Deep Indian Kitchen Samosas Review
Author’s Note: Not a paid review. I have no affiliation with Deep Indian Kitchen or Publix.
My brain cells forgot how to function.
My sister and I don’t agree on many things. In fact, she’s probably reading this and disagreeing about how much we disagree. But we both like Deep Indian Kitchen food. So that makes it empirically good. Of course.
I’ve eaten a number of Deep’s frozen meals, but this is my first time trying the samosas. They’re basically savory hand pies. I picked the Chickpea Masala flavor.
These made-in-India pastries come in a plastic-wrapped tray with two packets of mint chutney. The directions said to defrost the samosas in the microwave for 60 seconds BEFORE baking. Not sure what you’d do if you don’t have a microwave! Good luck, fren.
I baked my defrosted samosas on a parchment-lined pan at 350 for 12 minutes. And that was perfect. While waiting for the goodness to emerge, I thawed the chutney in a bowl.
Heat level and spices
One of the things I appreciate about Deep brand is that they don’t insult me with bland food. They don’t hold back on the spices. Or heat. These samosas are hot! And sssooo full of spicy flavor. The heat is enough to provoke a moderate burning sensation that lasts quite a while. Which was very much welcome.
While the package doesn’t disclose all the “spices” used, there’s a prominent cumin flavor. And less of the cinnamon-cardamom sweetness I associate with some Masala spice blends. But there’s lots of additional layers of complexity from lime, garlic, and chilies. And more. So much more. This is rich and satisfying flavor. It’s the kind of pungent sensory experience that makes my brain cells forget how to function.
Good riddance; they weren’t very useful brain cells, anyway.
(Do you love Indian food, but can’t handle the heat? Check out my review of Sukhi’s Chicken Tikka Masala, which is NOT spicy.)
Filling texture
I love the filling texture — it hasn’t been wantonly cooked into oblivion. Or turned into a homogenous sludge. The potato cubes are soft, but structured. The firm chickpeas are contrasted by the softness of the “pickle blend” (made from mangoes and chilis) and tender onion pieces. The green peas are perky and self-contained. The flavor has soaked into all the ingredients and “married.”
The chutney
While the samosas are flavorful enough to eat alone, the chutney really brings it together. The sauce has a pleasing blended consistency — with plenty of “fresh” herb texture — and gentle minty brightness. The flavor is enhanced with tamarind, chilies, and coriander leaves. I was pleased to see the natural sweetness from dates and “jaggery” (a type of unrefined sugar). It’s a much more natural and fresh-looking chutney than I expected. Deep was very generous with the quantity, too; I had almost twice as much chutney as I needed.
This sauce is surprisingly salty. There’s a light sweetness, but the saltiness is almost shocking. That’s weird coming from me, since I’m always whining about food not being salty enough. Who even am I???
The pastry
The pastry is crisp on the outside, but tender on the inside. And flakey. It makes little crickle-crackling sounds when I bite through the bubbled crust. It’s not an oily pastry, but it’s isn’t dry-tasting either. I appreciate that the shell is not thick enough to overwhelm the filling. But holds a sturdy shape. Just right.
Ingredients in Deep Chickpea Masala Samosas
Here is my best attempt at typing out the ingredients, from the label:
- Samosas: Wheat Flour, Water, Sunflower Oil, Onions, Chickpeas, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Palm Oil, Sesame Oil), Spices, Garlic, Green Chilies, Salt, Pickle Blend (Mangoes, Lime, Green Chilies, Red Chilies, Sunfloer Oil, Salt, Spices, Lime Juice, Mango Powder, Ajwain
- Chutney: Water, Sugar, Coriander Leaves, Dates, Mint Leaves, Tamarind, Salt, Green Chilies, Spices, Jaggery (Unrefined Cane Sugar)
More information from the label:
- Plant-Based
- Vegan
- Hand Made
- No Artificial Ingredients
- Medium Spice
- Non GMO Project Verified
- Product of India
Nutrition Facts
A serving is one samosa + 1 tablespoon of chutney, and contains 160 calories. You get 8 grams of fat (2.5 grams saturated fat), and 3 grams of protein. There are 18 grams carbohydrates, of which 2 grams are fiber, and 4 grams are sugar (3 grams “added sugar”). For tasting so salty, there is a demure 11% your daily value of sodium.
Honestly? I ate the entire box for dinner. And then I hibernated like a gorged bear. These are rib-sticking little morsels!
Price and Servings
The 12 ounce frozen box cost $5.99 at my local Publix. Since there are six servings per package, each samosa costs about $1. While that’s spendy (for me), the quality and authenticity makes it worthwhile.
Other versions of Deep samosas include:
- Chicken Tikka
- Potato and Pea
- Spinach Paneer
- Jalapeno Cheese
- Spicy Lentil
- Chili Paneer
Dramatic Conclusion
I already had a high opinion of Deep Indian food, but these samosas exceeded my expectations. For authentic flavors and quality textures, these are a win. Even my ornery sister would agree.
The End.
More Reviews You Might Like (or Hate)
Check out these other reviews I’ve written. You know you want to:
