Cheese and Potato Samosas

Following the success of the Vegetarian babotie samosas , I wanted another vegetarian option, and these cheese and potato samosas were born!

Cheese and Potato Samosas are a much-loved snack across the Indian Ocean islands, where Indian culinary traditions blend seamlessly with Creole and European influences. These samosas are especially popular in Mauritius and Réunion, where they are sold at street stalls, family gatherings, and celebrations, often enjoyed as an aperitif alongside a glass of home-spiced rum. While classic samosas are usually filled with spiced meat or lentils, this vegetarian version reflects the island habit of adapting recipes to local tastes and available ingredients.

The filling is comforting yet fragrant: softly mashed potatoes combined with melting cheese, warming cumin, earthy turmeric, fresh green onions, and fiery green chilies. The contrast between the creamy interior and the crisp, golden pastry is what makes these samosas so irresistible. Baked rather than fried, they are lighter but still satisfyingly crunchy. Served warm with a fruity or spicy chutney, these samosas are perfect for sharing—whether as a pre-dinner nibble, a party snack, or a nostalgic taste of island hospitality at any time of day.

For this recipe, I have suggested 2 samosas per serving.

Cuisine: Caribbean, Indian, Southern African

Courses: Appetizer, Snack, Starter

Servings: 10

Ingredients

500 g potatoes peeled and diced small (peeled weight)
160 g grated Emmental or cheddar cheese
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp cumin seeds lightly toasted
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chili powder
3 Green onions sliced ((Spring Onions))
4 green chilis sliced
Salt to taste
Spring roll pastry
Egg, beaten

Instructions

1
Boil potatoes until tender. Drain and leave to cool
2
Lightly mash potatoes with a fork. Leave some chunks for texture.
3
Add the rest of the ingredients to the potato and mix. Try not to mash the potatoes too much.
4
Let the mixture cool completely before filling the samosas.
5
Cut each sheet of spring roll wrapper in two and using a brush of egg join the two shorter sides together to make a long strip of pastry.
6
Place a heaped tablespoon of the cooled potato mixture at the end of the strip of pastry. Fold the pasty to make a triangle. Continue folding all the way along the length of the pastry. Use another brush of egg to seal the triangle shaped parcel.
7
Continue folding all the way along the length of the pastry. Use another brush of egg to seal the triangle-shaped parcel.
8
At this stage the samosas can be frozen for up to 3 months. The samosas should be cooked from frozen.
9
Heat an oven to 200 with the fan.
10
Coat each samosa with a little oil (you can rub each one with your hands or use a pastry brush) and place on a baking tray.
11
Cook for 20 minutes turning every now and then to ensure they are not sticking. The samosas are ready when the pastry is golden and crispy.
12
Serve warm with fruit chutney or hot mango chutney.