CHENNAI: Crisp in texture, golden-brown in colour and triangular in shape — you might think of the samosa as nothing but humble street food. But, there’s more to the deep-fried snack. A testimony to this is The Samosa Factory, one of the pioneers in introducing the city to the delectable mini samosas. During a recent visit to their in-house unit at Anna Nagar to understand the fascinating and intricate making process of this snack, we took a quick bite and sunk our teeth into the soft centre of their samosa, and what followed was an explosion of flavours.
Orange signage boards reading ‘The Samosa Factory’, dot the streets of Anna Nagar, Vepery, and Kilpauk — a reflection of how the brand has stood the test of time and garnered fame among patrons for its tiny snack.“In 2007, on his way to work, my father Arun Shah happened to notice a shopkeeper making samosas on the roadside.
The unhygienic surrounding in which it was prepared turned him off. He brought the man home, gave him orders for our home parties, and eventually decided to turn it into a business based on feedback from relatives. The Samosa Factory was launched in 2007 in Shanti Colony, Anna Nagar. It’s been a wonderful journey of 12 years with eight kiosks in different parts of the city,” said Arjun Shah, the second-generation owner.
The making
Their factory unit at Anna Nagar is where the samosas are prepared and delivered to the counters in different outlets. There are 10 workers involved in different stages of production. Firstly, the dough (maida) is kneaded. It’s rolled out into flat, thin rotis and slightly charred on a tawa. Then, they are cut into different shapes based on the requirement.
The strips have to be ‘elastic’ to ease the folding process. Meanwhile, the marination for the stuffing is prepared. The onions are sliced, mixed with other vegetables like carrot and cabbage, and placed in separate trays based on the flavours. A group of women meticulously fold the dough strips, stuff it with spices, and take them for frying. The folded pockets are sautéed in boiling oil until it turns golden-brown. The final product is packed in cartons.
Evolving business
The desi mini samosas have a certain size. The Mexican and Chinese-flavoured samosas are bigger. Jain samosas are made without onion and garlic. “We’ve expanded our service to school and hospital canteens, and offices. After delivery services, the footfall has come down and the online orders have picked up. We’re adapting to the evolving style of business. However, hygienic, fresh and pocket-friendly snacking is our motto,” he shared.
Served hot
On an average, 8,000 to 10,000 samosas get sold in a day. The semi-fried samosas are distributed to the kiosks. The representative at the shop fries and serves them hot to the customer, on demand. The Samosa Factory has an extensive menu with options such as sandwiches, spring rolls, cutlets and kebabs.
The ‘chaat’ legacy
The business of food is not new to the entrepreneur. We’re told that his grandfather JB Shah was the first to bring in the concept of chaat to the city in 1969. He owned a shop called Milan. The pav bhaji concept was also introduced to the patrons for the first time. However, with time and commitments, the shop shut its front door. “Patrons who drop by the kiosks remember my grandfather. We’re taking it slow with limited options. We will eventually move into south Chennai when we have the necessary bandwidth. Mass production is something we’re working on.
We also have a dark kitchen — mainly for delivery services to pick up orders. The production fluctuates on different days. Festivals like Ramzan keeps us busy. Vacation time is relatively dull and once schools reopen, the speed picks up. We’re planning to expand our services to co-working spaces in the future,” said Arjun. The shop is located at 177, AH block, Third Street, Auroville Colony, Shanti Colony, Anna Nagar. For details, call: 9962260985