A Samosa is a South Asian, deep fried, triangular, rough puff pastry with a savory filling. Traditionally, the filling consists of spiced and herbed mashed potatoes, onions and peas. Different variations contain raisins and cashews as well as well as other filings.
It is a very popular snack all over India and is available on nearly every street corner. However, many of the required spices and herbs are not available at all grocery stores. This is where frozen samosas come to save the day.
What is a Frozen Samosa
Frozen samosas, as the name suggests, are ready made pieces of samosas in sealed packets that can be preserved for a long time if frozen. The coating and fillings are the same as regular samosas and it works as a good alternative.
Why a Frozen Samosa?
To make Samosas from scratch requires at least 10 ingredients and can take most first-time samosa makers about an hour before the final product is ready. To save time and reduce the number of groceries needed, deep frozen samosas are a great alternative.
The list of ingredients to make regular samosas are: All-Purpose Flour, Salt, Vegetable Oil, Mashed Potatoes, Peas, Onions, Cilantro, Garam Masala Spice, Cumin, & Coriander. The team at Jaldi also recommends Cashews in the samosa filing. PS- we hold a strong no to Raisins in Samosas.
There are some grand samosa recipes which can take over 2 hours to make and require over 18 ingredients. The ingredients above are only a starting point.
Types of Frozen Samosas
Traditionally, samosas or frozen samosas are available with spiced potato filling. For meat eaters, samosas can also include lamb, beef, chicken, or shrimp fillings too. Spices differ depending on the filling.
How to Eat Frozen Samosas at Home
In order to eat frozen samosas at home, simply keep the pack out of the freezer for some time allowing it to defrost. After defrosting, the samosas can be deep fried. Alternatively, an air fryer can also be used instead of deep frying.
How to Fry Frozen Samosas in a Pan:
- Take the pieces of frozen samosa out of the packet and let them defrost.
- Heat a few inches of vegetable oil in a frying pan or deep pot over medium-high heat. Before putting in any samosas the oil should be hot enough to fry the samosa, but not so hot that it will burn the samosa.
- Place the defrosted samosas gently into the hot oil. Be careful not to let any oil splash back.
- Fry the Samosa for 5-6 minutes, or until they are golden brown and crisp. If the samosa is not fully covered in oil, use a slotted spoon to drizzle the hot oil over the top of the samosa while it is cooking.
- Once cooked, use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the samosa from the oil and place it in a paper towel to drain.
Voila, the Samosa is ready to serve.
Frozen Samosa Air Fryer Method:
- Take the pieces of frozen samosa out of packet and let them defrost.
- After they get to their normal/room temperature, drizzle or apply some oil using a brush on the samosas. This will give the crust of the pastry a nice brown and golden texture.
- 380 Fahrenheit is the right temperature for air frying frozen samosas.
- Set the cooking timer to between 7-10 minutes.
- Halfway through the process, flip/turn the samosas to the other side.
- Wait till the timer goes off, and the samosas are ready to serve!
This is how to air fry a frozen samosa. The time and temperature taken for the entire process will vary based on the size and brand of the samosa.
Benefits of Deep Frozen Samosas
- No preparation needed: Making a samosa from scratch can require a few different ingredients. Frozen Samosas are readily available.
- Quick: Cooking a frozen samosa is a very quick process. A frozen samosa can be served just by deep or air frying.
- Oil regulation: Buying Samosas from restaurants means that there is no control over the amount of oil being used to fry the samosas.
- A good option for vegan and vegetarians: Thanks to a variety of options, frozen samosas are available in many different fillings. This thus can cater to many people with separate preferences.
- Tasty: frozen samosas, when served – are crispy and very flavorful. This makes a very god and appealing snack option.
What chutney (sauce) tastes best with Frozen Samosas?
Chutneys are sauces which can be used as dips for eating many Indian snacks. Samosas taste great when dipped in chutneys. There is a specific Samosa Indian Chutney that can be ordered with GetJaldi. Additionally, the following chutneys are used as well:
- Tamarind chutney: Samosas are salty to taste and the tamarind dip is sweet and sour. This dip elevates the flavor of the samosa.
- Cilantro and mint chutney: The mint cilantro combination is a refreshing blend. It is the classic Indian green chutney and is a side on almost all Indian savory snacks and kebabs. This dip tastes great with a samosa too.
- Ketchup: Another great option for a samosa dip is good old tomato ketchup.
- Maggi Hot & Sweet Tomato Chilli Sauce: This adds a sweet and spicy kick to the Samosa.
However, it is not a problem if these dips are not available. Samosas taste great by themselves. Thus, frozen samosas serve all purposes. It requires no elaborate cooking process, gets ready quickly, and is delicious.