How to make samosas with chutney

Spiced chickpea and potato filling is cased in a crunchy baked parcel. Baking these vegan snacks is a great alternative to frying, keeping them light and healthy. Follow our handy step-by-step guide to perfectly craft this tasty fakeaway.

Making the chutney

Put the chutney ingredients in a saucepan. Stir for 2 mins over a low heat to dissolve the sugar, then increase the heat to medium and simmer for 20 mins, stirring occasionally, until thick and sticky. Keep an eye on the temperature as the chutney reduces; you want the mixture to bubble briskly and turn jammy as you stir, but not to burn or caramelise on the base as this will affect the flavour. Spoon into a sterilised jar*; cover tightly with the lid. Set aside to cool.

*To sterilise glass jars, wash in hot, soapy water and rinse well. Dry in the oven for 15-20 mins at gas 1, 140°C, fan 120ºC until hot and completely dry. Boil metal lids and rubber seals for 10 mins, then leave to dry.

Preparing the pastry

For the samosas, simmer the potato for 10 mins, then drain well. Meanwhile, heat ½ tbsp oil in a large saucepan over a low heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, for 8 mins or until very soft but not browned. Increase the heat to medium and add the garlic, ginger and curry powder; cook, stirring, for 1 min. Stir in the potato, chickpeas and spinach. Cook for 2-3 mins, stirring often, until the spinach has wilted. Remove from the heat, add the lemon juice and season to taste. Set aside to cool for 10 mins.

It’s important to keep the filo sheets from drying out, as they can crack and become hard to handle. The damp tea towel stops too much air from getting to them, but make sure it’s damp not sodden or the filo will become soggy.

Brushing the pastry

Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C and line 2 baking sheets with nonstick baking paper. Lightly dampen a clean tea towel with water. Put 3 tbsp oil in a bowl with 3 tbsp water and have a pastry brush ready. Unroll the filo sheets on a clean work surface; cover with the tea towel to stop them drying out. Working with one filo sheet at a time, place a long side horizontally in front of you and brush very lightly with the oil mix, mixing before you brush. Fold the top and bottom edges in by 2cm, then fold in half lengthwise, bringing the top edge down to meet the bottom. Brush lightly with the oil mixture.

Brushing the surface of the pastry with a light layer of the oil and water mix between folds will help it to crisp up in the oven, as well as providing a glue for the samosas. A mix of oil and water is a healthier alternative to melted butter.

Placing the filling

Place 1 tbsp filling mixture (about one-twelfth) in the top left corner of the rectangle, pressing it into a firm triangle. Be firm with the samosa mixture when placing it on the pastry – it’s fine to press it down slightly to prevent it from falling out as you fold and shape each samosa.

Fold this corner over to meet the horizontal edge of pastry nearest to you, so you have a triangular samosa-shape on the left with the filling inside and unfolded pastry on the right. Tightly and firmly, repeat this folding action to the right, enclosing the triangle shape in layers of pastry as you work along the strip to use all the pastry.

Shaping the samosas

Keep being firm with the pastry as you fold it over on itself across the strip, forming tight little triangular parcels rather than loose ones. The double layer of filo will prevent it from splitting.

When you reach the end of the filo strip, dampen the last piece of pastry with the oil mixture and wrap around the samosa to seal firmly. Place on a baking sheet, sealed side down, and brush lightly with the oil mixture. Sprinkle with cumin seeds and repeat with the remaining filo sheets and filling, keeping unused pastry covered with the tea towel.

Decorating with seeds

Once the samosas have had their final brush of oil and water mix, work quickly to sprinkle the seeds over the top, so they stick to the pastry properly and won’t fall off after baking.

Bake the samosas for 20-25 mins, until golden and crisp, turning the trays halfway through, then serve with the chutney. The samosas will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; the chutney will keep in the fridge for up to a month in a sealed jar.

Ingredients

We've included a handy ingredients list to help you make these delicious samosas with chutney – don't forget to screenshot the list before going shopping!

250g baking potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1.5cm cubes
3½ tbsp sunflower oil or groundnut oil
½ large red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2.5cm piece ginger (about 15g), peeled and finely chopped
2½ tsp mild curry powder
400g tin chickpeas, drained
250g baby spinach leaves
½ lemon, juiced
250g pack filo pastry (12 sheets)
2 tsp cumin seeds

For the chutney
450g ripe apricots or peaches, stoned and roughly chopped
2.5cm piece ginger (about 15g), peeled and finely chopped
½ large red onion, finely chopped
75g soft light brown sugar
120ml red wine vinegar

Makes 12 samosas and about 375g chutney | Takes 1 hour 15 minutes

Freezing and defrosting guidelines
Freeze samosas only. In order to enjoy optimum flavour and quality, frozen items are best used within 3 months of their freezing date. For more tips on freezing and defrosting food, read our article Love Your Freezer.
Each serving contains
- Energy
  695kj
  165kcal 8%
- Fat
  6g 8%
- Saturates
  1g 4%
- Sugars
  5g 5%
- Salt
  0.3g 6%
of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 23.4g Protein 4.8g Fibre 2.7g