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Delicious Indian lentil (dal) curry wrapped in pastry. Lentil Dal Curry Samosa is the epitome of vegetarian flavors all in 1 bite, served with a classic chutney.

Holding a lentil samosa cut in half showing the filling

Indian lentils, (dal, daal or dahl, depending what country you are in) are one of the most popular vegetarian dishes. Similar to my classic Dal Recipe with a few extra ingredients,  it’s one of my favorite ways to eat lentils.

8 triangle shaped samosa on a pewter plate

The basis, and most important flavor component of any Indian dish is the masala and it is very important when and how you add them to a dish.

What is masala?

Masala is a mix of spices, typically used in Indian cuisine.

Samosa viewed from overhead spread out onto a grey plate with a side of dark colored tamarind date chutney

Since I have dozens of Indian dishes on this website, there is 1 rule I live by when it comes to cooking the recipes. Cook the masala/spices with the onions, garlic and vegetables in the oil before adding any liquid. This intensifies the flavor and cooks out any raw spice flavor.

There is also a pre-made a spice mix in the recipe called Garam Masala, which is a blend of cardamom, cinnamon, coriander and black pepper.

I thought it was time for another samosa recipe, since it’s been a while since I posted my first samosa recipe, Sweet Potato Samosas. They are perfect for the upcoming fall/autumn season and very popular.

Half of a lentil samosa on a plate drizzled with tamarind chutney that is dark brown in color

When it comes to serving samosa, it is proper to have a sauce and chose a classic chutney like Tamarind and Date. If you’re not familiar with tamarind, it is a tangy, edible fruit from Africa that is made into a paste which is the basis of the sauce. The sweet, richness of the sauce really pairs well with the curry flavor of the lentil filling.

When it comes to shaping the samosa, it is pretty easy and with a little practise, you’ll be cranking them out quickly. If you mess up folding the pastry, just re-roll and start over. Here’s how I do it:

First, cut the dough into 4 pieces:

Samosa dough cut into 4 pieces

Then take one of the pieces and roll into a circle, cut that circle in half.

2 halves of dough for samosa

Take the cut-side of the pastry, use your finger to wet the edge and press together.

Folding dough

You are essentially creating a ‘cone’ shape.

A cone shape is made using the dough

Hold the cone as shown, then add 1 tablespoon of filling.

Wet the edge and press firmly to seal. That is all there is to shaping samosa.

Pinching dough to seal the edges

If you’ve made these Lentil Dal Curry Samosa, leave a comment (or question below). I love to hear from my readers.

Yield: 8

Lentil Dal Curry Samosa

A cut open samosa showing the lentil curry filling laying on a plate with other samosa

Flavorful lentil (dal) curry is the filling for a classic samosa with homeade dough. Served with a tamarind date chutney.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • For the pastry:
  • 1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus 2 cups for frying
  • Warm water
  • For the filling:
  • 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup (30 grams) yellow onion finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove finely chopped or grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger finely chopped or grated
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) diced tomatoes from a can, liquid drained
  • 1 1/2 cups (115 grams) potato, peeled, cut into 1/2" cubes
  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) lentils
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

Instructions

  1. For the pastry:
    In a large mixing bowl, add the flour and salt, mix. Add the oil and a little water. Using a fork, mix until the dough starts to stick together, adding water a little at a time as needed. Use your hands to make a ball. Transfer the dough ball to a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 1 minute, the dough should not be sticky or dry. Cover well with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.
  2. Make the filling:
    Add the oil to a pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot add the onion and cook for a few minutes until they start to soften. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, garam masala and cumin. Stir and cook for minute to cook the spices. Add the tomato, potato, lentils and bay leaf, mix well. Add 3/4 cups water, stir. Partially cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the sauce is thickened and there is no more liquid. Turn off the heat. Use a fork to mash the potatoes and some of the lentils, leaving some whole. Add salt.
    (Note: Salt is never added to lentils before cooking because they will take longer to cook).
  3. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each into a ball. Take 1 ball (cover the rest so they don’t dry out) and roll out to a 6-inch (15 cm) circle. You should not need any flour for this. Cut the circle in half.
  4. Take one of the halves and make a cone by taking the two ends of the cut side folding them into the center of the curve so the center of the cut side makes the point of the curve. Wet the edges with water using your finger and press the edges firmly together making sure they are well sealed. Don’t be afraid to manipulate the dough and shape. If you mess up, reshape the dough and start again.
    Place the 'cone' between your thumb and first finger. Fill with 1 tablespoon of the lentil mix. Wet the open edge and pinch together well to seal and fold twist on itself to finish the triangle shape. You can see a demo of this in the video. Repeat until all the samosa are made.
  5. Heat the 2 cups of oil in a high sided pan to 350°F/176°C or when the handle of a wooden spoon is put in the oil it sizzles. Working in batches of 4 (or how many your pan with hold), fry the samosa until the bottom is golden brown, about 4-5 minutes, turn and repeat. Drain on a paper towel.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

2
Amount Per Serving Calories 306Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 2.8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 152mgCarbohydrates 37gSugar 0g

This nutrition calculation is provided by Nutronix that is only a guideline and not intended for any particular diet.

© Janette
Cuisine: Indian / Category: Appetizers