Air Fryer pinwheel samosa is an easy way to enjoy the flavor of traditional Indian samosa without hard work. It makes a perfect game night snack or an appetizer for your next gathering.

I haven’t met anyone yet, who would say no to samosas. But making samosa is not a piece of cake. It takes a lot of work and patience to make authentic Indian samosa.

pinwheels with black and green chutney on side

So, what is the best alternative recipe to enjoy the flavor of traditional Indian samosas?

The answer is .. Homemade Air fryer pinwheel samosa.

They are easy to make and taste delicious plus healthy. So, you can guilt-free enjoy them as a super bowl game night snack or serve them as an appetizer for your next get-together.

What is Pinwheel Samosa?

Samosa is a famous Indian snack that does not need any introduction. They are homemade dough pastries filled with spicy potatoes and peas. Pinwheel samosa is a variation of traditional samosa where you roll the dough, fill spicy potato-pea mixture, and cut them into pinwheels like cinnamon rolls.

I have used my traditional samosa filling for that authentic Indian flavor for this pinwheel samosa recipe. I have used Indian spices, but you can certainly omit some if you don’t have them on hand.

Why would you love pinwheel samosa?

Finger holding pinwheel with sauce on one side

Pinwheel samosa is way easier to make than traditional samosa
Pinwheel samosas are made in an air fryer, which is healthier than the deep-fried version.
You can enjoy authentic Indian samosa flavor without much work.
You can make them in advance, and air fry them when needed.
Make a perfect snack or appetizer for game night or get-together.
You can also use the freezer for meal prep.
They are perfect for the beginner as well because you do not need to give them a cope shape.

Ingredient used in making easy homemade Air Fryer Pinwheel Samosa

Easy pinwheel samosa dough ingredients

All-purpose flour
Salt
Coldwater
Oil
Carom seeds (optional)

Pinwheel Samosa Stuffing ingredients

Potatoes – Use Russet or Yukon gold potatoes for this recipe. Boil potatoes and cut them into small pieces or smash them.

Frozen peas – Soak frozen peas in hot tap water to defrost them. You do not need to microwave them or cook them for this recipe.

Spices – For authentic Indian samosa flavor, you will need all the spices listed below. But you can do without some of it if you don’t have them on hand.

Fresh ginger root
Cumin seeds
Garam masala
Salt
Lemon Juice

Optional spices

Coriander seeds
Fennel seeds
Dry mango powder (Dry mango powder as a replacement for lemon juice)

Oil – You can use vegetable oil, sunflower oil, or peanut oil for this recipe.

Water – You will need 1-2 tablespoons to make your mixture lumpy. Sometimes, potatoes are dry, and adding water will create the consistency you need in the pinwheel samosa stuffing.

And an Air Fryer! Any model of air fryer – basket, tray, or instant pot crips lid works great for this recipe.

Step-by-Step Process of making Air fryer Pinwheel Samosa

Pinwheel samosas are easy to make. I have shared all the tips and tricks to make this delicious Indian snack so read the entire blog post. Also, read FAQs at the end to know more about storage and meal prep.

Making pinwheel samosa dough

Take all-purpose flour in a deep bowl.

Add carom seeds, salt and mix well.

white flour and dough in two separate bowl

Then add the oil and start mixing with your fingers. Oil has to be incorporated well into your dough. Do this for 2-3 minutes until all your flour is covered well with the dough. Do not overlook this step; otherwise, your pinwheel won’t come out crispy.

You will see a crumbly texture of your dough if oil is well incorporated into your flour.

You will know your dough has enough oil; when you take the dough in your hand, it forms a shape.

Now start adding cold water little by little and mixing to make a stiff dough. I used around 1/3 cup of cold water to make a stiff dough. You need a stiff dough for this recipe so add water slowly.

Now cover the dough and let it rest for 30-35 minutes.

While the dough is resting, work on the stuffing.

Pinwheel Samosa Stuffing

Boil medium size potatoes and chop them into small pieces.

In a Sautee pan, heat oil on medium flame.

Potato peace with spices in three frames

Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and fennel seeds.

Let the seeds sizzle for a few seconds, and add ginger paste. Let it cook for 1 minute.

Then add boiled potato pieces and peas.

Add garam masala, salt, lemon juice, or dry mango powder.

Mix the ingredients together.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of water, mix well and let the mixture cook for 2-3 minutes.

Then turn the heat off and add chopped cilantro, and mix.

Then smash the mixture with a fork or potato masher while it is warm.

Let the mixture cool down completely.

Shape Pinwheel Samosa

Once the dough is rested, knead it one more time. Then divide the dough into 3 portions each.

