Onion samosa is a crisp and flaky tea-time snack made with thin samosa pattis and a spiced onion and poha filling. These small, triangle-shaped samosas are also known as Irani Samosa or Poha Samosa and are popular in Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Irani cafés. The filling is quick to make and needs no cooking. You can fry, bake, or air-fry them for a light and crunchy snack that pairs perfectly with fried green chillies and hot chai.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 45 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 75 minutes
  • Yield: 20 · 20 Onion Samosa
  • Category: Snacks
  • Cuisine: Indian Street Food

Ingredients

  • ½ cup Poha (– thick or medium-thick flattened rice)
  • 1 cup onions (– finely chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger (– finely chopped, optional)
  • 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (– chopped, optional)
  • ½ teaspoon green chillies (– finely chopped, optional)
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder
  • ¼ teaspoon fennel powder ((saunf powder))
  • ¼ teaspoon garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon cumin powder
  • ½ teaspoon coriander powder
  • ½ teaspoon sugar (or add according to taste)
  • salt (as required)
  • ½ teaspoon lemon juice
  • 20 samosa sheets ((samosa patti))
  • oil (– as required for deep frying)
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour ((maida))
  • 1½ to 2 tablespoons water (or as needed – to make the flour paste)

Method

Prepare Samosa Patti Sheets

  1. Thaw store-bought samosa pattis or spring roll wrappers as per package instructions. Keep them covered with a damp napkin while working so they don’t dry out.

Prepare Flour Paste

  1. In a small bowl, mix all-purpose flour with water to make a smooth, thick or medium-thick paste without lumps. The consistency should be like glue. Keep it covered while you shape the samosas.

Rinse Poha

  1. Rinse thick poha in a strainer for about 15 to 20 seconds. Drain completely and set aside.
  2. Make sure the poha is softened well, but not mushy or soggy.

Make Filling

  1. In a bowl, combine finely chopped onions, ginger, coriander leaves, soaked poha, green chillies if using, and the ground spices, sugar, lemon juice, and salt.
  2. Mix gently until everything is well combined.

Assemble, Fold & Shape

  1. Place one samosa sheet vertically on a board or work surface. Lift the bottom corner and fold it diagonally to form a triangle. Flip upwards along the sheet, maintaining the triangular shape. Repeat two more folds to create a cone pocket.
  2. Fill the cone about three-fourths full with the prepared onion mixture. Do not overfill or the samosa may tear while frying.
  3. Apply the flour paste on the open edge and fold twice and lastly seal tightly. Press lightly to ensure all corners are closed.If you see any openings, dab a little extra paste and seal. Keep shaped samosas covered with a moist napkin while making the rest.

Fry Patti Samosa

  1. Heat oil in a deep pan or kadai on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium-low or low. Gently add samosas in batches and fry until golden and crisp on both sides. Remove on kitchen paper towels.

Fry Green Chillies

  1. Slit green chillies and fry them in the same oil until you see light blisters on the skin. Remove and sprinkle some salt.

Bake Option

  1. Preheat oven to 180 °C (350 °F) for 15 to 20 minutes. Brush oil on both sides of the samosas. Bake for about 15 minutes, turning once halfway through, until golden and crisp.

Serving & Storage

  1. Serve Onion Samosa hot with fried and salted green chillies paired with chai.
  2. Patti Samosa is best eaten fresh. You can refrigerate leftovers for 1 day and reheat in an oven or air fryer until crisp.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.