Photos by Hannah Burne
These vegan phyllo samosas make a perfect appetizer, snack, or a full meal if you eat a bunch of them…!
I like making these samosas with phyllo dough for that lovely flakey texture on the outside, while the filling is soft and oh so flavourful! Together they make the perfect bite!
I spent a good amount of my time in India eating lots of samosas.. Whenever I got to a new town I would go investigate the food stalls in the street in search of the perfect samosa – sometimes I would find sweet ones too, with apple pie filling, or banana and chocolate, and even though they were also delicious – there is nothing like a hot fresh spiced potato samosa..
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Makes: 10 samosas
Ingredients
- 4 medium potatoes
- 4 cups water
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ cup green peas
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 green jalapeño*
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ⅛ tsp cinnamon powder
- A pinch of ground cloves (optional)
- A pinch of nutmeg (optional)
- 10 Phyllo sheets, defrosted**
- ⅓ cup olive oil (for brushing phyllo)
*If you want a spicy samosa, use the whole jalapeño. If you just want a little kick, deseed the jalapeño and only use the flesh.
** Phyllo dough needs to be defrosted for 2 hours on the counter (or in the fridge overnight) before it can be used. I recommend covering the phyllo sheets with a damp towel to keep them moist while using, as they dry out very quickly.
Instructions
Wash the potatoes well and cut them into ½ inch cubes (you can leave the skins on!).
Place potato cubes, 4 cups of water, and 1 tsp salt into a medium pot.
Bring to a boil, then continue to cook on high heat for 15-20 minutes.
Poke the potatoes with a fork to make sure they are fully cooked. If the fork slides easily all the way to the centre, the potatoes are done.
Once cooked, strain the potatoes well and set aside to cool for 10 minutes (without rinsing them under water).
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Once the potatoes have cooled, place them into a bowl and mash.
Add green peas, cilantro, jalapeño, ginger, olive oil, and spices.
Mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Divide the filling into 10 equal (-ish) balls.
On a dry, clean surface, place 1 phyllo sheet lengthwise (see photo instructions below).
Brush the sheet with olive oil, then fold ⅓ of the sheet in from the right side towards the middle.
Repeat with the left ⅓ of the sheet, creating a long rectangle.
Brush with olive oil.
Place a ball of filling on the bottom left corner of the sheet.
Fold into a triangle over and over, all the way to the top of the phyllo sheet, then tuck the corners of the triangle under the samosa.
Repeat with all phyllo sheets.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the samosas on the baking sheet.
Brush the top of each samosa with olive oil.
Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes, until golden.
I love serving these with Cilantro-Mint Chutney or Tamarind Chutney!
Click on the image below to enlarge the photo and see my rolling instructions (this photo features my Apple-Yam filling from my cookbook, but it works for this filling too!)
Looking for more vegan Indian recipes? Check out my Taste of India Online Cooking Class
Making this recipe? I’d love to see your creation! Send me a photo or tag Roni’s Kitchen on social media
