Samosa

A samosa (

In the Indian states of Assam, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand, singaras or singras (চিংৰা)^[20] (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 consisting chiefly of cooked diced potato, peanuts, and sometimes raisins.^[18] Shingras are wrapped in a thin sheet of dough (made of all-purpose flour) and fried. Good shingras are distinguished by flaky textures akin to that of a savory pie crust.

Singaras may be eaten as a tea-time snack. They can also be prepared in a sweet form. Bengali singaras tend to be triangular, filled with potato, peas, onions, diced almonds, or other vegetables, and are more heavily fried and crunchier than other singaras or their samosa cousins.

In the city of

In the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, samosas are slightly different, being folded differently, more like Portuguese chamuças, with a different style of pastry. The filling also differs, typically featuring mashed potatoes with spices, fried onions, peas, carrots, cabbage, curry leaves, and green chilis, and is mostly eaten without chutney. Samosas in South India are made in different sizes, whose fillings are influenced by local food habits, and may include meat.

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  Samosas before being fried, at a sweet shop in Kolkata.
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  Samosas in India
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  Samosa with sauce available at Indian coffee houses in Kerala
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  Vegetable samosa
• 
  Vegetable samosa

Bangladesh

Both flat-shaped (triangular) and full-shaped (tetrahedron/triangular pyramid) samosas are popular snacks 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 pieced potatoes, vegetables, nuts, etc. However, shingaras filled with beef liver are very popular in some parts of the country. The flat-shaped samosa is called a somosa or somucha, and is usually filled with onions and minced meat.

Nepal

Samosas are called singadas in the eastern zone of Nepal; the rest of the country calls it samosa. As in India, it is a very popular snack in Nepalese cuisine. Vendors sell the dish in various markets and restaurants.

Pakistan

Samosas of various types are available throughout

Another Pakistani snack food, which is popular in Punjab, is known as "samosa chaat". This is a combination of a crumbled samosa, along with spiced chickpeas (channa chaat), yogurt, and chutneys. Alternatively, the samosa can be eaten on its own with a side of chutney.

In Pakistan, samosas are a staple Iftar food for many Pakistani families, during the month of Ramzan.

Maldives

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.^[21]

Similar snacks

Similar snacks and variants of samosas are found in many other countries. They are derived either from the South Asian somasa or are derived from the medieval precursor that originated in the Middle East.

Central Asia

Southeast Asia

Myanmar (Burma)

Samosas are called samuza (စမူဆာ) in

In Indonesia, samosas are locally known as samosa, filled with potato, cheese, curry, rousong or noodles as adapted to local taste. They are usually served as a snack with sambal. Samosa is almost similar to Indonesian pastel, panada and epok-epok.

Africa

East Africa

Samosas are also a key part of East African food often seen in Somalia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Rwanda.

Somalia

The variety of samosa made in

Samosas are also a staple of local cuisine in the fellow Horn of Africa countries of Djibouti and Ethiopia, where they are known as sambuuse.

South Africa

Called samoosas in South Africa,^[23][24] they tend to be smaller than Indian variants,^[25] and form part of South African Indian and Cape Malay cuisine.

West Africa

Samosas also exist in West African countries such as Ghana and Nigeria where they are a common street food. In Nigeria, it is usually served in parties along with chicken or beef, puff puff, spring rolls and plantains and are called small chops.

Mascarenes

Samosas, locally called samoussas, are a popular snack on Réunion and Mauritius as both islands have faced large waves of labor immigration from the Indian subcontinent. The samosas there are generally smaller and filled with chicken, cheese, crabs or potatoes. There are also varieties such as chocolate and banana or pizza. ^[26]

Middle East

Israel

Sambusak (Hebrew: סמבוסק) come in several distinct forms, as sambusak has been influenced differently by Sephardic and Mizrahi cuisine. Sephardi sambusak are generally thicker, baked, and are stuffed with either cheese or beef and coated with sesame or nigella seeds. Mizrahi sambusak are generally thinner, larger, fried, and stuffed with curry-spiced chickpea and onion, and are usually not coated with seeds.^{[27][28][29][30][31]}

Arab countries

Sambousek (

Iran

Sambuseh (Persian: سمبوسه) can often be found in the southern regions of Iran and rarely in other areas. However, traditionally it used to be made in the form of qottab filled with ground nuts (usually, walnuts), sugar, fragrant herbs or spices, and likewise fried in oil. It is used as a confectionary and quite commonly. When meat is used, it is no longer called qottab, but made spicy (contrary to nearly all other Persian culinary products). This is all that remains of the old "sanbusag" in its ancient homeland. Nowadays, Iranian Sambuseh is often made with a sausage and pizza cheese based filling; however, a vegetable-based variety also exists.

Portuguese-speaking regions

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

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  Goan chamuças
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  Portuguese chamuças in a café in Ponta Delgada
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  Angolan chamuças

English-speaking regions

Samosas are popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Guyana, Uganda, South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania, and are also growing in popularity in Canada,^[32][33] and the United States. They may be called samboosa or sambusac, but in South Africa, they are often called samoosa.^[34] Frozen samosas are increasingly available from grocery stores in Australia, Canada, the United States,^[35] and the United Kingdom, where they are also frequently sold fresh by local Indian and Pakistani street market vendors.

Variations using filo,^[36] or flour tortillas^[37] are sometimes found.

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. ^[38]

See also

References