Asamosa (/səˈmoʊsə/) (listenⓘ) is a friedIndian[3]pastry with a savoury filling that mostly consists ofvegetables like spicedpotatoes,onions, andpeas, but can include cheese such aspaneer,meat or evenfish. Its name originates from theMiddle Persian wordsambosag (سنبوسگ) (meaning 'triangular pastry'). It is made in different shapes, including triangular, cone, or crescent, depending on the region.[4][5][6] Samosas are often accompanied bychutney, and have origins inmedieval times or earlier.[4] Sweet versions containing traditional Indian flavours or even chocolate are also made. Samosas are popularsnacks inIndia and within theIndian diaspora across the world.
Names of samosas in different countries. Many of the names derive from Persian.[7]
The English wordsamosa derives from theHindustani wordsamosa (Hindi:समोसा),[8] traceable to the Middle Persian wordsambōsag (سنبوسگ)[9] 'triangular pastry'.[10] Similar pastries are calledsambusak inArabic fromPersian; medieval Arabic recipe books sometimes spell itsambusaj. All these word-forms are borrowed from the Persian.[7]
The Indian samosa is believed to be derived from a medieval precursor fromthe Middle East[2][11] that wasbaked and notdeep fried. The earliest mention of a samosa precursor was byAbbasid-era poetIshaq al-Mawsili, praising thesanbusaj. Recipes are found in 10th–13th-century Arab cookery books, under the namessanbusak,sanbusaq, andsanbusaj, all deriving from the Persian wordsanbosag. InIran, the dish was popular until the 16th century, but by the 20th century its popularity was restricted to certain provinces (such as thesambusas of Larestan).[4]Abolfazl Beyhaqi (995–1077), anIranian historian, mentioned it in his history,Tarikh-e Beyhaghi.[12]
The Central Asiansamsa was introduced to the Indian subcontinent in the 13th or 14th century by chefs from the Middle East and Central Asia who cooked in the royal kitchens for the rulers of theDelhi Sultanate.[13]Amir Khusro (1253–1325), a scholar and the royal poet of the Delhi Sultanate, wrote around 1300 CE that the princes and nobles enjoyed the "samosa prepared from meat,ghee, onion, and so on".[14]Ibn Battuta, a 14th-century traveller and explorer, describes a meal at the court ofMuhammad bin Tughluq, where thesamushak orsambusak, a small pie stuffed with minced meat, almonds, pistachios, walnuts and spices, was served before the third course ofpulao.[15]Nimatnama-i-Nasiruddin-Shahi, amedieval Indian cookbook started forGhiyath Shah, the ruler of theMalwa Sultanate in central India, mentions the art of making samosa.[16] TheAin-i-Akbari, a 16th-centuryMughal document, mentions the recipe forqottab, which it says, "the people ofHindustan callsanbúsah".[17]
The samosa gained its popularity for its savoury flavour and convenience. The pocket-sized food item was a readily availablesnack for workers and travellers across India and Central Asia.[18]
In India, samosas are prepared with anall-purpose flour (locally known asmaida) and stuffed with a filling, often a mixture of diced and cooked or mashed boiled potatoes, onions, green peas, lentils, ginger, spices and green chillies.[19][20] A samosa can be either vegetarian or non-vegetarian, depending on the filling. The entire pastry is deep-fried in vegetable oil to a golden-brown colour. It is served hot, often as achaat street food, with freshchutneys.[21] In the Indian states ofAssam,Odisha,West Bengal,Bihar andJharkhand,singaras (সিঙ্গারা) orshingras (চিংৰা)[22] (the East Indian version of samosas) are popular snacks found almost everywhere. They are a bit smaller than in other parts of India, with a filling of cooked diced potato, peanuts, and sometimes raisins.[19] InHyderabad, a smaller version with a thicker pastry crust and minced meat filling, calledlukhmi, is eaten.[19]
Both flat (triangular) and full-shaped (tetrahedron/triangular pyramid) samosas are popular in Bangladesh. ABengali version of the full-shaped samosa is called aসিঙাড়া (shingara) and is normally smaller than the standard variety. Theshingara is usually filled with pieces of potatoes, vegetables, and nuts.[22] Samosas are calledsingadas in the eastern part ofNepal, from their shape which is like awater caltrop (shingara in Eastern India); the rest of the country calls it samosa.[23]
A distinct variety of samosa, available in Karachi, is calledkaghazi samosa[24] (Urdu:کاغذی سموسہ; "paper samosa" in English) due to its thin and crispy covering, which resembles awonton orspring roll wrapper. Fillings include beef, chicken, and lamb, or they can be made as a sweet.[25]
The types and varieties of samosa made inMaldivian cuisine are known asbajiyaa. They are filled with a mixture including fish liketuna and onions.[26]
Samosas before being fried, at a sweet shop inKolkata
Samosa with tomato ketchup at coffee houses in Kerala
Thesamsa is a savoury pastry in Central Asian cuisines such as thatof Uzbekistan. It consists of a pastry stuffed with meat and sometimes vegetables and baked in atandoor oven, rather than being fried.[27]
InTajik cuisine,sambusa-i varaki are triangular pastries, filled with minced beef or mutton mixed withtail fat, flavoured with onions and spices, and baked in a tandoor oven.[28]
All acrossEast Africa, samosas, known by several variants of the name, are popular. InSomalia,sambuus filled with vegetables, meat, or seafood are eaten on special occasions.[30] Samosas, locally called samoussas, are a popular snack onRéunion. They are filled with chicken, cheese, crabs or potatoes.[31]
South Africansamoosas[32][33] tend to be smaller than Indian ones.[34] Samosa dough is also used for a flatbread calledfarmaas puri, which consists of rolled-up sheets of dough stacked with minced meat, which are cut into thin circles and deep fried. Originating in South Africa,farmaas puri spread toGujarati communities in India and Pakistan, where it is popular during Ramadan.[35]
In West African countries such asGhana andNigeria, samosas are a commonstreet food. In Nigeria, they are usually served in parties along with chicken or beef, puff puff, spring rolls and plantains and are among thefinger foods called "small chops".[36]
Sambuseh (Persian:سمبوسه) originated in Iran but is now rare there. The sweet fried pastryqottab is derived from it. Modern Iranian Sambuseh is made either with asausage andpizza cheese based filling, or with vegetables.[42]
Sambusak (Hebrew: סמבוסק) comes in several distinct forms, as sambusak has been influenced differently by Sephardic and Mizrahi cuisine. Sephardi sambusak is generally thicker, baked, and stuffed with either cheese or beef and coated with sesame or nigella seeds. Mizrahi sambusak is generally thinner, larger, fried, and stuffed with curry-spiced chickpea and onion, and is usually not coated with seeds.[43][44]
InGoa (India),Portugal, andAngola, samosas are known aschamuças. They are filled with chicken, beef, pork, lamb or vegetables, and generally served quite hot. Samosas are an integral part ofGoan Catholic andPortuguese cuisine, where they are a common snack.[45]
Samosas are popular in theUnited Kingdom and the English-speaking Commonwealth includingCanada,[46][47] and in theUnited States. They may be calledsamboosa orsambusac, but in South Africa, they are often calledsamoosa.[48] Frozen samosas are increasingly available.[49] Variations can be made usingfilo,[50] or flourtortillas.[51]
^Recipes for DishesArchived 27 July 2011 at theWayback MachineAin-i-Akbari, byAbu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak. English tr. byHeinrich Blochmann and Colonel Henry Sullivan Jarrett, 1873–1907.Asiatic Society of Bengal,Calcutta, Volume I, Chapter 24, page 59. "10. Quṭáb, which the people of Hindústán call sanbúsah. This is made several ways. 10 s. meat; 4 s. flour; 2 s. g'hí; 1 s. onions; ¼ s. fresh ginger; ½ s. salt; 2 d. pepper and coriander seed; cardamum, cumin seed, cloves, 1 d. of each; ¼ s. of summáq. This can be cooked in 20 different ways, and gives four full dishes".
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