How To Reheat Samosas – The Best Way
Are samosas one of your favorite dishes? You’re not the only one.
Samosas are delicious pastries with a savory filling. You can make them in many different shapes (triangles, cones, or half-moons), and they make great snack foods for various gatherings.
But how do you reheat samosas? The best way to reheat samosas is to use the oven or stovetop. These methods will keep them crispy without overcooking them. It’s possible to reheat samosas in the microwave, but they’ll likely become soggy. Other options include deep-frying or barbequing them.
You can easily get carried away and make too many of these delicious snacks at once. However, samosas can make you feel full easily, and you can’t really eat too many of them at once.
If this is you, read on! Because we’re here to tell you what to do with the leftovers, from reheating to storing.
How to Store Samosas
Before you actually reheat samosas, you need to know how to store them properly. You can keep them in the fridge for several days (no more than 5-7 days) and reheat them anytime you need to serve them.
The best way to store them is to wrap them tightly in foil and transfer them to an airtight container for added protection against unwanted air and moisture that could ruin their texture or allow bacteria in.
Always check out how they smell before you use them. If they have a moldy or weird smell, they probably stayed in the fridge for a bit too long and it’s best to toss them out.
How to Reheat Samosas?
There are two methods: in the oven and on the stovetop. Some people try and reheat them in the microwave, but it is not recommended. Samosas might lose their crunchiness and become soggy in the microwave.
Keep in mind that we are talking about cold samosas that have been stored in the fridge. For cooking frozen samosas, we have a separate article.
1. Using the Oven
This is the most common method of reheating samosas and is the best option out of all the ones we’ll talk about in this article because it maintains the crispy texture of the samosas.
When you reheat this dish in the oven properly, you will get crispy and crunchy samosas that are pretty much the same as freshly fried or baked samosas.
Here’s how to reheat samosas in the oven:
- Turn on your oven and set it up to 350°F.
- While the oven is heating, take the samosas out of the fridge.
- Put the baking paper (parchment paper) on a baking pan.
- Place the samosas on the baking paper.
- Once the oven is heated, put the baking pan in the oven. Make sure to put it on the middle rack because it is the best way to heat the samosas evenly. But, also, this will prevent the dish from burning on one side.
- Keep them in the oven for about 5-10 minutes. Make sure to flip them once or twice in that period of time, so they can be heated from all sides. If you want to be completely sure that the filling is heated properly (because this depends on the ingredients), you can always cut one samosa open and check the temperature. If it’s a bit cold, you can put them back in the oven for a couple of minutes.
- Once they are warm enough according to your preference, take them out of the oven.
- Let the samosas sit for a couple of minutes before you place them on the plate.
Your samosas should be nice and crispy, so go ahead and enjoy!
2. Using the Stovetop
The second best choice for reheating samosas is the pan, which is also faster than the oven method. And, of course, if you want to avoid the additional calories from using the oil again, choose the non-stick pan.
Here’s how to reheat samosas on the stovetop:
- Heat up your favorite non-stick pan.
- Take your samosas out of the fridge.
- Place the samosas in the pan.
- Cover the pan using the lid or the foil. If you are using the foil, just place it on top and don’t close it at the ends. If you use the lid, keep it a little bit open. The reason for this is that if you fully cover the pan, the samosas might get soggy from the steam. Keep it a bit open and they will be crispy and fresh.
- Heat them on low to medium heat, to gradually heat them.
- Turn them over every once in a while until they are fully heated.
- Once they are warm enough, you can take the pan away from the stovetop and serve the samosas.
Other Ways of Reheating Samosas
Reheating samosas in the oven is the best option to get the samosas as close as possible to the freshly fried or baked samosas. The next best thing is the non-stick frying pan used on the stovetop.
However, there are also a few other ways you should know about that may end up being more convenient for you.
1. Microwave
The microwave method is something that many people don’t recommend for one reason – the samosas might get soggy or the edges may get hard and rubbery.
Now, different people prefer different things. Therefore, you might be the one who likes soft samosas, and then why not heat them in the microwave?
If you don’t mind the soft texture, you can get the samosas reheated in a matter of minutes.
On the other hand, if your microwave has a grill function, feel free to use it for reheating samosas. They will be crispier and crunchier than the samosas reheated with the regular microwave option.
2. Deep-Fry
Of course, this is the less healthy way, but if you prefer deep frying food, then this is the way to go. Just pour vegetable oil into the frying pan and heat it up until it boils.
Then, carefully place the samosas into the vegetable oil. Be careful not to drop them and splash hot oil on yourself.
Using this method, your samosas will be crispy and gold in color. Just be careful not to burn them. Once they are done, put them on the paper towel to drain the excess oil and serve them.
3. Barbecue
Some people like a smoky flavor to their food, and you can achieve that with samosas, too. You can use your barbecue to light up wood or charcoal to reheat the samosas.
Take the samosas and place them on the grill. Heat them for a couple of minutes on one side, flip them over, and cook for another couple of minutes.
The good thing about this method is that you can heat samosas while you are preparing other dishes on your grill. Or you can prepare additional finger food to serve alongside the samosas.
Related Questions
What Are Samosas Anyway?
Although we’re sure we don’t have to explain what samosas are if you looked this topic up, we wanted to include this section for further clarity.
Samosas are pastries filled with various savory ingredients. The ingredients you can fill them with depend on your personal preferences.
You can use different spices and cheese, alongside vegetables like potatoes, onions, peas, cabbage, etc. Different kinds of meat (usually ground meat) like beef, chicken, or lamb, can also be a part of samosa filling.
Samosas are often made deep-fried, and the filling usually contains potatoes, different spices and herbs, and sometimes ground meat.
Where Did Samosas Come From?
Even though many people consider them to be a part of Indian cuisine, their origins are actually in Central Asia and the Middle East. From there, they spread to Asia and Africa and then the whole world.
Can You Freeze Samosas?
You can freeze samosas before baking. When you prepare them, place them on a tray and pop them into the freezer to become solid.
Once they are solid, place them in the zipper storage bag and keep them in the freezer for no longer than 5-6 weeks. You can also freeze fried samosas, and they can stay in the freezer even longer (up to 6 months).
How Important Is the Dough?
The dough is very important because it should be crispy and not so oily. There are a couple of tricks when it comes to dough. Plan the preparation in a way where you can leave the dough to sit for about 30-40 minutes before you roll it.
Don’t overwork the dough because it might be hard when cooked. All you need to do is to mix the ingredients together. It is also important that the dough is stiff when you make it because if it is soft, the samosas won’t be crispy.
Keep in mind that the samosas need to be cooked on low heat if you want them to be crispy. If the oil is too hot, you might even get unwanted bubbles on the pastry.
Helpful tip: Don’t place the hot samosas directly on the plate because the moisture will accumulate underneath, making the samosas soggy. It is best to let them cool a bit on the rack for a minute or two.
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