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Air Fryer Samosas

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Crispy, golden samosas made in the air fryer with homemade dough and a spiced potato-pea filling, delivering the same shatteringly crisp shell as deep-fried versions with roughly 75% less oil.

Ingredients

Scale
  • For the dough:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (maida gives the most authentic texture)
  • ¼ cup neutral oil or melted ghee
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup warm water, added gradually
  • For the potato-pea filling:
  • 3 medium potatoes, boiled and roughly mashed (chunky, not smooth)
  • ½ cup green peas (fresh or frozen, thawed)
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp red chili powder, or to taste
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

  1. Combine flour, salt, and oil in a bowl. Rub the oil into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs (the moyan technique). Add warm water tablespoon by tablespoon, mixing until a stiff dough just comes together.
  2. Knead the dough for 3–4 minutes until smooth. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
  3. While the dough rests, heat oil in a pan over medium heat and temper the cumin seeds until fragrant. Add grated ginger and cook 30 seconds, then stir in garam masala, coriander powder, turmeric, and chili powder.
  4. Add the roughly mashed potatoes and peas to the pan. Mix well to coat in the spices, season with salt, stir in cilantro, and remove from heat. Allow the filling to cool completely before assembling.
  5. Divide the dough into equal portions and roll each thin into an oval. Cut each oval in half, shape each half into a cone, and seal the straight edge with flour-water paste (2 tbsp flour mixed with enough water to form a thick paste).
  6. Fill each cone with the cooled potato-pea filling, then seal the open top firmly with flour-water paste, pressing the edges together. Brush assembled samosas lightly with oil on all sides.
  7. Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Arrange samosas in a single layer without touching and cook for 12–15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until deeply golden and crispy.

Notes

Dough must be stiff — significantly stiffer than bread or pizza dough. Soft dough puffs and becomes bready in the air fryer rather than crispy.

Cool the filling completely before assembling; hot filling creates steam that prevents the seams from sealing properly.

For frozen samosas (Deep, Haldiram’s): cook straight from frozen at 375°F for 10–14 minutes — no thawing needed.

For a shortcut, use Goya empanada discs or puff pastry in place of homemade dough with the same filling and air fry instructions.

Find it online: https://airfrycentral.com/air-fryer-samosas/