One of the most loved Desi snacks ever – Keema Samosas. If you haven't tried these crispy fried meat parcels, you're seriously missing out on life! The combination of the crunchy exterior and the juicy, spiced meat filling is a match made in food heaven. And though dipping these bad boys in some mint or tamarind chutney is another level, I vote for the humble ketchup!
Keema samosas are a popular choice for Iftar feasts during Ramadan. These samosas are also a hit year-round and perfect for any gathering! Whether chilling at home, having a snack attack during a game night, or craving something satisfying, Keema Samosas are the answer because these freeze beautifully!
You will find several regional Samosa recipes on this blog like Lebanese sambousek, Saudi sambosa, and Afghan sambosa so I had to add a Desi one too! And samosas without chai?? ...impolite.
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Ingredients
Here, I have shown what you will need to make a basic keema samosa recipe. For wrapping the samosas, I have used store-bought samosa patti (or sheets or leaves).
- cooking oil
- red onion
- ginger garlic paste
- green chillies
- ground meat
- ground spices: turmeric, coriander, red chilli, cumin and garam masala
- fresh cilantro / coriander leaves
- lime or lemon juice
- samosa sheets (store-bought)
- flour paste: for sealing the samosas
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
The best way to make mutton keema samosa is to start by making the minced meat filling, allowing it to cool entirely before stuffing it into the samosa wraps. You can make the filling a day ahead and keep refrigerated.
Heat some cooking oil in a heavy-bottomed pan or a cast iron skillet. Add the chopped red onion and saute.
Saute the onions until translucent and then add the ginger garlic paste. Note: You may also use a chopper and chop the onion, fresh ginger, garlic and green chillies together and then saute.
On medium to high heat, add the ground meat (mutton, lamb, beef or chicken). Break it down with a spatula until all of it turns brown.
Once all of the minced meat is browned and there is no pink or raw colour, add the ground spices and salt.
The minced meat will release moisture as it gets cooked through. Stir and cook until the mixture is almost dry.
Add some water and bring to a boil and then cover the pan. Let it cook on medium to high heat for about 5 to 8 minutes. Open and cook off any excess liquid. This step is to make the meat soft and tender to bite.
Switch off and stir in freshly chopped coriander leaves, green chillies and red onion. Lastly, squeeze half a lime juice. If you don't plan to make the samosas the same day, then skip this step until the time of wrapping.
You may let it cool in the pan but if using cast iron, I would recommend transferring the keema filling to a bowl.
Recommended: If you have time, try to dry roast a teaspoon of coriander and cumin seeds. Crush in a mortar and add towards the end of cooking.
How to wrap samosas?
If using frozen store-bought samosa sheets, make sure to thaw them overnight in the fridge. While wrapping the samosas, make sure the keema filling is cooled completely and the remaining samosa sheets are kept covered. Also, prepare a thick slurry of flour and water to help seal the samosas. Watch both the videos to get a hang of it.
You may also watch another samosa wrapping video on my Instagram.
What is the alternative to samosa sheets?
Instead of store-bought frozen or chilled samosa leaves, you can use spring roll wrappers, puff pastry or even filo pastry. I have not tried frying puff or filo pastry but spring rolls can also be baked. Recently, I have seen some Reels making samosas using tortillas!
But all said, if feeling adventurous, you should take some time out to make some homemade samosa patti. Remember, the dough made for Punjabi samosas is NOT the same. Here we need the thin pastry sheets made with just flour, oil, water and salt.
Tips to fry samosas
If fried correctly, the oil quantity in your pan will not reduce drastically. Here are a few of my tips for getting the best-fried samosas:
- I like to use less oil and therefore use a kadai or deep dish that is not too large. Remember, the bigger the pot, the more oil you will have to add. The aim is to ensure the samosas are dunked in oil completely to get an even colour.
- Heat the oil on medium to high heat and test by adding a tiny piece of samosa patti. If it sinks and stays, doing a little dance on the floor, then the oil is not ready. If it sizzles up immediately then the oil is super hot. We want a middle ground - drop - goes down and comes up nicely and stays afloat.
- You have to keep turning the samosas until both sides are same colour.
- Maintain the heat all through the frying process. This means you may have to reduce the heat between the batches for a couple of minutes. This will depend on the type of pan you are using.
Variations
As I mentioned earlier, this is a basic recipe for keema filling that can be used to make samosas. Here are a few other variations that you can add to the keema or minced meat:
- Cheese: Stir in shredded cheese or cubes into the cooled keema filling just before you start the wrapping process. It can be paneer, mozzarella, cheddar, etc.
- Potato: Add baked or fried potatoes to the cooked keema mix and adjust the seasoning.
- Peas: I love the keema and matar combination and I am sure it will go great in these samosas too! Add thawed and boiled or warmed peas towards the end of cooking.
See this meat and peas filling recipe on my website!
