Air Fryer Samosas with Spiced Potato and Pea Filling

Name: Air Fryer Samosas with Spiced Potato and Pea Filling
Prep time: 36 min
Cook time: 39 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 10 oz (280 g) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes; 1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt, for the potato cooking water; 2 tsp (10 ml) neutral oil (avocado or canola); ¾ tsp (1½ g) whole cumin seeds; ⅓ cup (50 g) yellow onion, finely diced (about ¼ inch / 6 mm); 2 tsp (5 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated; 2 cloves (6 g) garlic, minced; 1 whole (10 g) serrano or green Thai chile, seeded and finely minced (leave seeds in for more heat) (optional); ¾ tsp (1½ g) ground coriander; ¼ tsp (0.6 g) ground turmeric; 1 tsp (2 g) garam masala; ¼ tsp (½ g) cayenne pepper (optional); ½ cup (65 g) frozen green peas, thawed and drained; ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt, for seasoning the filling, adjust to taste; 2 tsp (10 ml) fresh lemon juice; 1½ tbsp (6 g) fresh cilantro, finely chopped; 6 sheets (100 g) spring roll wrappers, 8-inch (20 cm) square, thawed, kept covered with a damp towel (taken from a larger pack); 1 tbsp (8 g) all-purpose flour; 2 tbsp (30 ml) water, cool, for the sealing paste; 1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil (avocado or canola), for brushing the samosas; ½ cup (120 ml) mint-cilantro chutney or tamarind chutney, store-bought or homemade (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Crisp, blistered triangles of spring roll wrapper packed with cumin-scented potatoes, sweet peas, ginger and garam masala. The air fryer gives you a shatteringly crisp shell with just a brush of oil, and no deep-frying or dough-making is needed.

Prep: 36 min
Cook: 39 min
Wait: 16 min
Total: 1 hr 31 min
Makes: 12 samosas (2 per serving)

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the filling
10 oz (280 g) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes
1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt, for the potato cooking water
2 tsp (10 ml) neutral oil (avocado or canola)
¾ tsp (1.5 g) whole cumin seeds
⅓ cup (50 g) yellow onion, finely diced (about ¼ inch / 6 mm)
2 tsp (5 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 cloves (6 g) garlic, minced
1 whole (10 g) serrano or green Thai chile, seeded and finely minced (leave seeds in for more heat) (optional)
¾ tsp (1.5 g) ground coriander
¼ tsp (0.6 g) ground turmeric
1 tsp (2 g) garam masala
¼ tsp (0.5 g) cayenne pepper (optional)
½ cup (65 g) frozen green peas, thawed and drained
½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt, for seasoning the filling, adjust to taste
2 tsp (10 ml) fresh lemon juice
1½ tbsp (6 g) fresh cilantro, finely chopped
For wrapping and frying
6 sheets (100 g) spring roll wrappers, 8-inch (20 cm) square, thawed, kept covered with a damp towel (taken from a larger pack)
1 tbsp (8 g) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp (30 ml) water, cool, for the sealing paste
1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil (avocado or canola), for brushing the samosas
For serving
½ cup (120 ml) mint-cilantro chutney or tamarind chutney, store-bought or homemade (optional)

Equipment (11)

Air fryer, 5-quart (4.7 L) or larger
Medium pot (3-quart / 2.8 L)
Large skillet, 10-inch (25 cm)
Colander
Sharp knife and cutting board
Small bowl for the flour paste
Pastry brush
Clean kitchen towel, dampened
Tongs or thin spatula
Wire rack
Baking sheet or tray lined with parchment

Steps

Before you start

Thaw frozen spring roll wrappers in their sealed package for 1–2 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge. Partly frozen wrappers stick together and crack when folded. Keep the package sealed until you need them.
Use 8-inch (20 cm) square wrappers. You need 6 sheets, so open a standard 20-sheet pack, then re-wrap and refreeze the rest. Larger or round wrappers change the strip size and the amount of filling.
Thaw the peas by rinsing them under cool running water for 1 minute, then drain well.
The filling must be cool before you wrap. Hot filling steams and tears the wrappers.
You air fry the 12 samosas in 2 batches of 6. Your basket needs to hold 6 in a single layer, which a 5-quart (4.7 L) or larger basket usually does.
Timing note: the potatoes simmer while you prepare the rest, and the aromatics cook while the potatoes steam-dry, so read all the steps first.

