While samosas are typically deep fried, often meat filled, and usually made with white flour, these baked samosas are vegan and made using whole spelt flour. Filled with sweet potato, warming spices like cumin, and fresh cilantro, they're substantial enough to be a light dinner for four, or a hearty meal for two.
Make an Indian-inspired spread with sweet potato samosas, my favourite ginger red lentil dal or ayurvedic kitchari, and a refreshing iced masala chai.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Spelt flour: substitute whole wheat flour if preferred.
- Sweet potato: use any colour of sweet potato, or even do a mix of regular and sweet potato. You can use yam for this recipe but peel it beforehand.
- Cilantro: substitute parsley if you don't like cilantro.
- Yogurt: I like soy and coconut yogurt, they taste best with the samosa filling. Any type can be used but make sure it's unsweetened.
How to Make Baked Samosas
Step 1: boil the sweet potato cubes until tender, about 5 minutes.
Step 2: toast the coriander and cumin, and grind with a mortar and pestle.
Step 3: add the spices to a bowl with the peas.
Step 4: mix in the cooked sweet potato, partly mashing the mix.
Step 5: add the dough ingredients to a large bowl and mix to combine.
Step 6: roll out small rounds of dough, to about 15 cm or 6 inches in diameter.
Step 7: form a cone with the circle, and fill with the sweet potato mixture.
Step 8: seal the samosa and repeat with the remainder. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes.
Top Tips
- Don't over-mix: spelt is pretty delicate. Think of the pastry as being like tortilla dough – you want to knead just to incorporate the ingredients, but not to develop so much gluten like you do for bread.
- Start it hot: the oven is at a higher temperature to start so that the samosas can get a little crispy on the bottom.
- Make it gluten-free: if you need a gluten-free samosa, try using rice paper wraps instead of the spelt flour dough.
How to Store
Storage: keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can eat them cold or reheat in the oven or toaster oven.
Freezing: bake as usual, then cool fully. Transfer the samosas to an airtight container and freeze for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge and reheat in the oven for a few minutes before serving.
FAQ
Can I make these oil-free?
You can omit the oil for brushing, but the samosas will be pale in colour and won't be crisp at all. The recipe is otherwise oil-free.
Can I just use curry powder?
If you don't have all the spices on hand, you can substitute a standard curry powder for the spices in the samosa filling, but they'll taste different.
Do I need to peel the sweet potato?
While you can leave the peel on, this is one recipe that does benefit from peeling. It's up to you – some sweet potatoes have a really thin skin that's hardly noticeable, and some make a real difference.
More Sweet Potato Recipes
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Recipe
Sweet Potato Baked Samosas
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- mixing bowls
- Cooking pot
Ingredients
Samosa Filling
- 2 cups peeled and cubed Sweet Potato
- ½ teaspoon Coriander Seeds toasted
- ½ tablespoon Cumin Seeds toasted
- ½ cup Green Peas fresh or thawed
- 1 tablespoon Chopped Fresh Cilantro
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Grated Ginger
- ½ teaspoon Chili Flakes
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- ⅛ teaspoon Ground Cardamom
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
Samosa Pastry
- ¾ Cup vegan yogurt*
- 1 ½ Cups Spelt Flour
- ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
- teaspoon More Flour for Rolling
- A little Avocado Oil or Coconut Oil for Brushing
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds for Sprinkling
Instructions
Filling
- Begin by cooking the chopped sweet potato in a saucepan of boiling water for about 5 minutes, or just until the cubes are tender and easily broken by a fork. Drain them and set aside to cool.2 cups peeled and cubed Sweet Potato
- Gently toast the cumin and coriander in a dry frying pan until fragrant, and gently crush with a mortar and pestle. In a mixing bowl combine the green peas, cilantro, fresh ginger, chili, cayenne, turmeric, cardamon, salt, and toasted spices.½ cup Green Peas, 1 tablespoon Chopped Fresh Cilantro, ½ tablespoon Cumin Seeds, 1 teaspoon Fresh Grated Ginger, ½ teaspoon Chili Flakes, ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Powder, ½ teaspoon Turmeric, ½ teaspoon Coriander Seeds, ⅛ teaspoon Ground Cardamom, ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- Finally add the sweet potato and stir to combine. With the back of a fork, gently crush about half of the sweet potato cubes, making a nice and chunky mix.
Pastry
- Combine the salt and flour in a bowl. Add the yogurt and stir until combined. Place the mixture on a work surface and knead as you would bread, adding flour as needed. How much more flour you add will depend on the yogurt as well as the grain.1 ½ Cups Spelt Flour, ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt, ¾ Cup vegan yogurt*
- Divide the dough in half, then each half into approximately four (so you have eight balls total).
- With a little flour, roll each ball into a circle the size of a saucer (about 15 cm or 6 inch). Cut each circle in half to make 16 half-moons. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.teaspoon More Flour for Rolling
- Bring the left edge of the semi-circle over to the right cut edge. Press the seams together to make a little cone. Fill the cone with about 1 ½ tablespoon of filling, making sure to leave enough dough at the top to seal together. Press the top edges together to seal completely. If you have trouble at any time sealing your dough's edges, dip your finger tip in water and gently moisten one of the seams.
- Place samosas seam-side down on the baking sheet. Lightly brush or dab a little oil to the tops of the samosas and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until they begin to turn golden on the bottom.A little Avocado Oil or Coconut Oil for Brushing, 1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds for Sprinkling
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C) and flip the samosas. Continue to bake for another 10 minutes. Serve with chutney or any dip you like.
We made these for dinner last night using vegan yogurt and they turned out perfectly! Thank you for this recipe. So delicious!
Hi Sophie,
I really want to try and make these samosas but I can't find spelt where I live. What would be a good substitute and would there be any changes to the proportions? I would love to surprise hubby with these.
Thank you so much.
Hey Sofie! Feel free to use a whole wheat pastry flour, or even a combo of regular white and whole wheat flour. You may need to add a little more liquid to the dough, but I'd start with the recommended amount and see how it feels. Hope you enjoy them, Sophie <3
oh my gosh, so sorry I didn't see this sooner! Thank you, Gina!!! I'm so pleased you like the post <3
Thank you, Katie! <3
nice
You should come, I will treat you to millet dosa, our fermented vegan gluten free and savoury pancakes.My favourite breakfast. You are gonna love them!!!! Come soon, you have lots to eat:)
I saw this at just the right time: was wondering what interesting, different recipe I could make with some spelt flour that needed using. Gorgeous recipe(s)! Many thanks.
These look absolutely wonderful. I am definitely adding them to my to-make list. So glad I found your beautiful blog!
Thanks, Leah! Mmm, mango chutney! - so good with salad roll too, fyi 😉
Hello Karuna,
Oh my gosh, that makes me so happy to hear! I haven't had the opportunity to travel to India yet, but I'm so pleased that these ones have authentic flavours 🙂
Awesone, I'm so thrilled you like them! Samosas are super easy to make and soooo delish. I hope you enjoy them 🙂
These look so so so good! I especially have my eye on that mango chutney. Definitely going to give these a try!
Wowie I'm from India, and these pics just knock my socks out;))) Authentic and unusual!