Crispy Air Fryer Samosas with Spiced Potato and Peas
Flaky air fryer samosas with a cumin-ginger potato and pea filling. The oil-rubbed dough crisps and blisters with only a light brush of oil, no deep-frying.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Rest
- 30 min
- Serves
- 6
Crispy Air Fryer Samosas with Spiced Potato and Peas is a vegan snack recipe made with all-purpose flour, salt, cumin seeds. It takes 85 minutes of hands-on time, plus 30 minutes resting, serves 6, and each serving has 387 calories, 8 g of protein and 5 g of fiber.
A firm dough with plenty of oil rubbed into the flour (the Indian moyan method) makes the pastry flaky and blistered in the air fryer instead of bready. Mash the potatoes only roughly and let the filling cool completely so it stays dry and won't steam the pastry from the inside. Cook at a moderate temperature, then flip and brush with more oil. The crust browns evenly while the thick seams at the corners cook all the way through.
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups250 gall-purpose flour
- ½ tsp3 gsalt
- ½ tsp1.1 gcumin seeds, lightly crushed
- ¼ cup56 gneutral oil
- ½ cup119 gcold water, you may not need all of it
Filling
- 3 medium639 grusset or Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed
- 1 tbsp14 gneutral oil
- 1 tsp2.1 gcumin seeds
- 1 tbsp6 gfresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 14 ggreen chile (serrano or jalapeño), finely chopped
- ¾ cup101 gfrozen green peas
- 1 tsp1.8 gground coriander
- 1 tsp2 ggaram masala
- ½ tsp0.9 gKashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp6 gsalt
- 1 tbsp15 glemon juice
- ¼ cup4 gfresh cilantro, chopped
For air frying
- 1½ tbsp21 gneutral oil, for brushing
- ½ tsp1.5 gchaat masala, for sprinkling (optional)
Kit: air fryer, rolling pin, large pot, skillet, pastry brush
Tips
- If the dough feels soft or sticky, add a spoonful of flour. A soft dough puffs and turns bready in the air fryer, while a stiff one blisters and crisps.
- Seal every seam firmly. Any gap lets steam escape and can split the samosa open while it cooks.
- Air fryers vary in power, so start checking a minute or two early in the second stage, especially on your first batch.
- Make the filling a day ahead and refrigerate it. Chilled filling is easier to scoop and keeps the pastry drier.
Swap ideas
- Replace half the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour
- Gives a nuttier, slightly denser crust. Add an extra tablespoon of water if the dough feels crumbly.
- Use 1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds) in the dough instead of cumin seeds
- Adds the classic thyme-like samosa flavor and helps with digestion.
- Swap the lemon juice for 1 tsp amchur (dried mango powder)
- Adds a more traditional, fruity tang without any extra moisture in the filling.
- Use diced carrot or corn in place of half the peas
- Makes the filling a little sweeter and more colorful. Cook diced carrot for 3–4 minutes before adding the spices.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
387kcal per serving
Everything else · 6 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 1.3 g 7%
- Sugars
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 609 mg 26%
- Potassium
- 559 mg 12%
- Calcium
- 33 mg 3%
- Iron
- 3.6 mg 20%
- Vitamin C
- 28 mg 31%
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg 0%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Wheat flour, white, all-purpose, enriched, bleached, Salt, table, Spices, cumin seed, Oil, canola, Beverages, water, tap, drinking, Potatoes, flesh and skin, raw, Ginger root, raw, Peppers, jalapeno, raw, Peas, green, frozen, unprepared (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), Spices, coriander seed, ORGANIC GARAM MASALA (KHAZANA, SLT Foods Inc.; USDA Branded Foods, serving size 100 g), Spices, pepper, red or cayenne (SR Legacy; used as proxy for pure ground red chili, since USDA 'chili powder' is a salted spice blend), Lemon juice, raw, Coriander (cilantro) leaves, raw
Method
Make the dough: whisk the flour, salt and crushed cumin seeds in a bowl. Add the 1/4 cup oil and rub it into the flour with your fingertips for 2–3 minutes, until it looks like damp sand and holds a clump when squeezed. Add cold water a tablespoon at a time and gather it into a stiff, smooth dough. It should be firmer than bread dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cover the whole potatoes with salted water in a pot. Boil for 15–20 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. Drain and let them cool until you can handle them. Peel and crumble into small chunks, keeping some texture rather than mashing smooth.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle until fragrant and a shade darker, about 30 seconds. Stir in the ginger and green chile and cook for 1 minute. Add the peas, coriander, garam masala and chili powder, then cook for 2 minutes until the peas are hot.
Add the potatoes and 1 tsp salt and toss over the heat for 2–3 minutes, so the spices coat the potatoes and any moisture cooks off. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and cilantro, and taste for salt. Spread the filling on a plate and let it cool completely.
Divide the rested dough into 6 balls. Roll each into a 7-inch oval about 1/8 inch thick and cut it in half crosswise to make 2 half-moons. Keep the remaining dough covered while you work.
Shape each samosa: moisten half of the straight edge with water. Fold it into a cone, overlapping the edges and pressing the seam firmly. Fill with about 2 heaping tablespoons of filling, leaving a 1/2-inch rim at the top. Dampen the rim, pinch it shut and press it with your fingers to seal tightly. Repeat to make 12.
Heat the air fryer to 360°F for 3 minutes. Brush the samosas all over with oil. Arrange them in a single layer with space between them, working in batches. Air fry for 10 minutes.
Flip the samosas, brush any pale spots with a little more oil, and air fry for 6–8 minutes more. They are done when they are golden brown and blistered all over and the folded corners feel firm and crisp, not doughy. Repeat with the remaining samosas.
Let the samosas cool for 3–5 minutes so the crust firms up. Sprinkle with chaat masala, if using, and serve warm with cilantro-mint or tamarind chutney.
Storage: Refrigerate cooked samosas airtight for up to 4 days and re-crisp them in the air fryer at 350°F for 4–5 minutes. To freeze, shape them but don't cook them. Freeze in a single layer, transfer to a bag, and keep for up to 2 months. Air fry straight from frozen, adding 4–5 minutes to the first stage.
Questions
- How much protein is in crispy air fryer samosas with spiced potato and peas?
- Each of the 6 servings has 8 g of protein, 5 g of fiber and 387 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is crispy air fryer samosas with spiced potato and peas vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does crispy air fryer samosas with spiced potato and peas take to make?
- 40 minutes of prep and 45 minutes of cooking, so 85 minutes of hands-on time, plus 30 minutes of unattended resting.
- Can you make crispy air fryer samosas with spiced potato and peas ahead?
- Refrigerate cooked samosas airtight for up to 4 days and re-crisp them in the air fryer at 350°F for 4–5 minutes. To freeze, shape them but don't cook them. Freeze in a single layer, transfer to a bag, and keep for up to 2 months. Air fry straight from frozen, adding 4–5 minutes to the first stage.
- What can I substitute in crispy air fryer samosas with spiced potato and peas?
- Replace half the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour — gives a nuttier, slightly denser crust. add an extra tablespoon of water if the dough feels crumbly.. Use 1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds) in the dough instead of cumin seeds — adds the classic thyme-like samosa flavor and helps with digestion.. Swap the lemon juice for 1 tsp amchur (dried mango powder) — adds a more traditional, fruity tang without any extra moisture in the filling.. Use diced carrot or corn in place of half the peas — makes the filling a little sweeter and more colorful. cook diced carrot for 3–4 minutes before adding the spices..
- Does crispy air fryer samosas with spiced potato and peas contain gluten?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes gluten. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published October 10, 2026 ·Indian