There could be no perfect snack for a middle-class desi household other than a samosa. We all have at least once, ran to our nearby halwai shop and bought samosas, when guests came over. This triangular savoury snack may not have its root in India but is loved the most here. Yes, you read that right. This tightly packed deep-fried snack is actually a delicious immigrant from Central Asia.
If some legends are to be believed, some tiny mince filled triangular snacks were referred to as sanbusaq, sanbusaj and sanbusak were eaten by merchants around campfires and were easy to be packed for long journeys. Some Persian texts have a mention of sanbosag said to be the closest cousin of samosa and etymological cousin of samsa, the Persian pyramidal pastry. It travelled from Central Asia and reached South Asia via North Africa and East Asia. Well, samosa’s history is as interesting as the snack is!
Indian samosa has a flavourful filling of potatoes mixed with spices and herbs and served with mint chutney, tamarind chutney and even chole at some places. We all love samosas as they are too delicious and easily available. But you know what? Making them may not be that easy. Those who have tried making samosas at home must know that making these fried snacks at home is not at all a cake walk. When the samosas don’t turn out khasta, it just doesn’t hit the spot. Right from kneading the dough to stuffing the masala, from sealing the snack to deep-frying, there are so many steps that need to be done with perfection. But good news, you can actually make them a at home with some easy tips. Wanna know the tips? Scroll down!
- The foremost step for making samosa is kneading perfect dough. This step can affect the entire samosa making process. Before kneading the dough, one must add oil in proper quantity to the flour. This will help in making the samosas flaky. But one must make sure that not too much oil is added as it would harden the samosa crust.
- To make the crispy and khasta samosas, it is advisable to knead a stiff or tight dough. If the dough would not be stiff but soft, it would not make crispy samosas. One must add only that much water which is required. If the dough has too much moisture, tiny bubbles will start appearing in the dough.
- After kneading the dough, one must rest the dough for 50 to 60 minutes for best results. After the dough is rested, one must knead the dough again but for not more than 4 to 5 minutes. One must make sure that the dough does not turn soft.
- While rolling the dough, the dough should not be too thin or too thick. One must not use any flour in it. It is advisable to use oil to roll the dough evenly to get the perfect samosas.
- Frying samosas could be the most crucial step. The samosas should not be fried in extremely hot oil as it will burn the outer crust and inner crust will remain uncooked. Samosas should be fried in medium hot oil and later, the oil should be kept on low heat.
Keep these tips handy while making samosas the next time!