Samosa Dipping Sauces

Samosa dipping sauces are known as chutneys. They are vegetarian and all are also vegan.

Most take only a few minutes to make!

The sauce eaten with samosas is called chutney. Samosa sauces are chutneys that are served alongside samosa at room temperature and used as a complementary “dipping sauce” for added depth of flavor.

The two most common chutneys served with samosa in Indian restaurants are a green cilantro chutney and a brown tamarind based chutney. Note, there are many variations of both of these!

Quick links:

• What sauce do you eat with samosas?
• Top three sauces
• Recipes of samosa sauce
• Storing samosa sauce
• Recipe card

Sauces To Serve With Samosa

There are many types of chutneys and they are essentially a blend of main ingredients, such as cilantro and mint, mixed with spices and then mixed with water to make it a perfect consistency. They are often, but not always, no cook chutneys.

Samosas are a popular appetizer or snack but they are incomplete without chutneys! In this post, I give you recipes of traditional samosa dipping sauces as well as some new ideas.

Top three popular sauces at Indian restaurants

The three sauces at Indian restaurants most commonly served are a green sauce, brown sauce and a red sauce.  In order these are, mint cilantro chutney, tamarind chutney and garlic chutney. They cover the notes of a savory chutney, a sweet/sour chutney and a spicy chutney.  Samosa dipping sauces:

• Green sauce: Mint cilantro chutney or Cilantro chutney or hari chutney
• Brown sauce: Tamarind chutney or imli ki chutney (sweet chutney with notes of sour)
• Red sauce: Garlic chutney or lasan ki chutney

This trio of chutneys are a staple in all Indian households and taste great on a variety of Indian dishes from chaats, sandwiches to samosas. All of these chutney recipes are linked below.

There are many types of samosas. While samosas are usually deep fried, I love making baked samosas like Samosa Pie and even samosa quesadillas with flour tortillas. Using puff pastry you can easily make samosas in the shape of samosa pinwheels, a party ready pull apart samosa wreath or even filled with jalapeno cheddar potato filling!

How to make samosa dipping sauce / Samosa chutney

Chutneys are made with a main flavor ingredient  just a few Indian spices that give authentic flavor. Explore traditional chutneys and a few fusion ones to delight your guests!

Samosa Chutney Recipes / Samosa Sauce Recipes

1. Mint Cilantro Chutney

The “samosa green sauce” that comes with samosas and Indian food is green chutney which is a cilantro and mint based accompaniment to many popular Indian dishes. Fresh mint, cilantro, green chillies, a squeeze of lemon and a few common spices blended together make this green chutney.

Roasted gram dal, peanuts or coconut can be used as a thickening agent.  You can skip those if you prefer a thinner consistency for mint chutney.

There are many variations of green chutney. The recipe in the recipe card at the end of this post does not use a thickening agent such as peanuts, coconut, etc.

2. Cilantro Chutney / Coriander Chutney

An alternative green chutney which is also very popular and used interchangeably with Mint Cilantro chutney can be used for samosas. 

3. Tamarind Chutney / Tamarind sauce

The dark sauce commonly served with samosas is a tamarind chutney. It is very sour on its own and is balanced out with either dates, raisins, sugar or a combination of these.

Either dried tamarinds or a tamarind paste/ tamarind concentrate can be used. This is easily found in an Indian grocery store or even online.

I have two versions of this: 1. Tamarind sauce (the style served at restaurants with samosa) 2. Tamarind date chutney which uses dates for sweetness, which is below:

Is tamarind chutney the same as tamarind paste?

Tamarind chutney is not the same as tamarind paste.  However, tamarind paste is an ingredient for tamarind chutney. The chutney is made from either dried tamarinds or tamarind paste/concentrate and mixed with spices.

4. Apple Butter Chutney

This is an absolute favorite of mine.  Apple butter chutney is very easy, no cooking required, just mixing! It has notes of sweet and spicy and tastes great with samosas.  My mom made this often for us growing up.

5. Date Chutney

This is a sweet and mildly spiced date chutney that is easily accessible to many.  Only six ingredients are needed!

6. Garlic Chutney – “samosa red sauce”

This red chutney is a spicy chutney.  It is intense in flavor.  Normally a very small amount is used in chaats (like Samosa Chaat or Tater Tot Chaat) in conjunction with other chutneys. A little goes a long way!

7. Cranberry Chutney

Using either dried or fresh cranberries, you can whip up an easy delicious chutney.  I use it place of tamarind chutney to pair with samosas and it is always a hit.  Fun to use around the holidays, especially for a puff pastry samosa wreath.

8. Pineapple Chutney

If you love savory and sweet flavor combination, this is a fun, different chutney to try.  It is nice way to serve samosas during the summer with a tropical chutney. Fennel seeds and cumin seeds provide a distinct depth of flavor.

9. Mint Yogurt Chutney – Indian Mint Sauce

Mint yogurt chutney or Indian mint sauce is an easy recipe that goes well with not only samosas but also Indian appetizers and Indian snacks. Use it with baked samosas, Tandoori Paneer Tacos, Paneer Tikka, as salad dressing, and more, you’ll find this to be a perfect accompaniment.

10. Tandoori spice queso

While this is not a traditional chutney served with samosas, it is an Indian fusion flavored queso that would taste great with cocktail samosas! I had to add it into this list!

11. Apple Chutney

This is similar to apple butter chutney (above) but uses fresh apples. Fresh apples gives it a different flavor. The sweet/spicy flavor pairs wonderfully with savory samosas. It is also a great way to use up apples before they go bad!

12. Jalapeno Chutney

Jalapeno chutney is a spicy and tangy condiment that perfectly complements samosas. Made from fresh jalapenos, this vibrant green chutney adds a zesty twist to the popular Indian snack.

Its fiery flavor enhances the savory taste of samosas, creating a delicious balance of heat and spice. Enjoy the crispy samosas with a side of jalapeno chutney for a delightful and flavorful experience.

13. Avocado Chutney

Indulge in the creamy and flavorful goodness of avocado chutney, as showcased in this recipe. Made with ripe avocados, this green chutney is a delightful twist on traditional Indian condiments.

The smooth texture and rich taste of avocados blend perfectly with aromatic herbs and spices, creating a unique and satisfying accompaniment.

Storing chutneys or samosa dipping sauces

• Fridge: Store extra chutney in either a ziplock bag or an air tight container.

• Freezer: Make extra and freeze it! You can freeze in freezer safe container or bar.  Another option is to freeze the chutney in ice trays to freeze as small cubes. Then you will have smaller serving sizes ready to go when you get a samosa craving!

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