Baked Samosa recipe Failed Experiments
I have tried baking samosa during my early stages of blogging. I remember it being very crisp like cracker, but we still enjoyed those samosas. But now after gaining a bit of experience in baking, when I look back, I feel that it was not up to the mark and I really wanted to make something that would be flaky, not too crisp but have some softness to it and taste amazing.
Baked Samosa recipe – Finally a success
So for a week now, I have been contemplating on making the perfect baked samosas. Based on how I wanted the result, I went with a recipe first. Though it turned out good, I was still not satisfied. It lacked the softness. Even though it turned out flaky, it was still too crispy for my taste. Then after some more thinking, I made the dough with little changes and this time it was perfect. I will explain everything in detail below. If you love to understand the basics, this post will definitely help you.
My very first attempt at baking!
My very first attempt years back was just a plain dough made with very little oil, which resulted in hard crust. So I changed a little bit to add flakiness. Added some extra oil until the flour was crumbly and added just enough water to make a stiff dough. Stiff dough makes a huge difference in the final baked samosa. It reduces the toughness of the crust. This is true for every baked recipe like crackers or cookies.
Try Try Try again!
But I still felt that the crust was crisp even though flaky. Then I added a little baking powder to the dough during my next attempt. As you know, baking powder is a leavening which gives softness when you bake something. Think about the flaky biscuits which are soft, they are made with baking powder. I was really sure about the result. Again I made a very stiff dough and also refrigerated it for thirty minutes before making the samosas.
If you are someone who loves to eat crisp samosas, then skip the baking powder in the recipe. But if you like the softness and you are like me, then go ahead and add baking powder to the recipe. By playing with the quantity of baking powder added, you can reduce or increase the softness of the samosas. It is all abut individual taste. So plan it accordingly.
Use High Heat!
I also baked the samosas in high heat, 250C. When you bake any dish on low heat, it takes time to cook and it will also over bake the crust. So by baking on high heat for lesser time, I avoided over baking, so the final crust was slightly crisp, flaky and had a tenderness to it. I was so happy with this kind of result, so decided to share with you all.
One thing that the samosas lacked was the brown colour. So for the final five minutes of baking, I placed the tray on top shelf and it gave the colour. Though you really can’t expect the deep fried samosa’s colour in the baked version. But trust me, the final samosas are so delicious and you will also enjoy them guilt free. You can also use whole wheat instead of maida to make the crust.
This is how I shaped my samosas. Do follow me on instagram if you have not yet done it!
Baked Samosa Recipe
Ingredients
For The Crust
- 150 gm Maida / All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Nigella Seeds
- 1/4 tsp Ajwain Seeds
- 10 gm Oil
- Water as needed
For The Filling
- 150 gm Paneer
- 1 no Onion
- 1/4 tsp Basil
- 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 1/2 tsp Tandoori Masala
- Salt To Taste
- 1 tsp Oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine together, flour, baking powder, ajwain, nigella, salt and oil.
- Add enough water to make a stiff dough.
- Cover and refrigerate for thirty minutes.
- Heat oil and add onions.
- Once they are golden, add all the spices and paneer.
- Cook for a minute or two on low flame.
- Remove from flame and let it cool.
- Divide the dough into three equal portions.
- Preheat oven to 250C.
- Roll each portion into a disc.
- Slice it into two semi circles using a knife.
- Prepare a cone out of the semi circle and add one sixth of the filling.
- Seal the edges to shape the samosas.
- Arrange all the samosas on a baking tray, and apply milk wash.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes until the samosas are golden.
- If there is no colour, take them to the top rack for the final five minutes of baking, but don't over bake.
- Serve them piping hot out of oven.
