Cape Malay Samosas Recipe

This post was created as part of a sponsored press trip hosted by Cape Town Tourism

Have you ever tried samosas? Samosas are a small triangular shaped pastry that have a savory filling typically seasoned with turmeric and curry. Some samosa’s are spicy and some are slightly sweet. Some are vegetarian-based with potatoes and peas and some are filled with meat. But I think you’ll find that no matter what they’re stuffed with, samosas are pretty tasty little pockets of savory goodness. Here’s an easy samosa recipe for you to try at home!

While samosas originate from India and Southeast Asia, this samosa recipe below is actually from Cape Town. During a press trip to South Africa, I went on a “cooking safari” to learn more about the region’s Cape Malay cuisine, known for it’s Indonesian influences and distinctive spicy flavors.

If you’re looking for a fun snack or appetizer, samosas are actually pretty easy to make and are a delicious “can’t eat just one” kind of snack. Scroll through our tips and tricks below (including photos on how to fold a samosa), or simply hit the “jump to recipe” button if you’re ready to start making samosas!

Samosa Recipe Ingredients

Spices For Samosas

• fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
• salt: just a little salt goes a long way in complementing all the spices and flavors in these samosas
• masala: masala is an aromatic spice blend typically made with cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cloves and cumin. It’s very common these days and you can typically find it at your local supermarket or online
• curry powder: curry powder is also a spice blend, typically made with turmeric, cumin, ginger, and black pepper
• turmeric: turmeric is a ground yellow orange spice that is made of the dried turmeric root and has a taste similar to ginger
• chilly powder or crushed chillies
• fresh crushed ginger (optional): to crush ginger, I typically use a peeler to remove the skin, then grate the ginger to release the aroma and juices
• fresh crushed garlic (optional): to crush garlic, remove the skin, and mince the garlic using a garlic press

Samosa Filling Ingredients

• fresh samosa dough leaves: I’m a halfway homemade kind of cook. During the cooking class, our instructor bought samosa dough leaves at her local grocer in Cape Town. But, you could also make the samosa dough from scratch. I typically substitute it with phyllo dough.
• ground beef: Ground beef makes these samosas hearty and savory! You could also use ground pork or chicken.
• onions: You’ll need two medium sized white onions for htis recipe.
• green or red pepper: Green and red bell peppers are optional, but they do had a little pop of color and flavor to the samosa filling.
• flour and water: A little flour and water in a small bowl is all you need to help seal the samosas once you stuff them.

How To Fold Samosas

The only tricky part to making samosas is learning how to folding them. Do you remember making triangular paper footballs as a kid? If so, folding samosas is kinda like that.

To start, you’ll need to make sure your dough is a room temperature. So if you’re using store-bough phyllo dough, be sure to thaw it ovvernight. Youc an keep it moist by covering it with plastic wrap, then a slightly damp towel. Keep it covered as you’re folding each samosa so the dough doesn’t dry out.

Now, to refresh your memory on how we used to fold paper footballs and children, check out this tutorial on how to make a paper football.  It is very similar to the way you’d fold a samosa.

Cut the dough into long strips, approximately 2 to 2 1/2″ wide. Gently fold one corner of dough to the opposite edge, forming a triangle shape.

Fold the triangle again to the opposite edge, creating a little cone shaped pocket. Using a spoon, gently stuff the samosa filling into the cone shaped pocket.

Once filled, fold the dough down and use a little water to seal it. (We just dipped our finger in a small bowl of water and ran it down the edge of the dough.) Once sealed, trim off any excess dough, and your samosa is ready to cook!

How To Make Samosas – Easy Samosa Recipe!

Chop onions and fresh coriander finely using a very sharp knife so as not to mash or create watery onion bits. Set aside.

Mix together the flour and water in a small bowl to make a paste for sealing the samoosas. Set aside.

In a large pan, dry toast the spices (curry powder, turmeric, and masala) for about one to two minutes until fragrant.

Next, mix in the onions and cook until they start to turn clear.

Add in the meat, ginger, and garlic and cook for about 30-45 minutes.

Continue stirring and separating the meat while it’s cooking until it’s crumbly and has a soft texture. Let it cool.

Mix cilantro and chile peppers into cooled beef mixture. Place a spoonful of the mixture onto each samosa/phyllo dough sheet.

Tri-fold the dough sheets into a triangle, creating a pocket.

Add a spoonful of the meat mixture into the pocket, then fold the rest of the edges around the triangle (similar to how you would make a paper football).

Dip your fingers into the flour paste and tuck the remaining edge into the folded triangle, pressing it together to seal.

In small batches, fry the samosas until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Scoop them out of the frying oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels and serve warm.

You can also bake them as an alternative to frying. Just set your oven to 350 degrees and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Make A Healthier Version Samosa

Vary it up and try a vegetarian version of this samosa recipe by swapping the meat for potatoes. There’s also the option of baking the samosas instead of deep frying them in oil. Just set your oven at 350 and pop them in for 25-30 minutes. I’m sure they could be air fried too, but I haven’t tried that yet.

Originally Posted Dec 4, 2013. Updated 2023.

This post created in cooperation with the Cape Town tourism board as part of a press trip.