Recipe: Win Teatime (and Maybe Even Masterchef) With Justin Narayan’s Crunchy, Spicy Samosas

For Masterchef winner Justin Narayan, samosas were more than just a “pinnacle teatime snack” – they were a family ritual. “We’d always have a container of both in the freezer ready to go in case someone unexpectedly dropped in,” he writes in his debut cookbook, Everything Is Indian.

The first time Narayan was invited into “the octagon” – his mum and grandma’s kitchen – was for a samosa-making session. He was ten or eleven, part of a three-generation production line, chatting, folding and sneaking tastes of the spiced filling.

“It’s like the scene in Crazy Rich Asians when they’re all folding dumplings,” he writes, “only Indian.”

Narayan’s samosas stay true to the family recipe: crisp pastry, a fragrant, curry leaf-studded potato filling and a side of chutney or tomato sauce laced with Tabasco.

Justin Narayan’s Samosas

Serves 26
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour plus 1 hour cooling

Ingredients

Samosa filling
2 large potatoes
¼ cup (60ml) light olive oil
1 tsp The Mixture (see method)
1 sprig fresh curry leaves, finely chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, crushed, or 1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup (150g) frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn and peas)
1 small bunch coriander, roughly chopped
Neutral, high smoke-point oil for deep-frying

Samosa Pastry
2 cups (300g) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
¼ tsp cumin seeds
20-25 curry leaves, finely chopped
2 tbsp light olive oil

To serve
Fresh coriander chutney, tamarind chutney or tomato sauce with a few dashes of Tabasco
Fried curry leaves (optional)

Method

Make The Mixture by combining 2 tbsp cumin seeds, 2 tbsp black mustard seeds and 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds.

Peel and dice the potatoes, then place them in a bowl of water to prevent browning. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add the whole spices and curry leaves and cook for one minute.

Add garlic, then the ground spices and a pinch of salt; stir for 30 seconds. Drain the potatoes, add to the pan and mix well. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the frozen vegetables and cook until the potatoes are soft, about 10–15 minutes. Stir through the coriander, season to taste and cool completely.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, cumin seeds, curry leaves and a pinch of salt. Add the olive oil and rub with your fingers until it resembles fine sand. Gradually add ¾ cup (185ml) water, kneading for 5-10 minutes until smooth. Divide into eight balls and roll each into thin circles, about 1-2mm thick.

Cook briefly in a dry frying pan – about 10 seconds per side – just to firm up. Cut each circle into quarters so you have small triangles.

Mix 3 tbsp flour with ¼ cup (60ml) water to make a paste. With the curved edge facing you, overlap the straight sides to form a cone and seal with the paste. Spoon in the filling, then fold the top over and seal again.

Heat oil in a deep pan or fryer to 170-180° Celsius. (If you don’t have a thermometer, dip in a wooden spoon – small bubbles mean it’s ready.) Fry the samosas in batches until crisp and golden, 5-8 minutes. Drain on paper towel.

Serve hot with chutney or tomato sauce spiked with Tabasco – and a strong cup of tea.

Tip: these freeze beautifully. Lay the raw, filled samosas on a tray to freeze, then transfer to a ziplock bag. To cook, thaw and deep-fry as normal.

This is a lightly edited extract from Everything is Indian by Justin Narayan with Nicholas Jordan ($39.99). Released March 4, 2025 by Murdoch Books.

Want more free recipes? Sign up to our Cooking newsletter for weekly dishes from top Aussie and international chefs – from quick dinners to weekend projects.