Golden Air Fryer Samosas Vegan

You won’t believe these lightly-spiced, vegetable parcels aren’t deep fried! They’re vegan-friendly too. Each samosa is contains a mixture of vegetables, including potatoes, peas, carrots, corn and onions. There’s no need to deep fry then, just air fry to golden perfection. Follow my tips to learn how to cook samosas in the air fryer quickly and easily. This post will cover all of your burning (pun not intended!) air fryer samosas questions including:

What are the best types of samosa to cook in an air fryer? How long does it take to air fry samosas? At what temperature should I air fry samosas? How to air fry samosas from frozen?

Can you air fry samosas?

Yes! You can cook samosas in an air fryer. Air frying is a handy way to cook samosas without having to use large amounts of oil, thus preventing excess oil and waste. If you have an air fryer at home, there are a few techniques you can try to ensure the samosas do not dry out whilst they cook in the air fryer. However, oil can be reused after you use it for deep frying. Just filter through a fine strainer and cloth once the oil is cold. Pour into a storage container and use again in your daily cooking.

What are the best types of samosa to cook in an air fryer?

Punjabi Samosas

Samosas with high-fat pastry, such as Punjabi Samosas cook particularly well in air fryers, since the pastry already contains enough oil to create a crispy finish. This being said, you can still successfully cook other types of samosa in an air fryer with great results. Here’s a Punjabi Samosa recipe.

Filo pastry samosas or spring roll pastry samosas

You can cook filo (phyllo pastry) or spring roll pastry samosas in an air fryer. Bear in mind that you will need to brush the outside of the samosas liberally with oil to prevent the samosas from drying out. It’s best to use a pastry brush and a cooking oil like vegetable or sunflower oil to brush both sides of the samosas before you air fry them. If you find the samosas dry out during the cooking process, brush them again to prevent scorching and burning on the pastry.

Patti samosas/homemade rolled dough sheets

This style of samosa pastry sits somewhere between the two aforementioned samosas. You can make samosa patti (sheets) in a number of ways. One way is to make a semi-stiff dough of wheat flour, water, salt and oil. Knead it, rest, roll and par-cook until it’s slightly dry and pliable. It will look like an undercooked roti. These make for great air fryer samosas, since the dough contains some oil already, and the surface is porous enough to absorb oil from brushing. Here’s a recipe using homemade samosa patti.

Tortilla samosas

If you’d like to make tortilla-wrapped samosas in an air fryer, be sure to brush the outside with a generous amount of oil as they can be prone to burning.

What temperature should you air fry samosas?

Use a mix of temperatures throughout the cooking process to get the best golden colour on your samosa pastry. I cook them at 180°C/355°F until they’re 80% done and then increase the temperature to 200°C/400°F to finish the cooking process and give them a perfect golden finish. Note that is is for non-frozen samosas. Instructions how air fry frozen samosas are below. My air fryer holds 6 samosas but if your basket is smaller, cook them in smaller batches. Don’t overcrowd the frying basket.

How long do you air fry samosas?

This depends on how many samosas are in your basket and the size of the samosas. My air fryer holds 6 medium-sized samosas but if your basket is smaller, cook them in smaller batches. Don’t overcrowd the frying basket. See the table below for a guide to times and temperatures you’ll need. You may need to adjust the timings slightly depending on how many samosas you plan to cook at once and their size.

Time and temperature to cook samosas in an air fryer

Note: the information below applies to non-frozen samosas.

Can you air fry frozen samosas?

Cooking samosas from frozen depends on many samosas are in your basket and the size of the samosas. My air fryer holds 6 medium-sized samosas but if your basket is smaller, cook them in smaller batches. Don’t overcrowd the frying basket. You may need to adjust the timings slightly depending on how many samosas you plan to cook at once and their size. Note: the table below applies to frozen samosas.

How to air fry samosas from frozen

How to make Air Fried Samosas step-by-step tutorial

Make vegetable samosa filling

This simple, but delicious vegetable samosa filling is a real crowd pleaser. Potatoes, peas, onions, corn and carrots are the perfect veggies to create a light stuffing. I use a combination of garam masala and other ground spices to create a flavoursome but not overly spiced mixture so both grown ups and kids will love them.

