Calories in Samosa

The 200 kcal is a guideline value, not a laboratory measurement of a particular samosa. ICMR-NIN lists it as the approximate energy of 1 samosa without giving a weight, and samosas differ more than almost any other snack: the fist-sized one from a sweet shop, the medium one made at home and the bite-sized party samosa share a name and little else. Treat the figure as a rough marker. If yours is clearly large, heavy and thick-crusted, assume more; half of a samosa at the guideline rate is about 100 kcal.

A samosa has three sources of energy. The first is the crust, made from maida with ghee or oil rubbed into it so that it turns crisp and flaky. The second is the filling of potato and green peas, which is mostly starch and is the least energy-dense part. The third is the frying oil that the crust takes up in the kadhai. Fat is the most concentrated source of calories in any food, so the fat in the dough and the oil absorbed in frying, not the potato, account for much of what a samosa contains.

For a sedentary adult, one samosa is about 9% of a man's daily energy requirement and 12% of a woman's, which is a lot for something eaten between meals with tea. Two take that to about 400 kcal, close to a light meal but with little protein or fibre to show for it. Among the 10 fried snacks in this set the samosa sits at the top, just above a matar kachori at 190 kcal. Having one, and letting it stand in for part of the next meal instead of adding to it, keeps the day in balance.

Because the figure is approximate, it is better used for comparison than for precise counting. Shop samosas are often fried in oil that has been heated many times, and the crust is refined flour, so they are best kept as an occasional snack. People with diabetes, high blood pressure or a heart condition should not look for a samosa rule on a web page; the snack allowance their doctor or dietitian has set is the one to follow.