How To Reheat Samosas?

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Having some crunchy, stuffed samosas on the side of your meal have the ability to make any dish 10x more delicious. Just its glorious presence can elevate your mood tremendously. That’s probably why I usually make them in bulk. I mean, who doesn’t?

That explains why it is essential for everyone to know how to reheat samosas efficiently. And that’s what we are going to tackle throughout this article. I am going to share with you all the best ways of reheating samosas, even the frozen ones, in detail so that you can get to enjoy the leftover samosas exactly like the freshly made ones.

What are the samosas?

A south Asian originated pastry that has a really interesting taste. That could be due to the fact that it has a numerous number of different fillings that suit it perfectly.

You can go for a vegetarian filling like peas, onions, and tomatoes. Or go with minced meat, chicken, or mushrooms. It really is perfect in every way and form when served as an appetizer or a side dish, whether baked or fried. Half-moon, triangular, or cone.

How to Store Samosas?

It wouldn’t matter whichever way you choose to reheat your leftover samosas if you didn’t store them properly in the first place, that’s why I am going to show you how you can store them in the correct way.

The best method of storing is probably freezing or regular refrigeration. To store your samosas, you will need to tightly wrap them in a foil or plastic wrap, then store the foil in an air-tight container to make sure no moisture or surrounding smells can reach the stored samosas.

Bear in your mind, stored samosas can only last for 5-7 days in the fridge if wrapped tightly.

And of course, if you ever suspected the spoilage of your stored precious samosas, don’t risk it!
Just toss them out, and make new ones!

How to Reheat Frozen Samosas?

I am going to share with you all the methods of reheating that I know. However, not all of them are recommended. Personally, I don’t prefer using the microwave when it comes to samosas.

As they tend to lose their extra crunch and turn soggy, that’s why the oven and stovetop are my go-to whenever I crave some of these crusty little treats.

1- Using the Stovetop

Although it is not as great as the oven method, yet, it is still one of the best ways where you can warm up your samosas back to life, and definitely a faster alternative.

Plus, you have the option of using a non-stick pan, which will result in less oily samosas than deep frying them.

Here’s how to reheat samosas on the stovetop:

  1. Let your cool samosas warm up a bit after taking them off the fridge. During this time, place your non-stick pan on a low to medium flame to heat.
  2. Line the samosas on the pan once it is hot.
  3. You will need to cover your pan containing the samosas by either using a regular pan lid or using aluminum foil. Make sure to leave one end of the foil opened, and if you are using a lid, then keep it ajar, so that the steam can escape and not be trapped with the samosas and turn them soggy.
  4. Flip the samosas every few seconds so that they can equally warm up from every side.
  5. Serve while still hot once they are heated enough according to your preference.

2- Using the Oven

Reheating samosas in the oven

This is, without a doubt, my preferred method of reheating any leftover samosas. I mean, the outcome of this method is beyond amazing with all its holly crispy and crusty texture. It is exactly like the freshly baked or even the fried samosas if I say so myself.

Here’s how to reheat samosa in oven:

  1. Start by preheating your oven to 350 °F.
  2. While your oven is preheating, let your cold samosas warm up after taking them off the fridge.
  3. Align your samosas on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
  4. Transfer the baking tray to the middle rack in your preheated oven. Putting the pan in the middle rack will help the even heating of the samosas without them burning out on the sides.
  5. They should take from 5 to 10 minutes to warm up nicely according to the power of your oven. While they are heating, make sure to flip them every 2 minutes or so. If you are in doubt whether they are done or not, take one out after half the time, open it up and check its internal temperature.
  6. Once they are warm enough, take them out. Serve while still hot and enjoy!

Other Ways of Reheating Samosas

The previously mentioned methods are my go-to whenever I need to treat myself to some crispy and delicious reheated samosas.

However, if you are in a hurry and need to warm up your stored samosas real fast, then you might try one of these methods, but remember, the outcome won’t be as good as using the oven or even the stovetop, so don’t get your hopes up!

1- Deep-fry them

This in a way resembles the newly fried samosas. All you have to do is just re-fry your already fried samosas by placing them carefully in a deep pan placed on a high flame filled with hot vegetable oil and wait for their signature golden brown color to reappear.

It is actually pretty easy, and the outcome has almost the same fresh and crusty texture. The only downside in my opinion lies in the number of calories and oil it contains, as we are already re-frying it.

2- Barbecue them

Want some extra kick to your samosas?
This is the way to go. With this method of reheating, you can actually add an extra smoky flavor that, surprisingly, goes well with samosas in general. Just place the stored samosas on a BBQ grill that is lit up by wood or charcoal, flip the samosas every few minutes till they are warm enough, and enjoy with some sauce.

3- Microwave them

This is my least favorite method among all the ways where you can warm up your samosas. Simply because they easily get soggy in the microwave.

