Samosas are a popular Indian appetizer and are a savory treat. The traditional samosa is triangular shaped. It is generally made up of beaten flour and filled with various ingredients. Typically samosas are fried before serving. The most popular version is the one filled with mashed potatoes and spices. The traditional samosa does not fit into the keto diet. I wanted to create a low carb version that would fit into my keto lifestyle. I tried this recipe and the pliability of the dough was limiting to make a full size samosa. However, I was able to make cocktail sized samosas and they were absolutely delicious. I also have a larger sized samosa recipe that is prepared in an air fryer. Check out the Keto Air Fryer Samosa.
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Since the most popular version is made with mashed potatoes (aloo) with a lot of spices, I decided to experiment with my recipe for cauliflower sabji to serve as the filling.
Equipment
- Masher – This is a useful tool to mash cauliflower that resembles mashed potatoes
- Pasta Boat or Steamer (optional) – These are a must have to steam cauliflower in this recipe or any vegetables in general. I have also used this to cook low carb pasta option like edamame or black bean pastas.
- Tortilla Press – This tool makes it so much easier to flatten the fathead dough into a round flat shape to be able to make the samosas.
- Silicone Spatula – This is helpful in mixing sticky contents like the fathead dough. Also useful in many desert recipes. This is a must have for any keto cooking.
There are two parts to the recipe, the first part will go through making the filling and the second part will go through making the samosa.
CAULIFLOWER FILLING
The first step is to make the filling so that it is ready when each individual samosa is made. There are many recipes leveraging cauliflower as a mashed potato alternatives. I took inspiration from these recipes and made adjustments as the potato filling used in a traditional dosa is not as creamy.
Cauliflower is the main ingredient and this recipe uses 1/2 a head of cauliflower chopped into florets. There are two methods to cook the cauliflower florets so that it can be mashed.
METHOD 1: STEAM IN THE MICROWAVE
I used a Pasta Boat with a steamer attachment to seperate the water from the cauliflower. Any microwave steamer will work. If you do not have a steamer device for the microwave, you can put in a 1/4 cup of water in a bowl and add the cauliflower and cover with a plate or plastic lid. Heat the cauliflower in the steamer for 10 minutes.
Pasta Boat with Steamer attachment on base
If you did use a bowl with a plate to cover, make sure to drain all the water that is left.
METHOD 2: COOK CAULIFLOWER IN BOILING WATER
Bring 4-6 cups of water to a boil. Add cauliflower florets to boiling water and cook for 10 minutes until cauliflower is soft. You should be able to mash a floret with a fork. When done use a strainer to drain the water.
CAULIFLOWER MASH
Transfer the cauliflower florets to a large bowl. Add the 2 oz of cream cheese, 1/4 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and start mixing with a large spoon. Once the ingredients are well incorporated, take a masher and mash the cauliflower. You do not want to over-mash as you do not want it too creamy like mashed potatoes, but more rough to have the same consistency of the traditional potato filling.
Cauliflower mashed to resemble potato filling
ADD SPICES AND OTHER INGREDIENTS
Take a large pot on the stove and heat on medium. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and spread across the bottom and let it heat up. Add the mustard seeds first, then the onions, chilies, ginger, coriander leaves and curry leaves. Cook until onions start to become translucent but make sure they do not turn brown. Onions can be cut down if you really want to further lower the per serving carb count. Add the turmeric and salt. Mix until everything becomes yellow.
FINALIZING THE CAULIFLOWER FILLING
Now add the cauliflower mash and mix together well with the other ingredients in the pot. It should turn out with the cauliflower mash turning yellow in color spread out evenly.
Set the cauliflower filling aside as it will be used in making the samosa.
Samosa
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp psyllium husk powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 1 tsp olive oil divided
- 1/2 cup water divided
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2-4 cups total for frying, 1/2 cup absorbed for nutritional information
Instructions
- Whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl – almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum, psyllium husk, baking soda and salt.
- Then add cottage cheese. Then incorporate the cottage cheese into the dry ingredients using hands and kneading the dough. Periodically add water (around 1/2 cup total) and oil (up to 1 tsp total) to help incorporate and keep dough from sticking to hands.
- Then set aside for 30 minutes for dough to rest
- Then take 2 inch balls and use tortilla press to make 5-6 inch round flattened dough.
- Cut in 1/2 into two semi-circles. Then take the semi-circle dough and form a cone. Then fill with about 1 tbsp of filling and seal the bottom. [See Video Below]
- Take samosa and cook in 2-4 cups of vegetable oil (depends on size of pan) on medium heat. Cook each side until it becomes a tan to light brown color.
Notes
- If you do not have a tortilla press, you can flatten the dough by placing between two sheets of parchment paper and using a rolling pin. Use a large cookie cutter to cut into circles. Take the left over dough and knead. Then repeat the process until most of the dough is used up.
- If the dough is too hard, add some water and knead some more to soften it up.
Equipment
- Pot
Ingredients
Cauliflower Filling
- 1/2 head cauliflower
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 cup red onions - chopped
- 3 chili green chilies - chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger - chopped
- 1 tbsp cilantro - chopped
- 2 leaves curry leaves - chopped
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp Salt - adjust to taste
Samosa
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tbsp psyllium husk powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 1 tsp olive oil - divided
- 1/2 cup water - divided
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil - 2-4 cups total for frying, 1/2 cup absorbed for nutritional information
Instructions
Cauliflower Filling
- Bring 3 to 4 cups of water to a boil (Microwave option is also available to steam cauliflower and described below.
- Chop cauliflower into florets and wash
- Put cauliflower florets into boiling water and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes until florets are soft. Alternatively, cauliflower can be steamed in microwave using a steamer or pasta boat for 8 to 10 minutes.
- When done, put cauliflower in a strainer and drain all water (boiling method).
- Quickly transfer cauliflower to a bowl while it is still hot.
- Add cream cheese, sour cream and parmesan cheese.
- Start by mixing well to spread out the ingredients evenly.
- Use a masher to mash the cauliflower.
- Set aside mashed cauliflower
- Heat a pot on a stove with 2 tbsp olive oil
- When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds,
- Then add onions, chilies, cilantro, curry leaves and ginger.
- Cook until onions are translucent stirring intermittently (make sure it doesn't turn brown).
- Then add the turmeric and salt
- Mix well until whole mixture is yellow
- Now add the cauliflower that was set aside.
- Keep mixing to evenly distribute the mix and the whole palya/sabji is an even yellow color.
Samosa
- Whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl – almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum, psyllium husk, baking soda and salt.
- Add cottage cheese. Incorporate the cottage cheese into the dry ingredients using hands and kneading the dough. Periodically add water (around 1/2 cup total) and oil (up to 1 tsp total) to help incorporate and keep dough from sticking to hands.
- Set aside for 30 minutes for dough to rest
- Take 2 inch balls and use tortilla press to make 5-6 inch round flattened dough.
- Cut in 1/2 into two semi-circles. Take the semi-circle dough and form a cone. Fill with about 1 tbsp of filling and seal the bottom.
- Take samosa and cook in 2-4 cups of vegetable oil (depends on size of pan) on medium heat. Cook each side until it becomes a tan to light brown color.
Notes
- If you do not have a tortilla press, you can flatten the dough by placing between two sheets of parchment paper and using a rolling pin. Use a large cookie cutter to cut into circles. Take the left over dough and knead. Then repeat the process until most of the dough is used up.
- If the dough is too hard, add some water and knead some more to soften it up.
Nutrition
Let us know how you enjoyed these keto samosas in the comments below.
If you have leftover Cauliflower filling think about pairing with our dosa recipe.
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