Storage
Any leftover samosas can stay at room temperature for a day or two but it is best to refrigerate them in an airtight container. If refrigerated, consume them within 2 to 3 days. You can reheat in the oven or pan to retain the crispiness. You may use the microwave but you risk losing the crunch.
Top tip
Folding and wrapping the samosas into a triangle that is sealed from all ends will come with practice. But, refrain from reworking on the same piece as then the samosa sheet will get soggy and difficult to shape. It doesn't matter if your first was not perfect, move on and keep doing and you will get a hang by the 10th samosa.
What to do with the badly wrapped samosas? Bake them!
FAQ
Keema is just ground meat, usually lamb or beef but these days you also get minced chicken.
Absolutely! Making samosa wrappers from scratch can be a bit of a time crunch. Save yourself the hassle and pick up some pre-made ones from the store – I always do as it is convenience at its best! My go-to brand is Switz.
Absolutely! I have an entire article on how to bake samosas perfectly.
Definitely! Prepare and freeze them; then fry or bake them when needed for a quick snack or party treat.
Keema samosas are great on their own but are even better with some kind of dip to go with. You can serve with some mint chutney or any yoghurt raita but good old ketchup will do too!
Related
Looking for other ground meat recipes?
📖 Recipe Card
Keema Samosas
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil, (sunflower oil)
- 1 medium onion, diced finely
- 2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 3 to 5 green chillies, chopped finely
- 250 grams ground meat, beef or lamb
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ cup water
- salt to taste
Add in the end: (see notes)
- ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves
- 2 tablespoon red onion, chopped
- 2 to 3 green chillies, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
For wrapping and frying:
- 12 to 15 Samosa sheets
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour, (maida, plain or wheat)
- 2 to 3 tablespoon water
- Oil to deep fry
Instructions
Filling:
- Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet and add the cooking oil. Add and sauté finely diced red onions until golden.1 tablespoon cooking oil1 medium onion
- Next, add the ginger-garlic paste and finely chopped green chillies. Keep stirring until it is no longer raw and starts to smell amazing.2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste3 to 5 green chillies
- Turn the heat up and add the ground meat (beef or lamb). Break down any meat clumps using the spatula and cook until they are browned evenly.250 grams ground meat
- Reduce heat and season with the ground spices and salt. At this point, the meat mixture will release a lot of liquid. Cook the meat stirring now and then until all the moisture is gone and the mixture starts to turn dry.¼ teaspoon turmeric powder1 teaspoon coriander powder1 teaspoon red chilli powder1 teaspoon garam masalasalt to taste
- Pour in the water and bring the mixture to a boil. Now, cover and cook for 5 to 8 minutes. Open and boil off any excess liquid.¼ cup water
- Switch off and stir in the freshly chopped coriander leaves, onions, green chillies, and lime juice. Transfer to a bowl and let it cool completely.¼ cup chopped coriander leaves2 tablespoon red onion2 to 3 green chillies1 tablespoon lime juice
Wrapping:
- Keep the thawed samosa sheets always covered under a kitchen cloth. Peel one sheet and place it on the board. Bring the top right corner of the rectangle diagonally to the bottom to form a triangle. Now, hold the bottom left corner and fold diagonally to the top – again to form a triangular cone. Hold the cone in your hand with the excess sheet between your index and middle finger. Adjust the position so that the bottom tip of the cone is not widely open.12 to 15 Samosa sheets
- Fill the cone with at least 2 tbsps of the keema filling. Press down the filling with the back of the spoon.
- Bring the remainder of the wrapper down always aligning to the edges. Turn over and spread the flour paste all over the last leg of the wrapper. Fold over to seal and finish off the wrapping. Watch the video.2 tablespoon all-purpose flour2 to 3 tablespoon water
- Keep the wrapped samosas covered until you fry. At this point, you may also freeze the samosas.
Frying:
- Heat enough oil in a deep pan or kadai for deep frying. Test the oil readiness by dropping a small piece of samosa sheet.Oil to deep fry
- Add the samosas taking care not to crowd the pan. More samosas will bring down the oil temperature and will not fry properly.
- Fry both sides until golden and remove using a slotted spoon. Place the fried samosas in a mesh colander or cooling rack. Let them cool briefly before serving.
- Serve with your favourite ketchup or mint chutney and a hot cup of chai!
Notes
- Roasted powder: If possible, I highly recommend dry roasting 1 teaspoon each cumin and coriander seeds until fragrant. Crush using mortar pestle and add to the meat mixture instead of the powder.
- Greens: Instead of coriander or in addition to it, you can add some freshly chopped mint or dill leaves or spring onions for a change.
- Add the "add in the end" ingredients only if you are wrapping the samosas same day.
Nutrition Info
Deep fry and enjoy Keema Samosas – because life's too short for bland snacks! If you tried this Keema samosa recipe, please consider leaving a review in the comment section with your star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating. I'd love to hear from you!
Famidha Ashraf says
It is on the iftar menu for most and is easy to make and freeze! Have you made your batch yet?