Whole30 Samosa Bites, 3 Ways

By Pri and Dee of Masala Paleo

Diwali’s essence lies in the Sanskrit shloka, ‘Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya’ which means “Lead me from darkness to light.” Twinkling lights, delicious food, festive clothes, decked-up homes, and most importantly, getting together with your loved ones is what Diwali is all about.

The spread for Diwali is dominated by snacks, and Samosa is one of the all-time favorite Diwali savory snacks. We created two Whole30-compatible versions of this much-loved dish — a keema/ground meat samosa bite and a potato samosa bite. We recommend you make both as they are very distinct in taste and absolutely scrumptious.

For the keema samosa bite, we used crispy smashed potatoes as the base and a spiced Indian-style keema as the topping. For the potato samosa bite, we used crispy plantain slices as a base and a spiced potato mix as the topping. We have also shared instructions for a stuffed samosa bite version made with plantain ribbons that are stuffed with the potato mix. This one needs some skill to assemble and is optional. Whichever version you choose to make, don’t miss drizzling it with the deliciously tart, spicy and sweet plum chutney we specially created to add extra oomph to this recipe. Serve these Samosa bites on a platter along with other favorite Diwali snacks like Aloo Tikki!

Tips and Tricks:

1. If you want to make only one type of samosa, you can pick between the Keema Samosa Bites or the Potato Samosa Bites.
2. The plantain you pick for the base needs to be green and not ripe at all.
3. Ideally, the bites should be assembled close to eating so that the bases stay crispy.
4. You can substitute the Plum chutney with a Green chutney or Whole30-compatible ketchup.

Whole30 Samosa Bites, 3 Ways

Whole30 Samosa Bites, 3 Ways

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

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Ingredients  

Plum Chutney (Can sub with a Green Chutney or Whole30 Ketchup)

• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 ripe plums chopped
• 2 soft dates
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Crispy Plantain Base

• 1 large green plantain
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• 2 pinches of salt

Crispy Potato Base

• 8 baby potatoes
• 1 tsp garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt

Onion and Spice Mix (Halve the ingredients if you are making only one of two toppings)

• 1 large red onion finely diced
• 1 inch ginger finely chopped
• 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder sub with paprika for lesser heat
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp roasted coriander seeds (can dry roast in the microwave for 45 seconds) optional
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp cooking oil

Potato Topping

• 1 large russet potato soft-boiled
• 3 green chilies optional or de-seeded for lesser heat
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp salt

Keema Topping

• 1 lb ground meat of choice
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

Plum Chutney

• ADD oil to a pan and heat on medium.
• SAUTE the chopped plums in the oil.
• ADD the dates, chili powder and salt.
• CARAMELIZE the plums and then add a cup of water.
• COOK the plums till they are reduced to a thick consistency.
• COOL and blend it to a thick chutney-like consistency.

Onion and Spice Mixture

• HEAT oil in a pan on medium.
• ADD the cumin seeds and let them bloom.
• SAUTE the chopped onion and ginger till translucent.
• ADD the turmeric powder, chili powder, salt, cumin powder, and coriander powder. Sauté till the spices are cooked for about 3 minutes
• GRIND the coriander seeds coarsely and add to the mixture, and sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes.
• SWITCH off the stove and split the onion and spice mixture into two equal portions.
• RETAIN one half in the pan for the spiced keema topping.
• REMOVE the other half to add to the potato topping.

Keema/Ground Meet Samosa Bites on Crispy Potatoes

• ADD the ground meat to the onion and spice mixture in the pan.
• BROWN the meat until dry and crumbly.
• ADD the salt and mix well.
• TRANSFER to a serving bowl.
• BOIL the baby potatoes until fork tender (10-15 mins).
• COOL the potatoes and toss them in oil.
• LAYER a sheet pan with parchment paper and flatten the potatoes using a cup or glass.
• SEASON with salt and garlic powder.
• BAKE in a preheated oven at 450°F for 25 minutes or until the potatoes turn crispy.
• ASSEMBLE the Keema samosa bite by placing a spoonful of the meat filling on top of the crispy smashed potato base.
• DRIZZLE the plum chutney on the samosa bites.

Potato Samosa Bites on Crispy Plantains

• BOIL the russet potato and let cool.
• PEEL and mash the potato using a potato masher.
• ADD half of the onion and spice mix, chopped green chilies, and cilantro to the mashed potatoes.
• MIX everything together really well and let it sit to build the flavors while you prep the plantain.
• PEEL just the green top layer of the plantain using a peeler while retaining the fibrous part of the skin.
• CUT both ends of the plantain.
• SLICE the plantain into thick rectangular slices using a mandolin or a knife and set aside.
• PAN FRY the plantain slices until crisp on both sides.
• TRANSFER plantain slices to a bowl.
• SPRINKLE with chili powder and salt, then toss to coat well.
• ASSEMBLE the Potato Samosa Bites by scooping a spoonful of the potato topping on the plantain base.
• DRIZZLE with the plum chutney.

Optional: Plantain Samosa Bundles

• PEEL thin long ribbons of the plantain using a peeler.
• MAKE a cone-like shape using the plantain ribbon and fill it up with the potato filling.
• SEAL top of the cone with one end of the plantain ribbon.
• HEAT oil in a shallow pan and pan fry the potato-filled plantain bundles on high to medium heat until crisp, then flip, and fry the other side.
• ONCE crisp on all sides, remove from pan.
• ARRANGE the samosa bites on the plate and serve with a drizzle of plum chutney.