30 different ways to fill a samosa
Gone are the days when the standard samosa would be stuffed with curried potato and minced lamb or chicken.
At House Of Samosas in MacPherson, there are 30 different fillings for the triangular snack – anything from butter chicken to apple crumble.
Yes, apple crumble.
It sells at $3.30 each and is one of the shop’s bestsellers as it offers an interesting twist – a hot outer coating with a sweet inner apple filling.
The stone fruit samosa made with baked plum, peach and nectarine costs $3.80 and has a nice fruity flavour.
The $3.70 nacho cheese and jalapeno samosa has a tangy taste and goes well with butter chicken and mint dips.
The butter chicken samosa at $3 is a standout, the burst of flavours simply too good to resist.
While House Of Samosas’ prices are slightly high compared to that of standard samosas in the market, which range from $1 to $2, the flavours do justice to the price.
The shop sells the dips separately – costing between $2.50 for the butter chicken and mint dips, and $4.20 for the black pepper dip.
Ms Najeera Roseni, the 30-year-old who runs this family business, told Tabla: “All these started back in 2015 as a home-based business.
“My mum is a great cook and she used to make various dishes such as pizzas, breads and samosas, which were well-enjoyed by my sister’s colleagues. So she thought, why not sell them? That was how House Of Samosas started.”
Her mother, 56-year-old Noorul Ayn Koonan Hajamaideen, experimented with various flavours and ingredients to provide customers with unique options. The experimental process has continued ever since.
While the pandemic was a testing time for most eateries, it was a turning point for House Of Samosas as the owners took their business online and watched the business more than doubled.
Ms Najeera said the whole family helps out with the business.
“My dad is here all the time, two of my older sisters come from time to time to help out, my mum does quality control, while my fiance, who was a customer, also helps whenever possible" she said.
“We get a lot of corporate, wedding and event orders on top of the walk-ins. We offer customised samosas, write messages on them with edible ink. We try our best to accommodate our customers’ requests.
“We once even made vegetarian butter 'chicken' samosas, which was not on the menu, for one of our customers.”
House Of Samosas has expansion plans for the next three years.
“We will continue to offer more unique flavours and seasonal ones like the chilli crab samosa, which we have in line with National Day,” said Ms Najeera.
“Since chilli crab is an iconic dish in Singapore, we believe it is apt for the occasion.”
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