Moong Dal Mini Samosa
Oct 24, 2016, Updated Jan 02, 2018
Bite size Mini Samosa filled with spicy moong dal (lentil) filling. These are best enjoyed with a cup of chai!
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Bite size moong dal filled Mini Samosa will be the perfect addition to your Diwali menu! Enjoy them with chai!
Samosa is probably the most famous Indian snack in the world. It’s always there on the menu in every Indian restaurant and even those who don’t know much about Indian cuisine would have most probably heard about samosa. The traditional samosa that you would find in every corner of India is filled with a spicy potato filling and nothing else. Of course there are a lot of versions in the market from stuffing with dry fruits to minced meat but when you say “samosa” you are talking about the one filled with potatoes and it’s so funny that I don’t have a recipe for that on my blog yet. Next time for sure but right now I am really excited to share this Diwali snack recipe with you guys – Moong Dal Mini Samosa. These bite sized samosa are filled with a spicy lentil filling and would be a great addition to your Diwali menu.
I have always been a fan of mini treats. In the past I have shared recipes for mini cheesecakes, mini cupcakes, mini muffins and now mini samosa! I think mini food always looks more presentable, is easier to serve and also easier for your guests to eat.
These mini samosa are filled with a spicy moong dal filling and stay good for a long time. Actually you can make them way in advance for Diwali and they would stay good for weeks since they are filled with lentils. To make the mini samosa crispy, you have to take care of 2 things.
1. Add enough oil to the dough: the oil we add to the dough is called “moin”. It should be just enough to bind the dough. Add oil, mix with your fingers and then press a small amount of the dough between your palm. If the mixture binds and doesn’t crumble then the amount of oil you added is enough. If it crumbles, you need to add more oil.
2. Fry on low heat: if you fry the samosa on high heat, they would turn brown very quickly and would not get crunchy from outside. So always fry on low heat.
Hope you guys give these bite size moong dal mini samosa a try this Diwali. I love them with my chai!
Method
Soak 1/2 cup dhuli moong dal overnight. Drain the water in morning and set the dal aside. Heat oil in a pan on medium hat. Once oil is hot add hing and then add crushed coriander seeds, crushed peppercorn and crushed fennel seeds. Cook for a minute or two, then add chopped cashews and raisins. Cook for a minute.
Add the drained moong dal and mix.
Then all the spices – garam masala powder, red chili powder, amchur and turmeric powder. Also add the salt. Cook on low heat for almost 10 minutes till dal softens. Dal doesn’t need to be super soft. The filling for the mini samosa is now ready, set aside.
Make the dough for the samosa. To a large bowl, add flour, sooji, ajwain seeds and salt. Mix till well combined.
Now add oil and mix with your fingers.
Mix till the mixture appears like crumbs, the oil should be thoroughly mixed with the flour.
Now take some flour mix and press it tightly between your fingers. The dough should hold it’s shape and not crumble apart. If dough crumbles, you need to add little more oil.
Add water little by little to form a tight but smooth dough. I used little more than 1/4 cup water for this. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Once the dough has rested, make a small ball from the dough and roll it into a circle of 4-5 inch. Cut the circle into 2 equal halves.
Now take one half of the circle and apple water on the straight side of the circle. Fold from one side, as shown in the picture.
Now fold the other side bringing it on top of the first fold to form a cone.
Fill the cone with the moong dal stuffing, use around 1-2 teaspoons of the filling and remember to not overfill.
Seal the ends of the cone applying water on the ends. Repeat with the remaining dough. Keep the stuffed samosa covered with a cloth while you make and fill the rest of the samosas. You should get 20-25 mini samosa. Meanwhile heat oil in a kadai/wok on low-medium heat.
Once the oil is hot enough, add the prepared samosa carefully into the kadai.
Fry the samosa on low heat till golden brown from both sides. 
Store these moong dal mini samosa in an air tight container. They should stay good for 2 weeks!
* The prep time includes the 30 minutes resting time of the samosa dough.
