Samosa is a South Asian baked or fried dough [2] with a delicious filling such as mashed potatoes, onions, peas, chicken, and other meats or lentils. It can take various shapes depending on the region, including triangular, conical, or crescent. [3] [4] [5] Samosas are often accompanied by jaggery and have medieval or earlier roots. [3] Samosas are a popular starter, appetizer, or snack in South Asian, West Asian, Southeast Asian, Mediterranean, and African cuisines. Due to migration and cultural diffusion from these areas, today samosas are often made in other areas.
Etymology
The English word samosa comes from the Hindi / Urdu word 'samosa', [2] which goes back to the Middle Persian word sanbosag (Persian: سنبوسگ). [6] and has the meaning of "triangular pastry". [7] In the Arabic-speaking world, this type of bread is called sambusak, and medieval Arabic cookbooks sometimes refer to it as sambusaj. [8] The term samosa is used in South Africa.
Story
Medieval Indian manuscript shows Nimatnama-i-Nasiruddin-Shahi (around 16th century) serving samosas
Samosas from South Asia are of Central Asian and / or Middle Eastern origin. [11] After the invasion of the Central Asian and Turkish dynasties in the region, samosas appeared in the Indian subcontinent. [12] The eulogy to the forerunner of samosa (such as Sambusaj) can be found in a poem written by the Persian poet Isaac al-Mawsili in the 9th century. The recipes appear in Arabic cookbooks from the 10th-13th centuries, with the names Zanbusak, Zanbusak and Zanbusaz, all derived from the Persian word Zanbosag. Iranian historian Abol Fazl Behaki (995-1077) mentions this in his story in Tariq-e Behagi.
Amir Khusro (1253-1325), a royal scholar and poet from the Illy Sultanate, wrote in 1300 that princes and nobles enjoyed "samosas made of meat, butter, onion, etc.". [14] The 14th-century traveler and explorer Ibn Battuta described a meal at the court of Muhammad bin Tughlaq, where a small pie filled with minced meat, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, and spices was served before the third course. , Pulao. Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th century Mughal document, mentions a recipe for qutab, which "the Hindustan people call sambas".
India
Samosa is made with all-purpose flour (known locally as maida) and filled, often with chopped and cooked or mashed boiled potatoes (preferably diced), onions, peas, lentils, ginger, spices, and green chilies. [18] [19] The samosa filling can be vegetarian or non-vegetarian. The whole dough is fried in vegetable oil or the ghee is rarely browned. It is served hot with fresh green leafy vegetables like mint, coriander, or tamarind. Samosas are often served in chat, a traditional side dish made from chickpeas or white peas, served with yogurt, tamarind paste, and green chutney, garnished with chopped onion, coriander, and chat masala.
In Odisha, West Bengal, and Jharkhand in India, Shingara (East Indian version of samosas) is a popular snack found almost everywhere. These are slightly smaller than other parts of India and consist mainly of diced cooked potatoes, peanuts, and sometimes raisins. [18] Shingaras should be wrapped in a thin sheet of flour (made with all-purpose flour) and deep-fried. The thin tiles are separated by textures similar to the delicious pie crust.
Samosas are often fried in vegetable oil until golden brown. These are served hot and eaten with tomato sauce or jaggery (mint, coriander, or tamarind), or in a chat, traditionally served with yogurt, brown sugar, chopped onions, cilantro, and chat masala. Shingarus can have a snack at tea time. They can also be made in sweet form. Bengali shingles are triangular, filled with potatoes, peas, onions, chopped almonds, or other vegetables, and are more fried and crisp than shingaras or their Indian cousins samosa. Fulkopir shingara (shingara stuffed with cauliflower mixture) is a popular variety. In Bengal, they are known as carnivorous tiles (lamb's tiles) and macher tiles (fish tiles).
In Hyderabad, India, a thicker puff pastry called lukmi and a smaller version of the minced meat filling samosa, [18], another variation of the onion filling, are used.
The filling is different too, usually spiced mashed potatoes, fried onions, peas, carrots, cabbage, curries, and greens and is mostly eaten without greens. Samosas in South India are made in different sizes, the filling of which is influenced by local eating habits and can include meat.
Today, another version of samosa (samosa noodles) is also popular in India. It is a samosa filled with noodles and raw or cooked vegetables.
Samosas in India
Samosa with sauce is available in Indian cafes in Kerala
Vegetable samosa
Vegetable samosa
Bangladesh
Bangladeshi samosas, breakfast
Flat-shaped (triangular) and full-shaped (tetrahedron / triangular pyramid) samosas are popular snacks in Bangladesh. The Bengali version of the full-form samosa is called সিঙাড়া (shingara) and is usually smaller than the standard type. Shingara is usually filled with sliced potatoes, greens, nuts, etc. However, shingles stuffed with beef liver are very popular in some parts of the country. The flat-shaped samosa is called somosa or somucha and is usually filled with onions and minced meat.
Nepal
In eastern Nepal, samosas are called Singadas; The rest of the country calls it samosa. Vendors sell this recipe in various markets and restaurants.
Pakistan
There is a wide variety of samosas available throughout Pakistan. In general, most of the samosas sold in southern Sindh province and eastern Punjab, especially Lahore, contain spicier fillings and mainly vegetable or potato fillings. However, the samosas sold in the west and north of the country have mostly minced meat fillings and are relatively spicy. Meat samosas include minced meat (lamb, beef, or chicken) and are very popular as a snack in Pakistan.
