Crispy Vegan Samosa Cups: A Fun & Easy Party Appetizer
For me, a fun Saturday is wandering around local ethnic markets. I always find ingredients that inspire me to make new and delicious foods. On a recent trip to the little Indian market in my neighborhood, I spotted a package of crispy cups labeled Delhi Chaat Puri. I had no idea what to do with them, but I knew I could fill them with something yummy - so of course I bought them!
After a little research, I learned that these crispy cups are used for katori chaat, a popular Indian street food with all kinds of delicious fillings and toppings. I decided to fill mine with one of my favorites—a savory samosa filling made with potatoes, peas, and warm spices.
The result is these crispy vegan samosa cups topped with chutney and fresh herbs. They're colorful, flavorful, easy to pick up and eat, and such a fun vegan appetizer for parties.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
They’re perfect for vegans and non-vegans alike. One of the questions I get asked all the time is, “What can I make for my non-vegan friends and family that they’ll actually enjoy?” This is exactly the kind of recipe I recommend. These crispy, flavorful little cups are simply great party food that happens to be vegan.
They're fun and different. If you're tired of serving the same appetizers at every gathering, these little cups are guaranteed to add something new and interesting to the table. Also,iIf you bring these to a party you can rest assured they will be the only samosa cups at that party!
You get all those great samosa flavors without making samosas. There's no dough to make, roll, or fold. The ready-made crispy cups do the hard work for you.
They're made for entertaining. They're individual, bite-sized and easy for guests to grab—exactly what I want in a party appetizer.
They're packed with flavor. Spiced potatoes and peas, crispy shells, fresh herbs, and chutney give you savory, sweet, tangy, and crunchy all in one bite.
Cat’s Tips
Look for the cups at an Indian grocery store. Mine were labeled Delhi Chaat Puri. This is also a great excuse to explore a locally owned Indian market—you never know what else you'll discover.
Don't overfill the cups. Leave yourself enough room for chutney and your other toppings. Those finishing touches are part of what makes these so good.
Fill them close to serving time. The filling contains moisture, so for the crispiest shells, don't let the assembled cups sit around too long.
Make the filling ahead. If you're serving these for a party, prepare the samosa filling earlier and refrigerate it. Then you only have to warm the filling and assemble your cups before your guests arrive.
Serving Suggestions
I love these topped with green chutney and tamarind chutney, along with fresh cilantro and scallions for a little extra color and freshness.
Serve them on a large platter as a bite-sized appetizer for a party, game night, or holiday gathering. They would also be fun as part of an “Foods from Around the World” party. Have everyone bring an appetizer from a different country.
Don’t feel like you have to save them for a party. A few samosa cups with a simple salad would make a really fun lunch or light dinner.
Crispy Vegan Samosa Cups
Ingredients
- 4 medium-sized potatoes about the size of your hand (I use Yukon Gold or Yellow Finn)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 serrano, jalapeno, or Hatch chiles, diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1½ teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¾ cup frozen peas
- 4 scallions/green onions, chopped into disks
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 15 to 20 Delhi Chaat Puri (katori) cups - if you can't find these you can use mini phyllo shells (they will have a lighter, flakier texture) [I will link both options below.]
- store-bought mint chutney and tamarind chutney
- salt
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and chop them into equal sized pieces. I chop each potato into 2-inch pieces.
- Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until a fork goes through easily.
- Drain the potatoes, add 1 tablespoon of plant-based butter and a little bit of salt and then mash with a large fork or potato masher until they are smooth and there are no chunks.
- Heat the coconut oil over medium-low heat.
- Add the hot peppers and cook for about 1 minute, stirring until they are fragrant.
- Add the chopped garlic and mix with the hot peppers.
- Add all the spices (garam masala, cumin, and tumeric) quickly and stir to mix.
- Add the peas and stir to coat with the spices. Let them cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add in the potatoes one scoop at a time mixing well with the other ingredients until everything is well-blended.
- If the spices stick you can add a very small amount of water to the saute pan.
- Once everything is mixed together, I cover my saute pan for 1 to 2 minutes over very low heat to make sure everything is steamed. Then uncover and let cool just until you can handle it.
- Chop up the cilantro and scallions and mix in a separate bowl.
- Place the Chaat cups on a flat surface and fill with a rounded tablespoon.
- Sprinkle the scallion and cilantro mixture on top.
- Top with mint chutney, tamarind chutney, or both!
- Enjoy!
