Samosa
Deep-fried pastry snack

Samosa(s)
Samosas with fresh green chutney
Alternative namessambusa, samusa,[1] siṅgaṛā/siṅāṛā, samose
TypeSavoury pastry
CourseEntrée, side dish, snack
Place of originCentral Asia and the Middle East[2]
Region or stateSouth Asia, West Asia, East Africa, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, West Africa
Serving temperatureHot
Main ingredientsFlour, vegetables (e.g. potatoes, onions, peas, lentils), spices, chili peppers, mince, and cheese
  • Cookbook: Samosa(s)
  •   Media: Samosa(s)

A samosa (/səˈmoʊsə/) (listenⓘ) is a fried South Asian[3] pastry with a savoury filling that mostly consists of vegetables like spiced potatoes, onions, and peas, but can include meat, fish, or cheese. Its name originates from the Middle Persian word sambosag (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 by chutney, and have origins in medieval times or earlier.[4] Sweet versions are also made. Samosas are popular snacks in South Asia and its diaspora, and across Asia and Africa.

Etymology

Names of samosas in different countries. Many of the names derive from Persian.[7]

The English word samosa derives from the Hindustani word samosa (Urdu: سموسہ, Hindi: समोसा),[8] traceable to the Middle Persian word sambōsag (سنبوسگ)[9] 'triangular pastry'.[10]

Similar pastries are called sambusak in Arabic from Persian; medieval Arabic recipe books sometimes spell it sambusaj. All these word-forms are borrowed from the Persian.[7]

History

Persian manuscript Nimatnama-i-Nasiruddin-Shahi explaining how samosas should be cooked
Medieval Indian cookbook with Persian manuscript Nimatnama-i-Nasiruddin-Shahi (c. 16th century) showing samosas being served

The South Asian samosa is believed to be derived from a medieval precursor from the Middle East[2][11] that was baked and not deep fried. The earliest mention of a samosa precursor was by Abbasid-era poet Ishaq al-Mawsili, praising the sanbusaj. Recipes are found in 10th–13th-century Arab cookery books, under the names sanbusak, sanbusaq, and sanbusaj, all deriving from the Persian word sanbosag. In Iran, the dish was popular until the 16th century, but by the 20th century its popularity was restricted to certain provinces (such as the sambusas of Larestan).[4] Abolfazl Beyhaqi (995–1077), an Iranian historian, mentioned it in his history, Tarikh-e Beyhaghi.[12]

The Central Asian samsa 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 the Delhi 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 of Muhammad bin Tughluq, where the samushak or sambusak, a small pie stuffed with minced meat, almonds, pistachios, walnuts and spices, was served before the third course of pulao.[15] Nimatnama-i-Nasiruddin-Shahi, a medieval Indian cookbook started for Ghiyath Shah, the ruler of the Malwa Sultanate in central India, mentions the art of making samosa.[16] The Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century Mughal document, mentions the recipe for qottab, which it says, "the people of Hindustan call sanbúsah".[17]

The samosa gained its popularity for its savoury flavour and convenience. The pocket-sized food item was a readily available snack for workers and travellers across Central and South Asia.[18]

Regional varieties

South Asia

In India, samosas are prepared with an all-purpose flour (locally known as maida) 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 a chaat street food, with fresh chutneys.[21] In the Indian states of Assam, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand, singaras (সিঙ্গারা) or shingras (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] In Hyderabad, a smaller version with a thicker pastry crust and minced meat filling, called lukhmi, is eaten.[19]

Both flat (triangular) and full-shaped (tetrahedron/triangular pyramid) samosas are popular in Bangladesh. A Bengali version of the full-shaped samosa is called a সিঙাড়া (shingara) and is normally smaller than the standard variety. The shingara is usually filled with pieces of potatoes, vegetables, and nuts.[22]

Samosas are called singadas in the eastern part of Nepal, from their shape which is like a water caltrop (shingara in Eastern India); the rest of the country calls it samosa.[23]

A distinct variety of samosa, available in Karachi, is called kaghazi samosa[24] (Urdu: کاغذی سموسہ; "paper samosa" in English) due to its thin and crispy covering, which resembles a wonton or spring roll wrapper. Fillings include beef, chicken, and lamb, or they can be made as a sweet.[25]

The types and varieties of samosa made in Maldivian cuisine are known as bajiyaa. They are filled with a mixture including fish like tuna and onions.[26]

  • Samosas before being fried, at a sweet shop in Kolkata
    Samosas before being fried, at a sweet shop in Kolkata
  • Samosa with tomato ketchup at coffee houses in Kerala
    Samosa with tomato ketchup at coffee houses in Kerala
  • Vegetable samosa
    Vegetable samosa
  • Bangladeshi shingaras
    Bangladeshi shingaras

Central Asia

The samsa is a savoury pastry in Central Asian cuisines such as that of Uzbekistan. It consists of a pastry stuffed with meat and sometimes vegetables and baked in a tandoor oven, rather than being fried.[27]

In Tajik cuisine, sambusa-i varaki are triangular pastries, filled with minced beef or mutton mixed with tail fat, flavoured with onions and spices, and baked in a tandoor oven.[28]

Southeast Asia

Samosas are called samuza (စမူဆာ) in Burmese, and are an extremely popular street snack in Burma. Samosas are also used in a traditional Burmese salad called samuza thoke (စမူဆာသုပ်‌; lit. 'samosa salad'), a salad of cut samosa pieces with onions, cabbage, fresh mint, light potato and chickpea curry broth, masala, chili powder, salt and lime.[29]

In Indonesia, snacks similar similar to samosas include pastel, panada and epok-epok.[25]

Africa

All across East Africa, samosas, known by several variants of the name, are popular. In Somalia, sambuus filled with vegetables, meat, or seafood are eaten on special occasions.[30] Samosas, locally called samoussas, are a popular snack on Réunion. They are filled with chicken, cheese, crabs or potatoes.[31]

South African samoosas[32][33] tend to be smaller than Indian ones.[34] Samosa dough is also used for a flatbread called farmaas 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 to Gujarati communities in India and Pakistan, where it is popular during Ramadan.[35]

In West African countries such as Ghana and Nigeria, samosas are a common street food. In Nigeria, they are usually served in parties along with chicken or beef, puff puff, spring rolls and plantains and are among the finger foods called "small chops".[36]

Middle East

Sambousek (Arabic: سمبوسك) are usually filled with either meat, onion, pine nuts, za’atar, spinach dock, or cheese.[37][38] Sambousek is most popular during Ramadan.[39][40][41]

Sambuseh (Persian: سمبوسه) originated in Iran but is now rare there. The sweet fried pastry qottab is derived from it. Modern Iranian Sambuseh is made either with a sausage and pizza 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]

  • Sambousek
    Sambousek
  • Sambuseh at a bazar in Ahvaz, Iran
    Sambuseh at a bazar in Ahvaz, Iran

Portuguese-speaking regions

In Goa (India), Portugal, and Angola, samosas are known as chamuças. They are filled with chicken, beef, pork, lamb or vegetables, and generally served quite hot. Samosas are an integral part of Goan Catholic and Portuguese cuisine, where they are a common snack.[45]

English-speaking regions

Samosas are popular in the United Kingdom and the English-speaking Commonwealth including Canada,[46][47] and in the United States. They may be called samboosa or sambusac, but in South Africa, they are often called samoosa.[48] Frozen samosas are increasingly available.[49] Variations can be made using filo,[50] or flour tortillas.[51]

Al-Shabaab's samosa ban

Al-Shabaab, the extremist group controlling parts of Somalia, banned samosas in 2011 over concerns about the possible use of rotten meat in the filling.[52]

See also

References

  1. ^ "samosa". Oxford English Dictionary (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. 1989.
  2. ^ a b Indigenous Culture, Education and Globalization: Critical Perspectives from Asia. Springer. 23 October 2015. p. 130. ISBN 978–3662481592. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2019. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)
  3. ^ "Samosa". www.britannica.com. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Davidson, Alan (1999). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-211579-0. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  5. ^ Kaminsky, Arnold P.; Long, Roger D. (23 September 2011). Middle East Today: An Encyclopedia of Life in the Republic. ABC-CLIO. p. 151. ISBN 978-0-313-37462-3. Archived from the original on 27 May 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  6. ^ Reza, Sa’adia (18 January 2015). "Food's Holy Triangle". Dawn. Archived from the original on 28 October 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  7. ^ a b Rodinson, Maxime; Arberry, Arthur; Perry, Charles (2001). Medieval Arab Cookery. Prospect Books. p. 72. ISBN 978-0907325918.
  8. ^ "Samosa". Archived from the original on 4 January 2004. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  9. ^ Lovely triangles Archived 8 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine Hindustan Times, 23 August 2008.
  10. ^ Nişanyan - Türkçe Etimolojik Sözlük: Samsa Archived 7 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine. accessed: 26 April 2021.
  11. ^ "TBI Food Secrets: Unravelling the Fascinating History of the Samosa, India's Favourite Street Snack". The Better India. 4 January 2017. Archived from the original on 5 January 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  12. ^ Beyhaqi, Abolfazl, Tarikh-e Beyhaghi, p. 132.
  13. ^ "TBI Food Secrets: Unravelling the Fascinating History of the Samosa, India's Favourite Street Snack". The Better India. 4 January 2017. Archived from the original on 5 January 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  14. ^ Savoury temptations Archived 5 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine The Tribune, 5 September 2005.
  15. ^ Regal Repasts Archived 7 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine Jiggs Kalra and Dr Pushpesh Pant, India Today Plus, March 1999.
  16. ^ Bloom, Jonathan M. (2009). The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture. Vol. 1. Oxford University Press. p. 236. ISBN 978-0-19-530991-1.
  17. ^ Recipes for Dishes Archived 27 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Ain-i-Akbari, by Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak. English tr. by Heinrich 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".
  18. ^ "The Story of the Samosa". Bayt Al Fann. 24 July 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  19. ^ a b c Pal, Sanchari (4 January 2017). "TBI Food Secrets: Unravelling the Fascinating History of the Samosa, India's Favourite Street Snack". The Better India. Archived from the original on 5 January 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  20. ^ "Samosas Recipe by Niru Gupta". NDTV Food. Archived from the original on 3 December 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  21. ^ Collingham, Elizabeth M. (2006). Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors. Oxford University Press. pp. 187–189. ISBN 0-19-517241-8.
  22. ^ a b চিংৰা. Xobdo.org. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  23. ^ Baral, Binod (19 July 2023). "Unraveling the history of samosas". The Annapurna Express.
  24. ^ Gupte, Vaishnavi (14 May 2020). "Easy samosa recipes to kill those evening hunger pangs".
  25. ^ a b Lugo, Ligia (25 February 2021). "Traveling Through Cuisine: How to Make Samosas at Home". Go World Travel Magazine.
  26. ^ Xavier Romero-Frias, Eating on the Islands Archived 28 March 2020 at the Wayback Machine, Himal Southasian, Vol. 26 no. 2, pages 69-91 ISSN 1012-9804
  27. ^ Odinaeva, Sabina; Khamidullaeva, Shodiya. "Tandoor Samsa: Happiness Baked Fresh!". Visit Uzbekistan Magazine. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  28. ^ "Sambusa baraki". Taste Atlas. Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  29. ^ "စမူဆာသုပ်‌". WE (in Burmese). Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  30. ^ Ahmed, Ifrah F. (6 May 2021). "Why Somali fried dumplings deserve a place on your table and in your heart". Los Angeles Times.
  31. ^ Leslie, par (17 June 2018). "Samoussas". Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  32. ^ "Samoosas in South African Cuisine". Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  33. ^ "Samoosa (Samosa) | Indian Fusion South Africa". 11 September 2010. Archived from the original on 19 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  34. ^ "Samoosas". 26 April 2012. Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  35. ^ Shabbir, Buraq (4 April 2024). "Gujaratis bring decades-old recipes to Ramadan iftar spreads in Pakistan's Karachi". Arab News. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  36. ^ Ndeche, Chidirim (24 August 2017). "How To Make Samosa (Small Chops)". Guardian NG. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  37. ^ Tamimi, Sami; Wigley, Tara. Falastin: A Cookbook. ISBN 9780399581748. Retrieved 13 April 2025. Sami Tamimi
  38. ^ Darwish, Soha. "Cheese sambousek". BBC Good Food. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  39. ^ "جدل حول "سمبوسة ولا سمبوسك وجلاش ولا أولاش".. فما أصل الكلمة؟" [Controversy over "Samosa or Sambousak, Goulash or Olash"... What is the origin of the word?]. Masrawy (in Arabic). 1 May 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  40. ^ "«السمبوسة» نجمة المائدة الرمضانية.. ما أصلها؟" [Samosas, the star of the Ramadan table... what is their origin?]. Al Khaleej (newspaper) (in Arabic). 5 April 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  41. ^ "الكبة والسمبوسك.. أطباق شامية على موائد فلسطين الرمضانية" [Kibbeh and sambousek... Levantine dishes on Palestinian Ramadan tables]. Felesteen News (in Arabic). 21 May 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  42. ^ "This deep-fried pastry is one of the world's most popular". The Sydney Morning Herald. 11 January 2026.
  43. ^ "Sambusak (Sephardic Stuffed Pastries)". RecipeLand.com. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  44. ^ Sheff, Sharon Gomperts and Rachel Emquies (26 May 2022). "A Classic of the Iraqi Kitchen: Curried Chickpea Sambusak". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  45. ^ "Goa Delights". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 9 October 2007. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  46. ^ "Lineups threaten to stall Fredericton's hot samosa market". CBC.ca. 30 January 2007. Archived from the original on 2 February 2007. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  47. ^ Fox, Chris (29 July 2009). "Patel couldn't give her samosas away". The Daily Gleaner. p. A1. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  48. ^ South African English is lekker! Archived 18 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 13 June 2007.
  49. ^ Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer: Mini Vegetable Samosas Archived 12 January 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  50. ^ Fennel-Scented Spinach and Potato Samosas Archived 30 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 February 2008.
  51. ^ Potato Samosas Archived 18 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 February 2008.
  52. ^ "Samosas Banned: Islamist Group Calls The Pastry 'Offensive', Huffington Post, 07/29/2011". Archived from the original on 8 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
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