Oven Baked Samosa Pot Pie with Potato and Peas

By: Shri Repp • Posted: 03/13/21 • Updated: 09/20/24

Samosa pot pie combines classic oven baked American pot pie with the flavors of an Indian potatoes and peas samosa. It is an easy dish that feeds a large crowd and doesn't require frying!

Oven baked samosa pot pie with potatoes and peas

Jump to:

Punjabi Samosa
Samosa Filling Ideas
Pie crust techniques
Using puff pastry as a vegan shortcut
Samosa dipping sauces
Frequently Asked Questions
Oven Baked Samosa Pot Pie with Potato and Peas

Samosas are an Indian fried appetizer that can be filled with just about anything. I grew up eating savory samosas filled with chunks of meat and caramelized onions as well as sweet ones filled with molten chocolate.

Punjabi Samosa

This samosa pot pie recipe is inspired by the Punjabi samosa which is one of the most popular varieties. The Punjabi samosa is filled with two main ingredients, potatoes and peas. The potatoes are boiled until fluffy and slightly chunky. They are seasoned with an array of punchy spices like chaat masala, Kashmiri chili powder, and turmeric. Last but not least, the green peas offer pops of sweetness and freshness throughout the filling.

Inside of samosa pot pie before being baked

Some home cooks choose to cook their potato and peas filling on the stovetop before stuffing it into the samosa. My recipe opts to make the filling like the street side samosa vendors who simply mix the spices in with the potatoes to give a sharper taste. As the potatoes and spices warm in the oven, their flavors marry and mellow creating a drool-worthy samosa filling.

Samosa Filling Ideas

If potatoes and peas aren't your thing, you can definitely fill your samosas with whatever your heart desires. Here are some tips on choosing fillings for your samosa pot pie.

Make sure to cook the filling before adding it in. If you are substituting a meat for potatoes in your samosa pot pie, make sure to saute and fully cook your meat before adding it to the pie.
Remove excess moisture from your filling to ensure a crunchy crust. For the potato filling, I take extra care to boil the potatoes with the skin on and remove them from the water once cooked to make sure that the filling doesn't retain excess moisture. If you are adding onions, make sure to cook them until they sweat. Taking these extra steps make sure that you have a crunchy instead of a soggy crust.
Cool the filling before stuffing your pie. Make sure that the filling you are adding is cool before adding it to your pie crust. If the filling is too warm, it can melt the butter in the pie crust, creating a greasy and soggy pie.
Season the filling liberally. The buttery and flaky pie crust is very rich and needs a filling with enough salt and spice to counterbalance that richness. Always taste your filling before stuffing your pie and adjust for salt as needed.

Pie crust techniques

This samosa pot pie crust has a few special techniques. These techniques will make the flavors taste like the traditional Indian samosa but with the flakiness of an all-American pie. Here are the tips to creating a flavorful and flaky pie crust.

Pie dough with pea size butter pieces folded in

Ajwain (caraway or carom) seeds are the secret ingredient for a tasty crust. Ajwain seeds are almost always sprinkled into samosa dough and provide an earthy and anise-y flavor. This seed when added in moderation brings another level of depth to the dough but when used in excess can cause it to become bitter or even medicinal in taste.
Cold butter is the key for a flaky pie crust. Keeping the butter cold in the dough as it hits the oven is crucial for forming a flaky crust. As the butter melts, the steam creates air pockets which result in the flaky layers that are iconic to pie crust.
Diligently work pea sized butter pieces into the flour. It is important to work the butter pieces into the flour which will create more air pockets or flakiness when the butter melts in the oven. If the butter is not sufficiently coated in the flour, it can leak out of the crust, causing a mess and a greasy crust.
Use water sparingly in pie dough. Adding excess water to pie dough will result in a chewier rather than a flaky crust. The end dough should barely come together but not have any dry patches. As the dough rests in the fridge, the flour will hydrate and the dough will come together.
Dust the crust with chaat masala. As soon as the pot pie is removed from the oven, I dust it with a bit of chaat masala. This adds another layer of tang that will cling onto the warm crust. This technique is much like salting fried foods with a bit of salt right out of the frier; it gives it that extra bit of seasoning for the outer layer.

Pie dough for samosa pot pie that barely comes together — Pie dough for samosa pot pie that should barely come together

Using puff pastry as a vegan shortcut

Making pie dough is probably the most difficult but worthwhile part of this recipe. However, sometimes we just don't have time to make a homemade pie dough and that is absolutely ok.

Especially during the holidays, I stock up on store-bought puff pastry for an easy shortcut. Simply sprinkle and gently pat in some ajwain (carom/caraway) seeds into the puff pastry, assemble the pie, and bake. This gets a similar taste that comes together so quickly.

Speaking of the holidays, this is a great make-ahead Thanksgiving or Christmas vegetarian option that can feed ~8 people. You can checkout some other Thanksgiving inspired Indian dishes in this blog post here.

If you are looking to make this dish vegan, fear not, as most store-bought puff pastry sheets are vegan. Next, simply swap the egg wash with non-dairy milk and voila, the dish is vegan!

You can even assemble this recipe months in advance and stick it in the freezer until you are ready to pop the dish in the oven on the day of your event. Just remember that the cooking time will be slightly longer if the pie is completely frozen.

Samosa dipping sauces

This samosa pot pie is super flavorful on its own but I do love eating it with some sauces for that added depth of flavor. I love pairing this pot pie with an herbaceous cilantro-mint chutney or a sweet and sour tamarind date chutney.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get pie crust to be extra flaky?

Cold butter that is worked into the flour is key for an extra flaky crust. During all steps of making the dough, it is important that the butter remain cold. Once assembling the pie, place it in the freezer for another 10 minutes for an extra flaky pie.

Can I use store puff pastry for this recipe?

Yes, simply swap out the pie crust for puff pastry for a shortcut. Sprinkle carom/caraway/ajwain seeds to give the recipe a samosa flavor.

What are dipping sauces that pair well with samosas?

An herbaceous cilantro-mint chutney, a brown tamarind date chutney, or Maggi hot and sweet ketchup are great sauces that pair well with samosas or samosa pot pies.

How can I make this recipe vegan?

First, swap the homemade pie crust with store-bought puff pastry which is typically vegan. Second, roll in some carom/ajwain seeds to give the iconic samosa taste. Last but not least, brush the top with non-dairy milk instead of egg wash.

Can this recipe be made ahead of time?

Yes! You can make and assemble the uncooked pie up to 3 months in advance and freeze. Make sure to tightly wrap the pie to prevent freezer burn. The pie can be popped into the oven on the day it is ready to be served. Remember that the cooking time will be doubled for a pie that is fully frozen.

How to reheat this pie?

You can reheat slices of this pie in the air fryer or convention oven on 375F for 5-7 minutes for the ultimate crispy crust and warmed center. You can optionally microwave the pie but it may not result in a crispy crust.