So you've made your samosas but are unsure what samosa dipping sauce recipe to serve with them? Well, you've come to the right place!
Samosa Dipping Sauce Recipe
Along with the samosas served in India, I was intrigued by the different dipping sauces that accompanied them. One of my favorites was a green chutney sauce that was light green in color, creamy, herby, and citrusy at the same time. I have adapted this sauce into a surprisingly simple recipe that you can make in just 5 minutes.
What is Samosa Sauce Made of?
- ½ cup yogurt - Yogurt makes this samosa dipping sauce recipe extra creamy. It also gives the sauce a refreshing tang and richness that balances any heat from your samosas. Use unsweetened yogurt; I love using full-fat greek yogurt in my recipes.
- 1 cup cilantro (coriander) - Did you know that coriander stems have more flavor than the leaves? Don't discard the stems; include their tender parts in this samosa dipping sauce recipe.
- 1 cup mint leaves - Mint is refreshing to our palate and adds freshness to this recipe. Unlike cilantro, don't use the whole mint plant; only use the leaves and discard the stems.
- 1 green chili, sliced - You can use any type of green chili in this samosa dipping sauce recipe. Although the recipe isn't overly spicy, adjust the amount of chili to your liking.
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice - Fresh lime is key in this samosa dipping sauce recipe. You can substitute it with fresh lemon if you don't have any limes.
- 1 garlic clove - You can smash or chop your garlic before blending it in the food processor to ensure it will mix well.
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
Instructions for How to Make this Easy Dipping Sauce for Samosas
It's probably an overstatement to call this samosa dipping sauce recipe a recipe. It is just a matter of putting your ingredients together! That's it! Especially if you have a food processor.
- PREP: measure all your ingredients and ensure you have them all ready.
- PULSE: place all the ingredients, except for the yogurt, in a food processor and blend until smooth. You can leave this mixture a little chunky if you prefer.
- ADD YOGURT: stir the blended herb mixture into the yogurt by hand. We want to make your samosa dipping sauce recipe into a smooth consistency. Tip: don't add the yogurt to the food processor, as it will make the sauce too thin and runny.
- TASTE & ADJUST: this samosa dipping sauce recipe should be creamy, a little tangy, and refreshingly herby. Before serving, make sure you adjust and tweak your sauce until it's to your preference. Maybe add more salt or a squeeze of some more lime.
- SERVE: with your piping hot samosas.
Recipe Tips for this Cilantro Mint Sauce Indian
No food processor? No problem! You can still make this samosa dipping sauce cilantro recipe if you don't have a food processor. You can chop up everything (except yogurt and lime) with a knife or mash everything together using a mortar and pestle. After that, transfer to a bowl and add the yogurt and lime.
Too thick? If your samosa dipping sauce recipe is too thick, don't panic. Add a little water, or if you don't mind a little more tartness, add lime or lemon juice.
Separated? After a while, your samosa dipping sauce recipe might separate slightly. Just mix it up a little bit to reconstitute.
Samosa Dipping Sauce Recipe Add-Ins
Because this green chutney sauce is so simple, you can add your own twist and make it into any sauce you want. Here are some ideas to get you started on 'how to make sauce for samosas':
- Warm spices like cumin or garam masala - adding spices will give your samosa dipping sauce recipe a distinctive aroma that blends well with any Indian food. You don't want it to be overpowering, though. The freshness of the herbs will still be the main star. Add 1 to 1` teaspoons of ground cumin or garam masala to this recipe.
- Fresh ginger - if you don't want to make a spicy samosa dipping sauce recipe, adding ginger could be a great option to add a comforting heat. To make, replace the chili with one tablespoon of freshly grated ginger.
- Fried/roasted dal (split lentils) - if you are familiar with Indian cooking, you surely know how much dal or split lentils are used. Well, dal is also traditionally added to an Indian green sauce for samosas like this recipe to add substance and thickness.
- Roasted pistachios or peanuts - peanut is a common ingredient added to Indian chutneys or dipping sauces. It will add thickness to your samosa dipping sauce recipe and a pleasant nutty flavor. If you're not a fan of peanuts, adding other types of nuts, such as pistachios, is a great option that will also bring that bright green color to another level! To make, add about ¼ cup to my recipe.
- Freshly grated coconuts - A coconut-based dipping sauce is commonly served to accompany idli or dosa. With a slight sweetness, the grated coconut added to this samosa dipping sauce recipe will also give it a great texture. Add about ½ cup of freshly grated coconut to this recipe.
