sure doesn't need a special occasion to be relished. A cup of chai and a side of chutney is more than enough at any time of the day to savour these triangle puffs. But did you know that the snack that we so proudly call desi, isn’t really desi. Yes, you read that right.
The flaky snack traces its origin to the Middle East and central Asian region. In fact, the word samosa itself comes from the word 'sanbosag' that has its roots in the Persian language. It was a meaty delight that paved its way to India via travelers to India. Nevertheless, we are very thankful to the travelers from the Middle East who gave us a snack to not just relish but even experiment with. Haven’t you tried the numerous different, unique and sometimes even bizarre stuffing that we have created in samosas?
Stuffed, flavourful pastry, samosa traditionally has a spicy potato filling and is served with a chatpati chutney. But with numerous fusion experiments, we now have paneer samosa, noodle samosa, moong dal samosa, onion samosa to even chocolate samosa. So you will never run out of options. But do you know how to make samosa at home? It may sound easy to do so, but many times we don’t exactly get to enjoy the exact crispy and crunch of market-style samosas.
So if you are someone planning to make samosas at home, we’ve got you armed with some amazing tips and tricks to start with.
1. The dough
The dough for samosa should be stiff in contrast to the roti dough, which is soft. To do so, avoid using a lot of water and use only when too necessary. Moisture in the dough can prevent the samosa into turning crispy. The dough for samosas needs to be well-rested too, after which it needs to be knead for about 3-4 minutes to just be tight and stiff. Avoid over kneading.
2. Rolling the dough
The rolled dough should be neither too thick or too thin since thick will be hard to cook and thin layer can break easily. It should be well balanced.
3. Oil
The amount of oil you use for the dough is crucial in making flaky, crispy samosas. Too little of oil can make the crust of your samosas hard. So stick to the amount mentioned in the recipe you are following and balance according to the number of samosas you are making.
4. Frying
Too hot oil can result in blisters and bubbles on your samosa and it won’t turn crispy. Medium or low flame is suggested to fry the samosas. When tiny bubbles in your oil starts to appear, close to 40 seconds after turning on the flame, that is the temperature you need to fry your samosas.
