Samosa Pot Pie with Puff Pastry Top

5 from 32 votes

Published by Rebecca Eisenberg ⁠— October 17, 2019 (updated July 20, 2026) — 39 Comments

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This lightly spiced pea-and-potato Samosa Pot Pie has a crispy, flaky puff pastry top. It is totally about to be your new favorite hearty "accidentally vegetarian" dinner. To save time, I use store-bought pie crust and frozen puff pastry for easy assembly, and the pie freezes well too so you can enjoy some for dinner tonight and save some for dinner in the future too!

A slice of samosa pie, filled with potatoes and peas is topped with a dollop of white sauce and a cilantro leaf and sits on a plate, with a fork holding a bite. The rest of the pie, bowls of sauce, and green garnish are in the background. — Samosa pot pie is filled with a gorgeously spiced mix of potatoes and peas.

5 star reader review

“Samosas are one of my absolute favorite foods, and this packs all of the flavor without the labor of individually stuffing and sealing the little pouches. My family likes to lightly tease me about being vegetarian (even though it's been ten years), but they ate this up so fast it was shocking.”
—Katie F.

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As a white person who grew up in America, when I think of samosas, I think of the conical, triangular appetizers you get at Indian restaurants. The ones I'm used to are deep-fried, usually filled with potatoes, onions, and peas, and fragrant Indian spices like garam masala (a spice blend), cumin, and coriander. I usually serve it with a side of my super easy lime yogurt sauce (skip the cilantro if you don't like it).

The credit for this samosa pot pie recipe really belongs to my husband, Jimmy. You see, in 2019 I asked Jimmy to come up with a pie-themed dinner menu for my birthday. I wanted everything to be pie. He made my favorite chicken pot pie, and he made a shepherd's pie too. (Weirdly, there were no sweet pies. Just savory!)

But then, because I wanted to make sure my vegetarian friends had something to eat, Jimmy adapted Chef John's "Samosadilla" (a portmanteau of samosa and quesadilla) recipe into a pie. (Our only complaint about the samosadillas had been wanting a more substantial carby exterior. A flaky pie crust was the obvious solution.)

The samosa pot pie was so good it quickly became part of our regular rotation of weeknight dinners. The crispy shortcrust bottom is so lovely and buttery, and the flaky puff pastry top simulates the crisp, deep-fried pastry of traditional samosas so well.

A golden-brown samosa pot pie with five slits in the crust sits on a light-colored cloth with embroidered details, placed on a gray textured surface. — Flaky frozen puff pastry is the perfect top to a samosa pot pie.

Jimmy Says...

If there's one thing you should know about me it's that I love savory pies. They’re a perfect dinner on those days where wearing pants feels like a “choice.”

If there's a second thing you should know about me it's that I love samosas. Spiced vegetables and/or meat wrapped in a triangular cone of dough and deep-fried? Hell yes. Like pot pies, samosas are also full of potatoes and covered in a flaky crust.

So when Rebecca asked me to create a vegetarian pie for her birthday, I wanted to make something that, like a traditional pot pie, was calorie-rich and savory, because vegetarians often get shafted when it comes to delicious food. Combining a samosa and a pie felt like fate to me. They just make sense together. And I know you'll feel the same way when you give this a try.

Overhead view of labeled ingredients on a wooden surface for samosa pot pie, including yukon gold potatoes, cilantro, garlic, lemon, egg, butter, onions, frozen peas, serrano pepper, fresh ginger, a bowl of spices, puff pastry, and pie crust. — *See the recipe card at the end for ingredient quantities.*

First things first, I specified "deep dish" pie crusts on the ingredient image above, but if you want to get two pies out of my recipe, you should use regular non-deep dish pie crust shells instead. A deep dish frozen pie crust will make one pie. These are the frozen pie crust shells that come already pressed into in an aluminum baking dish. They won't get super flaky or airy and will stay nice and sturdy to support the pie.

As for the pastry top, you're looking specifically for puff pastry. I usually use Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, which uses shortening instead of butter. It is vegan by default if that's a concern for you.

I always use yukon gold potatoes in my samosa pie because they are soft and tender, great at absorbing flavor, but sturdy enough to hold their shape as you mix the filling.

Garam Masala is a Northern Indian spice blend. The exact combination of spices will vary by brand, but it usually includes things like cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, coriander, nutmeg, mace, or black pepper. It's becoming more common to find in grocery stores, but I often order it online from Spicewalla or World Spice Merchants.

A close-up of a golden-brown samosa pot pie in a foil pan with a slice removed, revealing a filling of potatoes and peas. The crust looks flaky and crisp.

Samosa Pot Pie Instructions

There are three stages to making this samosa pot pie.

Parboil the potatoes.
Make the filling.
Assemble and bake the samosa pot pie!