Moong Dal Mini Samosa
Ingredients
moong dal filling
- 1/2 cup moong dal dhuli also known as yellow split lentil, soaked overnight
- 1.5 tablespoons oil I used vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds crushed
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds crushed
- 8-10 peppercorns crushed
- 1/8 teaspoon asafoetida powder also known as hing
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mango powder also known as amchur
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala powder
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped cashew
- 1 tablespoon chopped raisins
samosa pastry
- 1.25 cups all purpose flour also known as maida
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon semolina also known as sooji
- 1/3 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons oil I used vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ajwain also known as carom seeds
- water little more than 1/4 cup
- oil for frying
Instructions
Make the filling
- Soak 1/2 cup dhuli moong dal overnight. Drain the water in morning and set the dal aside.
- Heat oil in a pan on medium hat. Once oil is hot add hing and then add crushed coriander seeds, crushed peppercorn and crushed fennel seeds.
- Cook for a minute or two, then add chopped cashews and raisins. Cook for a minute.
- Add the drained moong dal to the pan and mix.
- Then all the spices - garam masala powder, red chili powder, amchur and turmeric powder. Also add the salt.
- Mix everything and cook on low heat for almost 10 minutes till dal softens. Dal doesn't need to be super soft. The filling for the mini samosa is now ready, set aside.
Make the samosa
- Make the dough for the samosa. To a large bowl, add flour, sooji, ajwain seeds and salt. Mix till well combined.
- Now add oil and mix with your fingers. Mix till the mixture appears like crumbs, the oil should be thoroughly mixed with the flour.
- Now take some flour mix and press it tightly between your fingers. The dough should hold it’s shape and not crumble apart. If dough crumbles, you need to add little more oil.
- Add water little by little to form a tight but smooth dough. I used little more than 1/4 cup water for this. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Once the dough has rested, make a small ball from the dough and roll it into a circle of 4-5 inch. Cut the circle into 2 equal halves.
- Now take one half of the circle and apple water on the straight side of the circle. Fold from one side, as shown in the picture above.
- Now fold the other side bringing it on top of the first fold to form a cone.
- Fill the cone with the moong dal stuffing, use around 1-2 teaspoons of the filling and remember to not overfill.
- Seal the ends of the cone applying water on the ends. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Keep the stuffed samosa covered with a cloth while you make and fill the rest of the samosas. You should get 20-25 mini samosa. Meanwhile heat oil in a kadai/wok on low-medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot enough, add the prepared samosa carefully into the kadai. Fry the samosa on low heat till golden brown from both sides.
- Once they have completely cooled down, store these moong dal mini samosa in an air tight container. They should stay good for 2 weeks!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Moong Dal Mini Samosa
Your recipes are so good! Can these samosas be made with wheat flour? Thanks.
yes they can be, they will be not as light since we use whole wheat flour but will still be good
Looks so Delicious !
These look so delicious! Never tried anything similar, but would love to!
I like ordering samosas, but I’ve never tried to make them before. I need to try these. It looks like fun!
These samosas sound amazing, Manali! I do love a good spicy samosa…and the lentils is a fun twist. I made dessert “samosas” one time, and they turned out quite well. Now I need to try my hand at savory ones. Yum!!
I am loving all the different spices that are going on in this. These little crispy parcels look delicious!
I love lentils wrapped up in a crispy package! These samosas look fantastic, Manali!
Samosas are so delicious and yours are just perfection, Manali!
OMG, I LOVE samosas, lentils and anything spicy, so these are RIGHT up my ally! I could eat a few dozen of these! Cheers, Manali!
Thanks Cheyanne, they are very addictive.
Do you have a baked version? Love samosa, but frying is really not my thing..these look fingerlickingly delicious, Manali.
I don’t unfortunately Angie, but you can definitely bake them.
Oh I love the looks of this Manali! The perfect bite sized treat! Sounds so good with those spices!
Thanks Gayle