Step 1 of 6

Make a short, stiff dough

Rub the oil into the flour with the carom seeds and half the salt until the mixture holds together when you squeeze a fistful, then add cold water a spoonful at a time to make a firm, stiff dough. Cover and rest it.

— Stiff, not soft. Rubbing the fat in first is what makes the pastry short and flaky; a soft, stretchy dough gives you a chewy samosa with blisters.