Divide your stuffing into 3 portions.

Roll one portion of dough into a thin circle of around 4 mm thick.

Then spread one portion of stuffing evenly on the top of the rolled circle, leaving a gap on edge around the circled dough.

Tightly roll the dough from one side to the end.

rolled white dough and slices of rolled dough

Once you have a cylindrical roll, give them a gentle roll to make a perfect cylindrical shape.

Now remove a small portion of both ends without stuffing.

Cut the roll into ½ inch thick slices (pinwheel) with a knife.

Finish making a pinwheel from the rest of the dough and stuffing.

Air Fry Pinwheel Samosa

Preheat the air fryer to 370°F for 5 minutes.

stiffed pinwheels on wooden chopping board and air fryer pinwheel samosa in a black basket

Grease the air fryer crisper tray with oil.

Arrange the pinwheels in a single layer, leaving space in between in the air fryer crisper tray.

Coat the pinwheel with oil.

uncooked and cooked air fryer pinwheel samosa in black basket

Then air fry pinwheels at 370°F for 8-10 minutes, turning them halfway through. When you turn them, coat the other side with oil and finish cooking.

Check out other Air Fryer Recipes

Keto Air Fryer Eggplant fries

Keto Vegan Rice paper Dumplings

Potato cheese balls without breading

Cassava Fries (not keto)

Air Fryer Veggie Stuffed Zucchini Boats (Vegan, Keto)

Air Fryer Zucchini Pizza boats (Gluten-free)

Keto Air Fryer Paneer (Gluten-Free, Low carb)

Tips for making perfect pinwheel samosas

Making the perfect dough is important – Oil needs to be incorporated well into a dough for pinwheels to come out crispy in the air fryer or deep frying.
Make a stiff dough.
Use all the spices listed above for a traditional samosa taste.
Stuffing needs to be lumpy. If your potatoes are not too dry, avoid adding water.
Arrange pinwheels in a single layer in your air fryer and leave a space in between.
Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket.
If you need more, cook them in batches.
You can smash the boiled potatoes rather than cut them into pieces from the beginning if you like.

Serving suggestion for Pinwheel samosas

Pinwheel samosas make a delicious appetizer for a get-together or game night. I love to snack on them as is. But you can serve them with

Homemade Green coriander chutney
Homemade Tamarind chutney
Store-bought Mango chutney
Apple butter
Store-bought Mint chutney
Ketchup

You can also enjoy warm pinwheel samosa as is, and they will taste delicious.

Recipe Variations

The pinwheel samosa recipe is very adaptable. You can also add onion to your potato-peas mixture if you prefer. You can make them using vegetable-tofu fillings, but that won’t taste anything like samosas.

You can also make pinwheel samosas using puff pastry instead of making dough. For example, you can use puff pastry if you are in a rush and want to quickly wrap up pinwheel samosas for a super bowl or game night.

Bring the puff pastry to room temperature, fill the pastry will potato-peas stuffing, roll them, and then cut them into pinwheels. You can air fry them at 370° for 7-8 minutes.

If you are on a gluten-free diet and want to enjoy the flavor of traditional Indian samosa, you can use rice paper and stuff them with a potatoes-peas mixture. The Air fryer rice paper samosa tastes great as well. You can also stuff rice paper and turn them into rice paper pinwheels.

FAQs

How to store air fryer pinwheel samosa?

You can store leftover pinwheel samosas in an airtight container and refrigerate them for 2-3 days. Then, when you are ready to serve again, you can reheat them in an air fryer at 350°F for 5 minutes.

Can you reheat the pinwheel samosa in an air fryer?

Yes, you can reheat leftover pinwheel samosas in an air fryer at350°F for 5 minutes. They will come out a little less crispy than fresh ones but still taste great.

Can you freeze a pinwheel samosa?

The pinwheel samosa recipe is great for meal prepping. They hold really well when frozen. You can make them well in advance and freeze them.

To freeze the pinwheel samosa, follow the recipe until you make the slices or pinwheel out of stuffed rolled dough.

Now arrange your uncooked pinwheels in a single layer in a baking tray and freeze them for 5-6 hours.

Once they are frozen, put pinwheels in a freezer-safe Ziplock bag. You can freeze pinwheel samosa for up 3 months.

When you are ready to serve your frozen pinwheel samosas, take them out of the freezer, and air fry them in a preheated air fryer at 370°F for 10-12 minutes.

Can I use whole wheat flour to make pinwheel samosas?

Yes, you can use whole wheat flour to make pinwheel samosas. Of course, they won’t be as crispy but still great to enjoy while warm.

Alternatively, you can make pinwheel samosa dough with a 50-50% ratio of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour.