To make the stuffing for the chana dal samosa, heat 1 tsp of cooking oil in a pan on a low to medium flame. When the oil is hot, put ¼ tsp of cumin seeds and ¼ tsp of fennel seeds in it. Let them crackle.

Now, add ¼ tsp of asafetida (hing) and 7 to 8 pieces of torn curry leaves to it. Mix everything nicely and let them cook for about half a minute.

Then, add 2 pieces of medium-sized onions, chopped finely to the fried spices. Sauté the onion nicely until all of its moisture is gone. This will take you about 2 to 3 minutes. Continue stirring so that color of the onions changes slightly.

At this stage, add 2 tbsp of dry coconut and 2 tsp or about 15 to 20 pieces of raisins to it. Follow it up with ½ tsp of ginger and chili paste along with 12 torn mint leaves. Mix everything very nicely.

When done, add all the powdered spices such as ¼ tsp of turmeric powder, 1 tsp of red chili powder, ½ tsp of coriander seed powder, ½ tsp of cumin seed powder, and ½ tsp of Punjabi garam masala powder to the ingredients in the frying pan. Mix them all very nicely and cook for about a minute or so.

Now, add ½ cup of boiled chana dal to it and mix nicely. Cook it for another couple of minutes so that even the little bit of moisture left in the chana dal is gone. (Pro tip: To boil the chana dal to perfection, soak them in water for 2 minutes, strain the water, and then boil them in a pressure cooker on a medium flame for just up to two whistles with a little bit of salt and turmeric powder. When done, strain the water and keep it in a bowl aside to dry properly).

At this stage, add ¼ tsp of dry mango powder (amchur) and 1 tsp of sugar to it. Mix them nicely with the ingredients. (Pro tip: If you add sugar to the samosa stuffing, it will help maintain a lovely balance in the taste. However, it is optional and can be skipped).

Now, add ¼ cup of fresh coriander to it along with the juice of half a lemon. Mix them nicely with the other ingredients.

Finally add salt to taste, give it a final mix and your chana dal samosa stuffing is ready to fill. Switch off the gas stove and remove the pan to let the stuffing cool down a bit at room temperature.

Now, take one Samosa Patti, fold one corner with the end slightly extending outward. Fold it again to make a cone.

Put a spoonful of stuffing in the cone. Press and fill the cone with as much stuffing as possible. Fold the remaining part of the Samosa Patti.

Now, apply some wheat paste on the end part, fold it to make a beautiful samosa. Repeat steps 10 and 11 to make all the samosas and keep them on a plate aside to fry.

Now, heat an adequate amount of cooking oil in a kadai on a high flame. When the oil is sufficiently hot, reduce the flame to medium to high and release the samosas in it very carefully. Flip and fry them nicely. (Pro tip: Release the samosas gently from one side of the kadai. This will prevent hot oil from splashing on you).

Flip and fry the samosas until they turn golden brown. Remove them in a bowl when done.

Your tasty and spicy homemade chana dal samosa is now ready to enjoy. Serve them hot with green chilies, tomato ketchup and a combination of tamarind and date chutney.