While you can do all these steps on one night (and I usually do), you can also make the filling up to 3 days ahead of time. It's a bit easier to assemble a samosa pot pie when the filling is cool, so sometimes i make the filling one day and assemble/bake the next day.

The filling also freezes very well, so if you only make one pie, you can freeze the remaining filling for an easy-to-assemble samosa pot pie in the future!

A metal saucepan with diced potatoes and water is heating on an induction cooktop placed on a wooden surface—perfect for preparing the filling for a delicious samosa pot pie. The cooktop display shows numbers and control buttons. — Cook the potatoes

Hand stirring chopped onions in a stainless steel pan on an induction cooktop with a wooden spoon, perhaps as the flavorful base for a samosa pot pie. The onions appear to be sautéing. The cooktop is on a wooden surface and displays a digital temperature reading. — Cook down the onions

A hand stirs a mixture of chopped onions and spices in a stainless steel pan on an electric cooktop with a wooden spoon, preparing the flavorful filling for a samosa pot pie. The cooktop displays a temperature of 199°F, and steam rises from the hot mixture.

Add the spices and cook until everything is soft and yellow-golden brown in color.

A bowl of cooked diced potatoes and peas mixed with yellow spices sits on a wooden surface, evoking the classic flavors of samosa pot pie. A wooden spoon rests inside the bowl, partially buried in the mixture.

Mix all of the filling components together in a large bowl.

Samosa Pot Pie Assembly & Baking

When it comes to assembling and baking your samosa pot pie there is one important thing to keep in mind. Pie crust and puff pastry need to be as cold as possible before they go into the oven. Work quickly to get the crust filled, the puff pastry trimmed, and the whole thing into the oven as fast as you can.

A round pie crust filled with a yellow potato and pea mixture sits on a wooden surface. The filling is chunky and evenly spread inside the pale pie crust. — For best results, chill the filling before assembling the samosa pot pie.

Unbaked samosa pot pie with a crimped edge and four slits in the top crust, placed on a wooden surface. — Cut a few holes for steam to escape and brush the top with egg wash for a beautifully shiny crust!

Get creative with the vent holes! You can use small cookie cutters to cut pretty shapes out of the puff pastry or even cut slits in the shape of a star. As the pie cooks, the steam inside needs a place to escape; if you don't cut any vent holes it will tear through the crust wherever it wants.

When the puff pastry topper is golden brown in the center and a deeply burnished almost dark brown around the edges, it's done!

A golden-brown samosa pot pie with three slices cut sits on a white cloth on a wooden table, surrounded by herbs, spices, a bowl of green peas, and a bowl of creamy sauce. — You can slice and serve the samosa pot pie immediately, but you'll get more stable slices and cleaner cuts if you let it sit for 15-20 minutes first.

A slice of samosa pot pie topped with white sauce and cilantro sits on a plate with a fork. The rest of the pie, a bowl of green peas, and a bowl of sauce are in the background on a wooden table. — You can slice and serve the samosa pot pie immediately, but you'll get more stable slices and cleaner cuts if you let it sit for 15-20 minutes first.

📖 Recipe

Samosa Pot Pie with Puff Pastry Top

Servings pies

Author Rebecca Eisenberg

This lightly spiced Samosa Pot Pie with a crispy, flaky puff pastry top makes a hearty, satisfying "surprisingly" vegetarian dinner. See notes for vegan adjustments. This makes enough filling for one deep-dish pie crust or two non-deep-dish samosa pies.

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Prep Time 40

Cook Time 45

Cooling time 20

Total Time 1 45

Recipe Notes

If you're missing one of the spices just increase the garam masala by that amount to compensate.
If the puff pastry is still frozen when you go to unfold it, it might crack or break. Let it sit 10-15 minutes in a warm-ish spot before you try unfolding it again.
To make this a vegan samosa pot pie, make sure you're using vegan pie crusts and vegan puff pastry. I use Pepperidge Farm's frozen puff pastry sheets and they are vegan by default — no need to splurge on a fancy vegan alternative! Instead of the egg wash to seal the puff pastry to the pie crust use water. Skip the egg wash on top entirely or use olive oil.
You can freeze the filling or freeze the assembled pies. If freezing an assembled pie (baked or unbaked) wrap it in plastic wrap first and then place it inside a large ziplock bag to prevent freezer burn. The filling will be good in the freezer for up to 3 months, after which it won't go "bad" but you may notice the flavor and texture aren't quite as good as if you'd used them within 3 months.
If you want to add meat or poultry, just make sure that the meat is fully cooked. This is a great way to use up leftover tandoori chicken or butter chicken, or even just plain old shredded rotisserie chicken!
Serrano peppers look like jalapeños but are up to 5 times hotter. They're fairly small, and if you remove the seeds and ribs from the inside, they're fairly mild (and I say that as someone who doesn't love spicy food). This is generally not a spicy dish! However, if you prefer a more mild heat, use a jalapeño or a small poblano pepper instead.
You don't need to poke the bottom pie crust all over with a fork before baking. Since this samosa pot pie has a heavy potato filling, the filling weighs down the crust during baking. No need to worry about bubbling!