But since it is quick, maybe even the quickest method, people might prefer it. In fact, some people actually prefer the soft and chewy samosas more than the crunchy ones. I am not judging.

Just pop them in the microwave for a few seconds to a minute with some occasional flipping, and enjoy!

It is worth knowing that using the “grill” function in the microwave can potentially result in more crispy and crunchy samosas than the regular microwaved ones.

Here are some important tips to keep your samosas crispy

This is my ultimate guide for crispy, perfect little samosas that I like to always abide by for the best results!

How do you keep samosas crispy?

To make sure that the samosas are crispy as soon as they are taken off the frying oil, you have to:

1- Use less water in the dough itself

Keep in your mind that the end always depends on the beginning. That’s why, while you are making the samosa dough, make sure to not add too much water, we need our dough to be hard and not ready to soak up oil once it is fried.

You shouldn’t skip the dough resting step. Give it at least a 20-30 minutes resting period so that it becomes easier and more flexible to knead.

2- Add ghee to the dough

You simply can’t replace ghee with regular oil when it comes to samosas. Ghee has the ability to make these delicious bites 10 times crispier, simply because of its fat content. I highly recommend using it.

All you have to do is to mix the 2-3 tablespoons of ghee per each flour cup with the rest of the ingredients in the kneading process. Make sure the dough consistency is a bit fluffy and cookie-like. If you feel like it’s a bit too dry, go ahead and add more ghee. Once you make yourself a crumbly dough, you can then proceed with the water and the kneading.

3- Not to use very hot oil while frying

Unfortunately, many people make this mistake, where they purposefully fry the samosas in piping hot oil. While that will crunch them a bit externally, internally they will still be quite raw, which won’t allow them to retain their crispy texture when stored. Not to mention the bubbles that will form on the outside. So, I recommend frying them in oil set on medium flame so that they can thoroughly cook.

4- Keep them in a bowl or plate

Now that you have successfully made the crispiest samosas ever, you will need to leave them in an open case until serving them. Meaning you can never put them in a container and cover them, that will cause them to turn soggy and they will lose all their crispiness. Let me explain it to you. When they are taken off the oil, they are going to release some heat from the center in the form of steam. Now, if you covered the container with a lid, the steam released will condense on the lid and the whole container will be filled with moisture.

The secret formula to prepare and store crispy samosas

“Low + Medium + Low = Crispy goodness”

  • Temperature of the stuffing should be low:

That’s an important step, where the content of the samosa should be at room temperature. So, in case you are going to use cooked fillings, pop them in the fridge first till they cool down enough before starting to stuff the samosas.

  • Temperature of the oil should be medium:

It shouldn’t be high to avoid the uneven frying of the samosas.

  • Surrounding temperature need to be low:

Here I am referring to the container that I am going to serve them in. It should be open, so a plate or a tray are your best options.

3 tips to make samosas crispy:

  • Always use cold water when kneading the dough. As hot water tends to result in a soft dough.
  • Test the temperature of the oil using a small piece of the dough first. If it is too hot, then allow it to cool down a bit before frying your samosas.
  • Don’t wait for the samosas to darken in color, take them off the oil exactly when they become light golden brown.

How to store uncooked samosas overnight:

The most important step is keeping them in an air-tight bag whether you are going to refrigerate or freeze them.

Now, if you are going to cook them in a few hours, a fridge is a good choice, while if you need them for the next day, then you can go right ahead and freeze them.

Alternate method:

This is a better choice if you aren’t ready to do everything the night before. You should only prepare your dough, spread and cut samosa sheets. Sprinkle some flour between each sheet and fold them in a foil that will go in the fridge. Boil and refrigerate your potatoes as well.
The next day, prepare your stuffing and stuff it in each samosa fold. That’s it, just fry them afterward.

Frequently asked questions

Can samosas be frozen?

Of course, they can. However, they need to go in a freezer bag before their baking not after. That way they can last for up to 5 to 6 weeks. Before transferring them to a freezer bag, you will need to solidify them on a tray in the freezer first, then into the bag, they will go.

As for the fried samosas, they can be frozen after their frying and even stay for 6 months.

Where did samosas originate from?

Originally, samosas were a middle eastern and central Asian dish which is opposite to the common belief that they originated in India. Soon, they spread to the rest of Africa and pretty much the whole world.

Why is the dough important?

The dough makes up the future texture of the baked or even the fried samosas. Like we mentioned before, It should be dry in a way and definitely not oily and soft for it to produce crispy cooked samosas. That’s why I recommend resting the dough for 30 to 40 minutes before rolling it.

You also don’t need to knead it much, in fact, we tend to avoid the release of the gluten from the dough to avoid it becoming softer and eventually less crunchy.

I can’t emphasize more on this but, for the dough to become crispy when it is fried in the oil, you need the oil to be placed on a low – medium flame so that it is not piping hot.

An extra helpful trick is to place the fried samosas on a wire rack first to crisp up in the air before transferring them to a plate.

 

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