In Pakistan, samosas from Karachi are known for their spicy flavor, while samosas from Faisalabad are extraordinarily large. Another variety of samosa available in Karachi is called Kaghaji Samosa (Urdu: English سموسہ; "paper samosa") because of its thin, crunchy topping, which resembles a winter or spring roll wrap. Another popular variant in Punjab is samosas with garnishes of spicy chickpea puree, onions, and coriander leaf salad, as well as various vegetables to top the samosas. Samosas are delicious stuffed cakes fried or baked like mashed potatoes, onions, peas, lentils, and minced meat (lamb, beef, or chicken).
Another popular Pakistani snack in Punjab is called "Samosa Chat". It is a crunchy combination of samosa with chickpea masala (channa chat), yogurt, and brown sugar. Alternatively, the samosa can be eaten alone with one side of the jaggery.
In Pakistan, during the month of Ramadan, samosas are the staple of Iftar for many Pakistani families.
Maldives
The types and varieties of samosas made in Maldivian cuisine are called bajia. They can be filled with fish or a mixture of tuna and onion. [twenty]
Similar snacks
Variations of similar sandwiches and samosas are found in many other countries. They are derived from the Somasa of South Asia or a medieval ancestor that originated in the Middle East.
Central Asia
Tajikistan
Sambusa Baraki Tajik dishes include meatballs, usually triangular in shape. The filling can be ground beef (or traditional lamb mixed with cola fat) and then pre-roasted with onions, spices, cumin, and other spices. [twenty-one]
Southeast Asia
Burma
Burmese-style samosa is flat and triangular and generally smaller than its Indian counterparts.
Samosas are also known as samosas in Burmese and are a very popular snack in Burma.
Indonesia
The Indonesian style samosa is known as Q-Kering.
In Indonesia, samosas are known locally as samosas, stuffed with potato, cheese, curry, rosang, or noodles to local taste. It is usually used as an aperitif with sambal. Samosa is similar to cake, panada, and the Indonesian era.
Africa
east africa
Sambusas are also an important part of the diet of the Swahili, who are often found in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda.
Horn of africa
Fried somali sambus
Samosas are a staple of local cuisine in Djibouti, Somalia, and Somaliland in the Horn of Africa, where they are called sambos. It is also made in Ethiopia and Eritrea, where "sambosa" is often mixed with lentils and traditional spices. Traditionally, a cake that is as thin as an egg roll is made with flour and filled with ground beef. These can be eaten at any time of the year and are generally assigned to special occasions.
South Africa
Known as samosas in South Africa, [9] [10] are smaller than Indian varieties, [22] and are part of South African and Cape Malay Indian cuisine.
West africa
There are also samosas in the West African countries of Ghana and Nigeria, where they are common street food. In Nigeria, it is usually served at parties with chicken or beef, puff pastry, spring roll, and banana and is called small cutlets.
Mascarenhas
Samosas, also known locally as samosas, are also a popular snack in Reunion and Mauritius, as both countries have experienced massive labor migration from the Indian subcontinent. Samosas are usually small and filled with chicken, cheese, crab, or potatoes. However, there are also varieties such as chocolate and banana or pizza. [2. 3]
middle East
Arabian countries
Sambousek
Sambousek (Arabic: سمبوسك) is usually filled with meat, onion, and pine nuts or cheese. They are mainly consumed during the holy month of Ramadan.
Iran
Sambuseh in Ahwaj Bazaar, Iran
Sambuse (Persian: سمبوسه) can be found throughout Iran.
Israel
Israeli Sambusak stuffed with cheese and pesto
In Israel, sambusak (Hebrew: סמבוסק) can be a semicircular bag of flour filled with chickpea puree, fried onions, and spices. Another type of meat is stuffed with fried onions, parsley, spices and pine nuts, which are sometimes mixed with feta or tizfat cheese and jatar with fluffy chickpeas and breakfast version. Other common fillings are potato and "pizza," which are similar to calzone. It is associated with Mizrahi Jewish cuisine and Jewish immigrants from other Middle Eastern and African countries brought various cuisines to Israel. [24] According to food historian Gilmarx, Sambusak has been a traditional part of Sephardic Saturday food in Spain since the 13th century. [25]
Portuguese-speaking areas
In Goa (India) and Portugal, samosas are called chamunas. These are usually filled with chicken, beef, pork, lamb or vegetables and are usually served very hot. Samosas are an integral part of Goan and Portuguese cuisine, where they are a common snack.
Samosa-inspired snacks are also common in Brazil, and are common in many former Portuguese colonies in Africa, such as Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Angola, and Mozambique, where they are commonly known as empanadas (in Brazil) or Empagrames; In Portuguese, empada refers to a completely different sandwich, always baked, smaller in size and with inverted pudding).
Goa Chamunas
Portuguese chamunas in a café in Ponta fino
Angolan Chamunas
English speaking areas
Samosas are popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Uganda, South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania, and are also growing in Canada, [26] [27] and the United States. They are called sambusa or sambusak, but in South Africa, they are often called samosa. [28] Frozen samosas are mainly available in grocery stores in Australia, Canada, the United States, [29] and the United Kingdom.
Variations are sometimes used using filo, [30] or flour tortillas.