1
Prep everything
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes.
- Dice the onion, grate the ginger, mince the garlic and chile, chop the cilantro, and rinse and drain the peas.
- In a small bowl, stir the flour and water into a smooth, glue-like paste.
- Measure the spices into a small dish so they are ready for the skillet.
- Do this while the potato pot comes to a boil in the next step if you want to save time.
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Ready when: Everything is chopped and measured, and the paste has no lumps.
Tip: Cube the potatoes evenly so they cook at the same rate.
2
Boil the potatoes
- Put the potato cubes in a medium pot and add cold water to cover by 1 inch (2.5 cm).
- Add the 1 tsp salt for the water.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer for 10–12 minutes.
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Ready when: A cube slides off a paring knife with no resistance but still holds its shape.
Tip: Start in cold water so the potatoes cook evenly. Don't overcook them, because mushy potatoes make a wet filling.
3
Drain potatoes
- Drain the potatoes in a colander and shake well.
- Leave them in the colander while you sauté the aromatics in the next step, so the surface steam evaporates (about 5–7 minutes).
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Ready when: Cubes look matte and dry, with no water pooling in the colander.
Tip: Excess moisture is the main cause of soggy samosa wrappers.
4
Sauté the aromatics
- Heat the 2 tsp filling oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add the cumin seeds and cook 30 seconds, until they sizzle and smell toasty.
- Add the onion and cook 4–5 minutes, stirring often.
- Stir in the ginger, garlic and chile (if using) and cook 1 minute.
- Add the coriander, turmeric, garam masala and cayenne (if using) and stir for 30 seconds.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent with light golden edges, and the spices smell fragrant and look like a thick paste.
Tip: If the spices start to stick or darken, lower the heat right away. Burnt spices taste bitter.
5
Mix the filling
- Add the drained potatoes, peas, ½ tsp salt and lemon juice to the skillet.
- Cook 2–3 minutes, mashing the potatoes roughly with a spatula so about half the cubes break down and the rest stay in small chunks.
- Stir in the cilantro and taste, adding salt if needed.
- You should have about 380–400 g of filling.
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Ready when: Filling is thick, holds together when pressed with a spoon, and tastes well seasoned, since the wrapper adds no salt.
Tip: Season a little boldly. The filling will taste milder once it is wrapped.
6
Cool the filling
- Spread the filling on a plate and cool for 10 minutes until barely warm.
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Ready when: Filling feels warm or room temperature, not hot, when you touch it.
Tip: Spreading the filling out cools it much faster than leaving it in the pan.
7
Cut the wrappers
- Stack the 6 wrappers on a cutting board.
- With a sharp knife, cut the stack in half to make 12 strips, each about 4 × 8 inches (10 × 20 cm).
- Keep the strips under a damp towel while you work.
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Ready when: You have 12 even strips with straight edges.
Tip: Wrappers dry out and crack within minutes in open air, so only pull one strip out at a time.
8
Fill and fold
- Lay one strip with a short end facing you.
- Place 1½ tablespoons (about 30 g) of filling on the bottom corner.
- Fold that corner up and over to the opposite edge to form a triangle, then keep folding the triangle up the strip, like folding a flag, until you reach the end.
- Brush the last 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the strip with paste and press to seal.
- Set seam-side down on a parchment-lined tray.
- Repeat to make 12.
- Divide the filling evenly: 12 samosas use about 360 g.
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Ready when: Each samosa is a firm, sealed triangle with no filling peeking out.
Tip: Don't overfill. More than 1½ tablespoons makes the seams split in the air fryer.
9
Brush and preheatOven 390°F / 200°C
- Preheat the air fryer to 390°F (200°C) for 3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, lightly brush all sides of each samosa with the 1 tbsp brushing oil, using a very thin coat.
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Ready when: Wrappers look lightly glossy with no pools of oil, and the air fryer is up to temperature.
Tip: Too much oil turns the wrapper chewy rather than crisp, so a thin, even coat is enough.
10
Air fry first batchOven 390°F / 200°C
- Arrange 6 samosas in a single layer in the basket with space between them.
- Air fry at 390°F (200°C) for 7–8 minutes, flipping them with tongs after 4 minutes.
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Ready when: Deep golden brown, blistered and crisp, and they sound hollow when tapped.
Tip: Don't stack them. Crowding blocks the airflow and leaves pale, soft spots. Check at 6 minutes, as some air fryers run hot.
11
Air fry second batchOven 390°F / 200°C
- Transfer the first batch to a wire rack.
- Air fry the remaining 6 samosas the same way: 390°F (200°C) for 7–8 minutes, flipping after 4 minutes.
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Ready when: Deep golden brown and crisp all over, matching the first batch.
Tip: Keep the first batch on a rack rather than a plate so the bottoms stay crisp.
12
Rest and serve
- Let all the samosas rest on the rack for 3 minutes, as the filling is very hot.
- Serve warm with chutney for dipping.
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Ready when: Shells feel firm and crisp, and steam no longer rushes out when you bite one.

Good to know

Tips

Press the seam firmly and use paste only on the last inch of the strip. A well-sealed seam keeps the filling inside.
If you see any cracks as you fold, the wrapper has dried out, so re-cover the stack with the damp towel.
If your air fryer has a fan that blows light food around, tuck a toothpick through the tip of each samosa, or place a small wire rack insert on top.
For a milder samosa, leave out the chile and cayenne. For more heat, keep the chile seeds in.

Make ahead

Make the filling up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container; bring it to room temperature before wrapping. Fold the samosas up to 8 hours ahead, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate on a parchment-lined tray. For longer storage, freeze them unbaked on a tray until solid (about 2 hours), then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Brush with oil and air fry from frozen at 360°F (180°C) for 10–12 minutes, flipping halfway, until deep golden and hot in the center.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours after cooking. Fridge: up to 3 days in an airtight container, with parchment between layers. Freezer: cooked samosas keep up to 2 months. To reheat, air fry at 350°F (175°C) for 4–5 minutes (6–8 minutes from frozen) until hot and crisp. Don't microwave them, as they turn soft.

Substitutions

spring roll wrappers, 8-inch (20 cm) square → Samosa pastry sheets or square wonton wrappers. Samosa sheets are strips that need no cutting. Wonton wrappers are smaller, so use about 2 teaspoons of filling each and expect about 24–30 mini samosas that cook in 5–6 minutes.
Yukon gold potatoes → Russet potatoes. Russets are fluffier and absorb spices well, but they break down more easily, so check them at 9 minutes.
whole cumin seeds → Ground cumin. Use ½ teaspoon and add it with the other ground spices rather than frying it in oil first.
frozen green peas → Finely diced carrots or cooked lentils. Use the same weight. Cook diced carrots with the onion for 3 extra minutes until tender.