Buffalo Chicken Samosas (Fried Indian Snack)

What’s golden-brown, plump and warm on the inside…? Man, it sounds like I just described an oil sheik from the 1500s. But no, of course I’m talking about BUFFALO CHICKEN SAMOSAS! Yep, you heard me correctly. To those who don’t know, a Samosa is a fried, dumpling-esque, street/finger food that’s ultra popular in India. Samosas can be filled with a number of ingredients from sweet to savory and are usually served with a side of refreshing, tangy chutney. The good news here is that you don’t have to take a 17 hour journey to India to enjoy these little deep-fried QTs (but at some point you totally should.)

This recipe makes a lot of dough and filling. The size of your samosas will dictate how much or little filling you have leftover. But never fear, leftover buffalo chicken filling is really just a buffalo chicken potato salad to munch on throughout the week, so… you’re welcome. Also, you’ll likely end up with more Buffalo Sauce than needed for the filling; it goes great on a number of things and keeps in the fridge for a while so you’ll be fine. Bone apple teeth and happy cooking! 🤘🏻Adam

Yield: 20-25 samosas

Print

Buffalo Chicken Samosas! (Indian Pastry)

Ingredients

Dough

• 3 cups All-Purpose Flour (496g)
• 4 Tbsp Clarified Butter “Ghee” (60g)
• 3/4 - 1 cup warm Water (240ml)
• 1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt (9g)

Buffalo Sauce

• 1 stick Unsalted Butter (113g)
• 2/3 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (160ml)
• 1/4 tsp Worcestershire Sauce (2 ml)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Sherry Vinegar (25ml)
• 2 cloves Garlic, grated (10g)
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt

Filling

• 6 medium Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
• 2 medium Russet potatoes
• 6 whole Scallions
• 4 medium stalks of Celery
• 2/3 cup full-fat Cream Cheese at room temperature
• 1/2 cup Buffalo Sauce (see above)
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• Neutral oil for frying

Cilantro-Mint Chutney

• 1 bunch Fresh Cilantro (60g)
• 10-12 Fresh Mint Leaf (20g)
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice (5ml)
• 1/2 tsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt

Instructions

Dough

1. Sift the pre-measured flour.
2. Season up with a little kosher salt.
3. Add the flour to the mixing bowl and pour in half of the melted ghee.
4. Once incorporated, slowly pour in one cup of warm water.
5. Once mixed, dust a clean workspace with flour and knead the dough into a ball for at least 5 minutes until it's smoother.
6. Wrap your dough blob in some plastic wrap and set it aside to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Buffalo Sauce

1. In a small saucepan, bring the hot sauce, sherry vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, grated garlic, and an entire stick of butter up to a light simmer.
2. Season up lightly as Worcestershire sauce can be salty.
3. Take the buffalo sauce off the heat and set it aside.

Filling

1. Roast 6 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts until cooked through (about 12-15 minutes at 425 degrees).
2. Slice each thigh into medium strips and then the opposite way until you have a large dice type situation.
3. Peel the skin off the potatoes, and to prevent them from browning, squeeze in half a lemon into some water and hold your potatoes inside.
4. Cut the potatoes into a medium-large dice and steam them on medium heat until relatively poked through a bowl, about 7 to 10 minutes.
5. Clean and cut up the scallions and set them aside.
6. Top and tail, then slice and dice your celery.
7. Mix the steamed potato, buffalo sauce, celery and scallion, cream cheese, and the diced chicken.
8. Mix everything together and set it aside.

Cilantro-Mint Chutney

1. Roughly chop up cilantro, stems and all, then toss it in a blender.
2. Add mint leaves, a pinch of salt, a small dash of sugar, and some lemon juice to the blender.
3. Blend until everything is blitzed and herbaceous.
4. Add a few drops of water and/or lemon juice to loosen things up if needed.
5. Transfer into a sealable container and spoon in a bit of the whole milk yogurt and swirl it in with the herb mixture.

Shaping and Frying the Samosas

1. Flour your workspace and take one of your small dough balls. Flatten it into a small dough disc and then roll it out to about an eighth of an inch thick.
2. Cut the dough: Fold the rolled dough in half to create two half-moon shapes.
3. Prepare for folding: Moisten the edges of the dough with a bit of water. This helps the dough stick together during the folding process.
4. Fold the samosa: Follow these folding steps for a triangular samosa:
5. Gently fold one third of the dough onto the other third.
6. Seal the outside edge of the folded over dough.
7. Fold the inside edge of the last third of dough.
8. Bring the last farthest corner of the dough onto the first third of the dough and seal them together.
9. Fill the samosa: Top off the dough cone with a bit of the filling. Be sure not to overfill as this could cause the samosa to burst during frying.
10. Seal the samosa: Moisten the rim of the cone with water. With the seal in the middle facing towards you, use your fingers to press the dough shut.
11. Finalize the seal: Place your samosa on its flat base and use a fork to press down on the edges, creating a tighter seal, similar to a pie crust.
12. Repeat the process: Continue with the rest of the dough and filling, always covering the remaining dough balls with plastic wrap to prevent drying out.
13. Dry the samosas: Once all the samosas are prepared, let them sit for a while to dry a bit before frying. This can help prevent them from absorbing too much oil.
14. Prepare your oil: Choose a neutral frying oil like grapeseed oil, which handles high heat well. Fill your frying pan or pot with enough oil to fully submerge the samosas. Heat the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius).
15. Fry the samosas: Once the oil is hot, carefully add your samosas. Do not overcrowd the pan; depending on the size of your pan, you may need to fry in batches.
16. Monitor the frying process: The samosas should be fried until they reach a golden brown color. This typically takes a few minutes per side, but times can vary. It's important to keep an eye on them to prevent burning. Use a slotted spoon or similar tool to turn them occasionally, ensuring they brown evenly on all sides.
17. Remove and drain: Once the samosas are golden brown, remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon or tongs, allowing excess oil to drip off.
18. Drain excess oil: Transfer the fried samosas onto a wire rack set over a baking sheet, or onto paper towels to drain off any remaining oil.
19. Allow to cool: Let the samosas cool for at least 5-10 minutes before serving. This will make them easier to handle and will give the filling a chance to settle.