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–+ servings
Lots of mini sweet potato samosas on a parchment lined plate. One samosa is torn open with the sweet potato filling showing.

Mini Sweet Potato Samosas with Spring Roll Sheets

Shri Repp
These mini spicy sweet potato samosas are made with spring roll sheets and fried until flaky and crisp. They are near copycats of the Trader Joe's spicy pumpkin and paneer samosas but use sweet potato, which is easier to cook than pumpkin!
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Appetizer
Servings 45

Equipment

Ingredients
 

  • 1 (334 g) sweet potato
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 (170 g) medium yellow onion finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
  • 1 Thai chili finely chopped (Optional)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon chaat masala
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ cup (70 g) paneer , finely chopped into small cubes
  • 15 spring roll or lumpia wrappers thawed (8 inch squares, See Note 1)
  • 2 tablespoons flour

Instructions
 

  1. Using a fork, pierce your 1 sweet potato a couple of times and place it in the microwave for ~7-10 minutes until tender and soft. Once the sweet potato has cooled, peel and discard the skin. Lightly mash the inside of the sweet potato into small pieces.
  2. Place a medium skillet on medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a pool in the center of the pan. Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds into the oil and wait for the seeds to dance and pop and perfume the oil with their scent. This should take about 10-30 seconds depending on the heat of the oil when the cumin seeds are added.
  3. Add chopped 1 medium yellow onion, 1 teaspoon fresh ginger (grated), 1 Thai chili, 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, ½ teaspoon chaat masala, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder, and ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder and saute for 1-2 minutes or until the onions soften.
  4. Turn off the heat and add the cooked sweet potato bits and ½ cup paneer (cut into small cubes) to the skillet. Use a spatula to thoroughly mix all of the ingredients together.
  5. Mix 2 tablespoons flour and enough water to create a thick flour paste to act as glue for the samosas. 
  6. Meanwhile, stack 15 spring roll or lumpia wrappers (8 inch by 8 inch squares) on top of each other and cut the squares into thirds creating 45 2 ⅔  inch by 8 inch rectangles. Stack the rectangles on top of each other and cover with a damp cloth until ready to use.
  7. Place the rectangle so that it rests vertically. Pick up the lower right corner of the rectangle and fold it to a point on the left of the rectangle. This should result in an equilateral triangle that forms in the main area of the rectangle and leaving an overhang piece on the bottom outside of the rectangle.
  8. Next pick up the rightmost point of the triangle and fold it to the top left hand side of the rectangle.
    Hand folding a spring roll sheet into the shape of a samosa. A red arrow points to the north west corner of the samosa where the samosa should be folded to.
  9. The folds should have formed a pocket which you can hold up with your hands to conveniently stuff the samosa.
  10. Add ~1.5 teaspoons of filling to the samosa pocket. It’s better to under-stuff when starting off and add more as you gain confidence with folding.
  11. Brush a small bit of flour paste on the excess overhang and fold it to seal the inner triangle to keep the stuffing intact. Add a small amount of the flour paste to the remaining bit of the rectangle.
  12. Next, fold the lower left hand side of the triangle toward the upper right hand side of the rectangle. If you have ever folded a flag this is the same technique.
  13. Repeat a similar step by folding the right point of the triangle and folding it towards the top of the rectangle crossing over the left side of the triangle.Fold any remaining excess to the bottom face of the triangle.
    Sweet potato samosa all folded up held in a hand. Flour paste and sweet potato filling in the background.
  14. If frying, use a heavy-bottomed pot and fill until the pot has 2 inches of oil. Heat oil to 375 F and fry until golden brown. If baking, preheat conventional oven or air fryer to 400 Fahrenheit and spray the samosas on a baking sheet with a layer of oil. If you are making them from the freezer, there is no need to thaw the samosas - simply add them directly from the freezer to the oven. Bake samosas for 5 minutes and then spray with another layer of oil and place back in the oven for another 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy with sweet and tangy tamarind chutney or a herbaceous cilantro mint chutney.
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Notes and Tips

  • (Note 1) TYJ spring roll wrappers or lumpia wrappers yield the flakiest spring rolls as they are thinly rolled. Avoid wrappers labeled as egg roll wrappers.
Did you make this recipe?Tag @moonriceshri so I can see your amazing creation!