Dipping Sauce Recipe Substitutes
- Substituting lime juice - If you don't have lime or don't want your samosa dipping sauce recipe to be too sour, you can replace lime with tamarind juice. Tamarind is only mildly sour and sometimes even a bit sweet. You can use either fresh or dried tamarind, diluted with a bit of water, or tamarind paste.
- Substituting garlic - Fresh garlic can be replaced with dried garlic, chopped onion, or left out altogether. I don't recommend using store-bought pre-minced garlic, which I think doesn't taste all that great.
- How to make dairy-free or vegan - If you want to keep this recipe vegan or dairy-free, yogurt can be substituted with coconut cream, vegan yogurt, or even left out altogether.
- Using other fresh herbs - I would not substitute cilantro because it is an essential flavor in this samosa dipping sauce recipe. Still, you could replace mint with other herbs like parsley, tarragon, or even Thai basil in a pinch. Experiment away!
What is Samosa Served With? - Other Indian Dipping Sauce Recipes
There are probably as many samosa dipping sauce recipe variations as Indian households! Here are some of the other most popular sauce variations for the commonly asked question: What sauce is good with samosa?
- Coconut chutney - is made simply by combining fresh coconut with ginger, chilies, and salt. Coconut-based Indian dipping sauces are commonly enjoyed with dosa or idli.
- Simple yogurt dipping sauce - this is the easiest samosa dipping sauce recipe if you don't want to dirty up any equipment: mix yogurt with 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, chopped chili or chili powder, a pinch of salt, and a little bit of garam masala.
- Tamarind date chutney - is another popular dipping sauce for samosas. This dip for samosas is sweet and tangy instead of sour and herby. It is made out of tamarind pulp, date, and spices. It is excellent to accompany deep-fried snacks like samosas.
- Mint chutney dip - if you're a fan of mint, this is a popular chutney recipe for samosas that you can try. To make it, omit or reduce the amount of cilantro in this recipe to your liking and substitute it with mint leaves. Mint sauce for samosas like this also pairs perfectly with lamb.
Other Uses for this Samosa Dipping Sauce
This samosa dip recipe is very versatile, and there's no limit to its uses. You just need to use your creativity:
- Dipping sauce for deep-fried food - for its refreshing creamy, herby and tangy combo, I think this sauce goes great with any deep-fried food. Serve it with the main course, like deep-fried shrimp, fish and chips, chicken tenders, or with sides or snacks like french fries.
- Sauce for grilled meat or vegetables - serve this samosa dipping sauce recipe to brighten up your roasted and grilled meat or grilled vegetables. You can even transform it into greek-inspired tzatziki by adding grated cucumber.
- Dipping sauce for other Indian food - like, pakoras (deep-fried vegetable fritters with chickpea flour) and chicken tandoor.
- Spread for sandwiches or wraps - this is why I always keep a batch of the samosa chutney recipe in the fridge; it will elevate your sandwiches or wraps to the next level! Especially if you use rich protein in your sandwich, like fried falafel or grilled meat.
- Salad dressing - toss this sauce with your favorite salad mix, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan for a restaurant-quality salad made in a pinch.
- Side dish for curries - this sauce makes a lovely, flavorful side to a curry. It will enhance the spices of the curry while adding a fresh tangy contrast.
- Garnish - add a dollop of this yogurt sauce to a warm bowl of green lentil dahl. It will add a creamy fresh contrast to the coriander, turmeric, cumin, and fenugreek-flavored lentils.
How to Store Samosa Dipping Sauce Recipe
FRIDGE - The samosa dipping sauce recipe will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Beyond this, the bright green color will start to darken though the flavor will keep.
FREEZER - For more extended storage, you can transfer the sauce into an airtight container and freeze it for up to 3 months. For a more straightforward thawing process, divide it into smaller containers.
Samosa Dipping Sauce Recipe FAQs
What is a Samosa?
A samosa is one of the many types of Indian chaat; a savory snack often served from street-side stalls and food carts.
What is Typically in a Samosa?
Samosas are crispy and flaky pastries with a savory filling, such as spiced potatoes and onions, peas, spices, and herbs. Vegan samosa may be deep-fried or baked.
You can also find a spicy samosa recipe that is meat-filled called keema. Keema samosa filling is made from lamb or mutton, onions, herbs, and spices.
Is Samosas a Meal or Snack?
