Samosa filling wrapped with filo dough makes for a delicate, flaky, baked version of this beloved Indian snack. Easily made ahead and refrigerated (or even frozen), filo samosas can then be baked just before serving. You can use regular filo dough or whole wheat filo dough.
Yields 8 samosas
Serves 8 as an appetizer; 4 as an entrée
Prep time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 40 minutes
2 quarts water
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups peeled and chopped potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
4 cups packed spinach leaves (either baby spinach or chopped mature leaves)
3 tablespoons plue ⅓ cup oil*, plus more as needed
½ cup finely chopped onions or scallions
2 tablespoons minced garlic
½ fresh hot pepper, seeds and membrane removed (use more or less according to taste)**
2½ teaspoons cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon crushed cardamom seeds
2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon garam masala***
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
8 leaves filo dough****
⅓ cup oil or oil/butter mixture
mustard seeds, for garnish
*Coconut, olive, or vegetable oil, or oil/butter combination
**If you’d rather use dried red pepper flakes, add ¼ to ½ teaspoon with the cardamom and cumin.
***See our recipe for garam masala in Potato Wedges Masala recipe here, or if you use commercial garam masala mix, add ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric.
****For this recipe, you need only part of a package of filo dough, so tightly roll and wrap the leftover and refrigerate or freeze for use later.
Pour the water and salt into a soup pot. As you prep the potatoes and carrots, add them to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook for about 7 minutes.
While the potatoes and carrots are cooking, wash the spinach and set aside in a colander to drain. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet until it shimmers. Add the onions, garlic, and hot peppers and sauté for about a minute. Add the cumin, cardamom, and ginger and stir for about 30 seconds. Stir in the garam masala and immediately add the spinach leaves. Sauté the spinach until wilted. Turn off the heat.
When the potatoes and carrots can be easily pierced with a fork, drain, and then mash them in the pot. Stir the mashed potatoes into the spinach-spice mixture. Taste and add more salt as needed. Stir in the mint and cilantro.
To wrap the filling in filo, lightly oil two baking sheets or line with parchment paper. Locate your pastry brush. Heat the remaining ⅓ cup oil mixture. Unfold a stack of 8 filo leaves on a large cutting board. Cut the stack lengthwise into thirds (or in half, depending on the width of your filo) so you have long strips about 4 inches wide. Divide the potato filling into 8 portions (about ¼ cup per samosa). Each samosa is made with 2 strips of filo. Using a pastry brush, lightly oil the top strip of filo. Place a portion of filling on one end of the oiled strip and pick up a corner of 2 leaves and fold the filo over the filling. Keep folding to the right to the left, like a flag, to make a triangular pastry. Tuck any short ends under at the finish. Place the samosa on the baking sheet. Repeat the steps for seven more samosas. Brush the top and bottom of each samosa with the remaining oil and sprinkle a few mustard seeds on each one.
Bake for about 40 minutes, until the edges turn brown and crisp.
Serve with a fruit chutney, or Cooling Dip (see here).