Giant Sharing Samosa Sharing Plates

No need to fry because this crispy beauty goes right into the oven. The result is crispy, golden and so crust-shatteringly flaky.

Samosas are truly one of India’s most globally-loved snacks. Almost every celebration in my life has called for a platter of victory samosas; my graduation, birthdays, weddings. Samosas are always there. I often fantasise about the illogical and fantastical when it comes to food. I’ll ask myself, “what food feels impossible but isn’t?”. Well, this 1lb Giant Sharing Samosa is a result of one of those food fantasy brainstorms on the topic of Valentine’s Day. You can make them any time of year, btw. Super huge samosas are evergreen! What’s my ideal Valentine’s Day feast? Forget chocolate desserts, there’s no better way to show a samosa lover your undying affection than with this Giant Sharing Samosa. Next on my list is a Christmas tree made entirely out of mozzarella sticks. Kidding… or am I?

I call it a sharing samosa but you do you, friend. This samosa is the equivalent of around 5-6 Punjabi-style samosas (which are usually pretty large btw). I’d never dream of telling someone how many samosas to eat.

Yes, this Giant Sharing Samosa recipe is suitable for both vegetarians and vegans. I use oil in place of ghee in the pastry. There’s no dairy and it’s still delicious!

Is this Giant Samosa gluten free?

No. If you have Coeliac disease or follow a gluten-free diet, feel free to replace the plain flour in this recipe with your favourite gluten-free flour blend. I like this one.

Is this samosa baked or fried?

This samosa weighs approximately 1lb. To fry it wouldn’t be impossible but probably isn’t the wisest choice for home cooks like you and I. Try my pastry recipe below for an oven-baked Punjabi-style samosa that still has a delicious crunchy finish without getting litres of oil and deep frying equipment out.

Can I air fry this samosa?

If your air fryer is large enough, then I don’t see why you can’t air fry this samosa.

What other samosa fillings can I make?

Although there are countless fillings to choose from, potatoes, onions and peas will always be the poster child for samosas. The potatoes are usually boiled whole, with the skin on so the inside remains tender and fluffy. Once cooled, the skin-on spuds are peeled and roughly mashed before being united with a mixture of onions, spices and green peas. Other common vegetarian fillings include: soy mince (kheema), cauliflower and peas, Tandoori Paneer, sprouted lentils, Maggi Noodles or Hakka Noodles (seriously). Some of the more modern takes on samosas are wild, but nevertheless, delicious.

Can I make regular-sized samosa using this recipe?

You can indeed but you might find this recipe for The Best Vegetarian Samosas more useful.

How to make Samosa Pastry

This pastry recipe begins with rubbing together flour and oil to create a rough, breadcrumb-like texture. It’s similar to making shortcrust pastry, but uses oil in place of butter. Ghee can also be used, if that’s a flavour you like. The technique is called “moarn” in Hindi and it facilitates the creation of a crispy pastry for deep-fried snacks like Samosa and Kachori.

Why is this pastry a great option?

It requires no pre-cooking prior to folding and filling the samosas.This method ensures a perfectly-crispy and robust samosa every time.The pastry is stiff enough to make light work of the stuffing and folding process. This means you don’t need to spend ages fixing tears and snags in the pastry.This is a very forgiving way of making samosas. If the pastry does in fact tear at any point, just pinch the dough together to seal again.Unlike filo pastry samosas, it’s okay if this type to look rough and ready. In my opinion, the craggier the samosa the better! The rough, pitted surface of samosas made with homemade pastry is the perfect carrier for chutney.

How to make samosa filling with potatoes and peas

Gather your ingredients. It might look like lots but this samosa needs flavour! Find a list of everything you need in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

To make the filling

Be sure you pre-cook your potato and allow it to cool slightly beforehand. You can bake, steam or microwave it. I prefer to microwave because it’s so quick and convenient. Wash it, prick the skin all over with a fork and microwave on high power for around 6-7 minutes depending on how powerful your microwave is. Don’t remove the skin before cooking or it will become really hard and dry on the outside. You can also boil the potato but I don’t love that method as it invites a lot of water into the mixture. This isn’t ideal for samosas.

Roll the dough on a floured surface. It should be wider than it is long. This is to avoid a giant wizard-hat shaped samosa!Be sure to wet the dough with water to ensure it sticks enough to hold its’ shape.Be generous with your filling and take care when you stuff to avoid tearing and splitting the dough.

Create a pleat along the base of the samosa so it seals well and can stand up once finished. This is the sign of a great Punjabi-style samosa.Pinch to seal shut all along the bottom. Try to squeeze any excess air out as you do this.

Carefully lift this giant samosa onto a baking tray and brush liberally with oil before you bake it, and during to guarantee a crispy, golden finish. Other recipes you might like:

The Best Vegetable SamosasEasy Vegan Curry PuffsIndian Cheese TwistsGyoza Bhajia