Air Fryer Chana Dal Samosa is a delightful snack inspired by classic Indian street food, featuring a flavorful blend of cooked dal, fresh herbs, onions, green chilies, and warm spices like garam masala and amchur. Traditionally deep-fried, this chana dal samosa recipe gets a healthier twist using the air fryer, giving you crispy pastry shells with far less oil.
With sour chana dal stuffing wrapped inside samosa patti or egg roll wrappers, these mini samosas are perfect for parties, kids' snacks, and everyday Indian snack recipes. Whether you want a quick treat, a lentil samosa recipe, or a touch of tradition cooked with modern convenience, these samosas bring rich, comforting Indian cuisine flavors to your kitchen.

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How to make chana dal samosa in air fryer? ( recipe video)
Ingredients
• Chana dal
• Onion
• Ginger paste
• Oil
• Cumin seeds
• Turmeric
• Red chilli powder
• Garam masala
• Amchur
• Salt
• Green chilies
• Coriander leaves
• Samosa patti or pastry sheets
• Oil spray / brushing oil
Refer to recipe card for details.
Step by step instructions
- Heat oil and add cumin seeds. Let them sizzle. Add chopped onions, ginger paste and green chilies, sauté until onions soften.

2. Add soaked chana dal and spices. Stir and cook, pour water. Cover and simmer until dal becomes soft but not mushy.

3. Place cooked dal filling on patti sheet, brush edges with water, fold into triangles or square parcels, seal firmly.

4. Preheat air fryer, arrange samosas in a single layer, air fry until golden and crispy on both sides.

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Air Fryer Chana Dal Samosa recipe
Equipment
- Air fryer
- oil spray /brush
Ingredients
- ½ cup chana dal soaked 2 hours
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1-2 green chilies chopped
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon amchur
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped coriander
- 10 long patti samosa sheets cut lengthwise to make 20 mini sheets
- 1-2 tbsp oil for brushing
Instructions
- Heat oil and add cumin seeds, sauté until fragrant, stir in onions, ginger and chilies, cook until soft.
- Add soaked chana dal, turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala, amchur and salt, mix well.
- Add water, cover and cook until dal softens but doesn't turn mushy. Cool completely.
- Prepare patti strips, brush edges with water, add filling and fold into triangles or squares.
- Preheat air fryer to 185°C/365°F for 5 minutes.
- Brush samosas with oil and arrange in a single layer.
- Air fry 14-15 minutes, flipping once and brushing oil for even browning.
- Serve hot with coriander-mint chutney or tamarind chutney.
Video
Variations
• Add extra amchur for sour Gujarati-style stuffing.
• Use filo pastry for extremely crisp shells.
• Add fennel seeds for Rajasthani flavor.
• Make square parcels for easier folding.
• Use yellow split peas as a substitute for chana dal.
Substitutions
• Replace samosa patti with egg roll wrappers.
• Use mustard oil for stronger Indian flavors.
• Swap green chilies for jalapeños.
• Use a pressure cooker to cook dal faster.
• Replace amchur with lemon juice when needed.
FAQ
Cook uncovered at the end to reduce moisture; dal should remain slightly firm.
Yes, but reduce cooking time since they soften quickly.
Yes, freeze shaped samosas and air fry them directly from frozen.
Coriander-mint chutney or sweet tamarind chutney.
Conclusion: These Air Fryer Chana Dal Samosas bring together deliciously crunchy texture and classic Indian street food flavors while using minimal oil. Perfect for entertaining, quick snacking, tiffin boxes or pairing with homemade green chutney.






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