Try this Indian food fake-out! These vegan baked samosa cups are just as OMG delicious as traditional samosas, but there are only two teaspoons of oil in the whole recipe! Perfect for parties, as appetizers for Indian food night, or just for devouring as a snack on any random Sunday afternoon. Which is what I did.
Indian food is one of my favorite cuisines. I love it. I love all the spices and the fact that there are so many vegetarian varieties. I love how dishes take hours to cook and how you can taste that slow-simmered quality in every bite. Oh, and naan, obviously. Give me bread in any form and I’m happy.
But as much as I love Indian food, I hardly ever make it at home. I love when someone else cooks a delish Indian dish all day, but me? I don’t have that kind of time right now. Does anybody?? And samosas seem simple, but the authentic version calls for dough-making and stuffing and rolling and frying….yuhh, not gonna happen around here.
But cook up some veggies, throw them in a wonton wrapper-lined muffin tin, and bake for a few minutes? THAT, I can do!
In addition to the time savings, using this totally NOT AUTHENTIC pseudo-samosa recipe saves crazy amounts of fat and calories. The entire recipe uses only two teaspoons of oil! You could eat the entire batch of these yourself, guilt-free.
Not that I would know.
Crispy Baked Samosa Cups with Five-Minute Green Chutney
An Indian food fake-out! This very inauthentic version of samosas uses only two teaspoons of oil and packs major flavor and crunch.
Crispy Baked Samosa Cups
- 2 large Russet potatoes (peeled and roughly chopped)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsps olive oil
- 1 medium white onion (finely diced)
- 2 large carrots (diced)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
- 24 wonton wrappers (*see recipe notes)
- cooking spray of choice (I used coconut oil spray)
Five-Minute Green Chutney
- 3/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves (chopped)
- 1 serrano pepper (minced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/4 cup water
Crispy Baked Samosa Cups
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Preheat the oven to 375 F.
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Place the potatoes in a large pot and fill to cover 2″ with water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat slightly and cook potatoes until soft, approximately 10 minutes.
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While the potatoes are cooking, preheat a skillet over medium heat. (This is a good time to chop your carrots and onions if you haven’t yet.) When the skillet is hot, add the cumin seeds and toast until fragrant, about 1 minute.
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When the cumin is fragrant, add the oil and stir to combine. Then add the carrots and onions and sauté until carrots are semi-soft, approximately 8-10 minutes.
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Add the frozen peas, garam masala, coriander, ginger, cayenne, and salt, and stir to combine. Cook for an additional minute, then pull the skillet off the heat.
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Drain the potatoes and add to a medium-sized bowl. Using a fork, give the potatoes a rough mash. (This isn’t Thanksgiving dinner, so some chunks are okay.)
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Add the mashed potatoes to the skillet and use a wooden spoon to combine with the vegetable mixture. Add 1/4 cup water or more as needed to stir and evenly incorporate.
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Fold in the chopped cilantro, then taste for spice, adjusting as needed.
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Spray a 12-muffin tin with cooking spray, then lay two wonton wrappers in each space to line and create a “cup.”
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Fill each cup with approximately 2 tablespoons of the samosa filling (so the cups are about 3/4 full). Bake for 11-13 minutes or until the wonton wrappers are golden brown and crispy.
Five-Minute Green Chutney
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Add all ingredients to a blender (high-speed works best) and blend until smooth, scraping sides as needed. Taste and adjust seasonings.
You can find vegan wonton wrappers at Asian grocery stores or online.
Are you wondering about the crunch factor? I know I would be. When we’re talking appetizers or snacks, crunchiness is pretty much a requirement. I did wonder, when I got the idea for this recipe, whether they would be AS satisfyingly crunchy as fried samosas, and let me tell you:
YES. A thousand times yes. The crispness is, as the millennials say, on point.
This recipe does still take about an hour from start to finish, so it’s not the quickest undertaking in the world, but the result is worth it! I can’t wait to serve these to friends at fall and winter gatherings. They’d even make a great vegan game-day snack!
xo!
Playful Rooted 
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