1. Chop the vegetables for the filling

Be sure to chop any vegetables finely. This will ensure they cook quickly and evenly, as well as create a mixture that binds together. I use potatoes, carrots and onions. We will add other veggies that require less cooking later.

2. Soften the onions with whole spices

Sizzle cumin seeds in hot oil before adding in aromatics like ginger, chilli and onions.

3. Add the fresh veg

Add potatoes, carrots, turmeric and salt. A splash of water will help the veggies cook through.

4. Cover and cook the samosa filling mixture

Top with a tight-fitting lid and cook the samosa filling over a low heat until everything is tender. Stir every so often to ensure the mixture doesn’t burn. Once the fresh vegetables are soft, add in anything that’s already pre-cooked, such as frozen peas and canned corn. Add remaining ground spices like garam masala and my secret ingredient – mango chutney! Gently mash the mixture with the back of the spoon to create a filling that binds together.

Make the samosa ‘glue’

Combine plain flour (all-purpose flour) and cold water to make a sticky paste. Use this to seal the samosa pastry.

Photo guide: How to fold samosas using spring roll pastry

Frozen, shop-bought spring roll pastry is an excellent time saver when it comes to making homemade samosas. Buy them in most Asian supermarkets. If you cannot find spring roll sheets, you can also use filo (phyllo) pastry sheets. Follow the visual photo guide above or watch my video tutorial to learn how to fold samosas using spring roll pastry. For this recipe, I use either TAJ samosa pads or Spring Home TYJ Spring Roll Pastry (defrosted at room temperature). The latter will need to be cut into long rectangles.

How to air fry samosas | Golden Air Fryer Samosas step-by-step photos

What’s the best air fryer for Indian food?

Any air fryer will work for cooking Indian food like samosas, kachori and other snacks that are usually fried. This being said, if you’d like to give your Indian dishes a beautifully golden finish, an air fryer with a ‘grill’ or ‘roast’ function comes in handy! I use an Instant Pot Vortex 4-in-1 Air Fryer 5.7L 1700W air fryer.

Things I use when I make Golden Air Fryer Samosas

My secret ingredient is a spoonful of mango chutney it brings the flavours to life! Remember to adjust the amount of chilli in this recipe according to your taste.

What are the best potatoes to use for these samosas?

Any floury variety of potatoes will work beautifully. Baking potatoes such as Maris Piper or King Edward if you’re in the UK.

Are these Golden Air Fryer Samosas vegetarian and vegan?

Yes, this veg samosa recipe is suitable for both vegetarians and vegans.

Can I bake these Golden Air Fryer Samosas?

Yes! See the recipe notes for instructions for baking these samosas in a conventional oven.

Instructions for how to deep fry samosas

Heat any cooking oil of your choice in a large, deep pan, wok or kadai. The temperature of the oil should be 180°C/355°F. If you don’t have a cooking thermometer, place the dry handle end of a wooden spoon in the oil. It should not sizzle immediately, but begin to sizzle after around 10 seconds. Once this happens, your oil is ready for frying samosas. Fry the samosas in small batches, taking care not to overcrowd the pan, since the oil temperature will drop as you add more samosas and the aim is to keep the temperature at the right level. Cook the samosas, turning often for the most even colour. They will take around 4-5 minutes to cook perfectly. Remove the samosas from the oil with a frying spoon and place on absorbent kitchen towel or in a colander to allow any excess oil to drip away.

How to make the best air fryer samosas | Golden Air Fryer Samosas recipe + video

To bake samosas Arrange the samosas in a single layer on a flat baking tray. Brush both sides liberally with oil. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C/400°F for 10-12 minutes, turning half way through the cooking time.

Instructions for how to deep fry samosas

Fry the samosas in small batches, taking care not to overcrowd the pan, since the oil temperature will drop as you add more samosas and the aim is to keep the temperature at the right level.

Cook the samosas, turning often for the most even colour. They will take around 4-5 minutes to cook perfectly. Remove the samosas from the oil with a frying spoon and place on absorbent kitchen towel or in a colander to allow any excess oil to drip away. To freeze samosas Place uncooked samosas in a single layer inside a freezer-safe container or sandwich bag. Freeze flat. Cook directly from frozen using the guide in the post above.