Ingredients

2 frozen pie shells
2 sheets frozen puff pastry (defrost and unfold before assembling!)
2 lbs yukon gold potatoes (peeled and ½" diced)
2 tablespoons butter (or olive oil)
1 large yellow onion (small diced)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 small serrano chile (ribs and seeds removed, minced)
1½ teaspoon fresh ginger (minced)
1 teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt
1½ teaspoon garam masla
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon cayenne (or red pepper powder)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (minced, optional)
1½ tablespoons lemon juice (juice from ½ lemon)
1 cup frozen peas

Instructions

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Preheat oven to 425°F.
Mix together salt, garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cayenne in a small bowl and set aside.
Place peeled, diced potatoes in a pot of generously salted cold water. The potatoes should be completely submerged with at least 1" of water above them. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 12-15 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender.
When the potatoes are done, drain them and set them aside in a large mixing bowl.

Pro-Tip: If you start cooking the onions when the water for the potatoes starts to boil, the timing will align perfectly for the potatoes to be ready to drain at the same time as you finish cooking the onion mixture.

Heat a large, high-sided skillet over medium-low heat. Let the skillet heat up for a couple minutes, then melt the butter. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8-10 minutes. Turn the heat down if the onions start to take on darker color. A little color is fine, but the darker they get the sweeter they become.
When the onions are translucent, stir in the spice mixture and add the minced garlic, ginger, and Serrano pepper to the pan.
Cook, stirring frequently for 3-5 minutes until very aromatic.
Add the onion mixture to the bowl with the potatoes. Add the cilantro, peas, and lemon juice and stir until the mixture is evenly combined. Some of the potatoes will break apart, but that's a good thing. Taste the mixture and add more salt or pepper if needed.

There's no need to defrost the frozen peas before adding them to the filling. The heat from the potatoes and onion mixture will defrost them as you mix. Plus, the whole thing is about to go in the oven anyway. The peas will have plenty of opportunities to defrost!

For best results, refrigerate the filling so that it's cold when you assemble the pie. If you assemble it with warm filling, the heat from the filling will begin warming up the fat in the pie crust and puff pastry which will make it soggy instead of flaky.

Assembly

It is very important that pie crust and puff pastry are as cold as possible before baking. Work quickly and get the pie in the oven ASAP.

If the oven isn't at the right temperature yet when the pie is assembled, stick the whole pie in the fridge or freezer until you're ready to bake it.

Take your defrosted puff pastry out of the fridge about 15-20 minutes before you plan to use it so you can unfold it without cracking.
Divide the potato mixture evenly between the two pie shells, filling them right up to the top. Flatten the mixture in each pie shell so there's not a big heap in the center.
On a lightly floured surface carefully unfold the first puff pastry sheet. It should still be lightly chilled, but not frozen. Use a rolling pin to stretch the sheet out an additional inch, trying to pinch the creases back together as best you can.
Brush the egg wash around the border of the bottom pie shells. Take one of the sheets of puff pastry and drape it over one of the filled bottom pie shells. Use scissors or a knife to trim off any excess pastry, using the edge of the pie tin as a guide. Press the tines of a fork around the edge to seal the puff pastry and pie shell together. Brush the top all over with egg wash, then use a small knife in an up-and-down motion to cut 3-5 long slits in the top of the pie to let steam escape.

Try not to get any egg wash inside the vent holes or on the outer edge of the pie crust. Egg wash acts like glue and if you get it on the outer rim where the two crusts are joined together, you'll glue all the flaky layers together.

Place the pies on a cookie sheet and bake in a 425°F degree preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. When the puff pastry has puffed up and achieved a dark golden brown color, your pie is done. If the top of the pie seems like it's browning too much, drape a sheet of aluminum foil over it in the oven.
Remove pies from the oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve with lime yogurt sauce on the side.

Samosa Pot Pie with Puff Pastry Top

5 star reader review

Jimmy Says...

Samosa Pot Pie Instructions

Samosa Pot Pie Assembly & Baking

📖 Recipe

Samosa Pot Pie with Puff Pastry Top

Recipe Notes

Ingredients

Instructions

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Assembly

Video

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

5 star reader review

Jimmy Says...

Samosa Pot Pie Instructions

Samosa Pot Pie Assembly & Baking

📖 Recipe

Samosa Pot Pie with Puff Pastry Top

Recipe Notes

Ingredients 1x2x3x

Instructions Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Assembly

Video

Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Ingredients

Instructions

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark