With these frozen samosas, treat yourself to UP-style flavours at home

We found ready-to-fry samosas that taste as good as Lucknow’s famous tikone

If you have ever had tikone in Lucknow, you know what a samosa should truly be. Smaller than the common samosa, the shell must always be khasta (loosely translated as crisp yet flaky), and the filling must be mildly spiced to highlight both, the inside and outside. And it should be hot—straight off the wok. It’s been a long time since our last tikone, savoured on the banks of Gomti river, watching the sun go down. You just don’t get them elsewhere.

Then one evening, when friends dropped by impromptu, we called in some ready-to-fry snacks from the neighbourhood store. Among the plethora of non-veg snacks was Goeld’s Punjabi Samosa, which raised our expectations to the bare minimum, considering that it cost just Rs 180 for 15 pieces. 

We even got a discount through a grocery app, so this was a steal. Aware the oil used to deep-fry a snack in is the hero variable, we chose our trusted, good ol’ cold pressed groundnut oil. Our packet did not need to be thawed—the samosa slipped straight into the kadhai and fried on a medium flame for 4-5 minutes until crisp and golden. You could even air fry them for a healthier version, but these deep-fried ones took us back instantly to Lucknow-ke-tikone, in size and taste.

The crunchy exterior speckled with carom seeds beautifully complemented the soft, mildly flavoured potatoes inside. The flavours lingered for a while, and the pack came with three chutneys—imli, pudina and garlic. Perfect options for our guests who have discerning taste in accompaniments. When we later researched the brand, we learnt that the Chattisgarh-based company grows most of its ingredients (including the potatoes used in the filling) in company-owned farms, and claimed that the product is assembled in 100 per cent vegetarian kitchens.

The frozen samosas come in a sturdy pull-out box that can hold the unused batch in the freezer. This is a plus because samosas do tend to get damaged if not handled well. As for now, we know we’d be saving on flight tickets to Lucknow for these piping hot tikone from our own kitchen!

Goeld Punjabi Samosa
Price: Rs 180
Available on all grocery delivery apps
Sunday mid-day reviewed this product anonymously and paid for it.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!