Samosas are a very popular snack eaten all over India. Depending on what region of India they are from, they will differ in size and shape. In the north, a vegetable samosa recipe will be larger, and in the south, it will be smaller. Their shape may be a half-moon shape, triangle, or even cone-shaped.
What Spices are in Samosas?
- Spices in the samosa dough - The dough is flavored with carom seeds (also known as ajwain seeds). The seeds look similar to fennel and cumin seeds, but the taste has hints of licorice-like anise and the bitterness of oregano. Carom seeds have a strong dominant flavor, so you only need a little bit - remember that a little bit goes a long way! If you use too much, it can overwhelm the other ingredients that are inside the samosa.
- Spices in the samosa filling - the main spices to flavor the potato-based filling are: cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, coriander seeds, garam masala, turmeric powder, amchur (mango powder), and asafoetida (also known as hing) and backed-up with the fresh aromatics of fresh ginger, green chili, fresh coriander.
What Dipping Sauce Goes With Samosas?
There are countless dipping sauce recipes available to eat with the best samosas. In addition to mint cilantro chutney such as this recipe, popular Indian samosa sauces or chutneys include tamarind chutney, mint chutney, tomato chutney, mango chutney (unripe mangoes), and chili garlic chutney.
How to Make Samosas Dipping Sauce as a Vegan or Dairy-Free Sauce Recipe
As I mentioned earlier in the article, if you want to make this recipe as a dairy-free or vegan mint chutney, yogurt can be substituted with vegan yogurt, coconut cream, or left out altogether.
What are the Sauces you get at an Indian Restaurant?
- What are the Indian sauces? Indian sauces are generally types of raitas, chutneys, and pickles.
- What are the sauces you get with Indian food? These include sauces and chutneys for samosas that offer a mixture of savory, sweet/sour, and spicy flavors. These may include cilantro and mint sauce like this recipe, tamarind chutney, or a garlic chili sauce.
- In particular, what are the dipping sauces at Indian restaurants? Often the dipping sauces at Indian restaurants are tamarind sauce and green chutney for samosa.
- What to dip samosa in? Most restaurants will have their signature samosa dips for you to try. Dip your samosa into one of the many sauces available and enjoy experimenting with all the different flavors!
- What is the most popular Indian sauce? Samosa green sauce/green chutney is one of the most popular Indian sauces to eat with various Indian chaat, including samosas.
- What is the Indian red dipping sauce? There are several Indian red sauces, including ones that are sweet and others that are spicy. My favorite red chutney for samosa is a chili garlic sauce made with dried Kashmiri chilis soaked in hot water before blending.
- What is the green sauce in Indian food? The green Indian dipping sauce is usually cilantro and mint chutney. This green Indian sauce is often flavored with green chili, garlic, and lime. It should be cool, spicy, tangy, and refreshing all at once!
Samosa Dipping Sauce Recipe - In Conclusion
Creamy, tangy, herby, and refreshing, this samosa dipping sauce recipe is a great make-ahead sauce you can serve with just about anything! Enjoy!
Samosa Dipping Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Food Processor
Ingredients
- ½ cup yogurt
- 1 cup mint leaves loosely packed
- 1 cup cilantro (coriander) loosely packed
- 1 green chilli
- 2 tablespoon fresh lime jiuce
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Place yogurt in a bowl and set aside.
- Put all the other ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Add the herb-mixture into the bowl of yogurt and mix together by hand. Do not use the food processor to blend the yogurt with the herb-mix.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning of salt and lime if necessary. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Food processor vs. by hand – if you don’t have a food processor use a mortar and pestle to mash the herbs and accompaniments together or chop up everything very finely with a knife.
- Omit yogurt – this will make a delicious green chili chutney that is a delicious side dish.
- Cilantro (coriander) – the stems have lots of flavor as well as the leaves.
- Lime – substitute the lime with lemon or with fresh or dried tamarind.
- Too thick – add a little bit of water.
- Separated – stir the sauce again to reconstitute.
- Dairy-free/vegan – omit the yogurt or replace it with coconut cream or vegan yogurt.
Alyne
Good recipe but I added 2 chilies as I like spicy food!
Millychino
Hi Alyne. Good idea adding the chilies for some extra heat! Thanks for commenting. Milly Chino
Alice
So delicious! I made the sauce to go with some store bought samosas for our new year party!
Millychino
Hi Alice. Glad you like the sauce recipe! Thank you for leaving a comment. Milly Chino