SAMOSA AND ITS SPICY STORIES

Samosa is one of the favourite snacks of more than half of Indians— a giver of joy in times of sorrow. When everything in life seems a bit dull, then this tiny triangle fills life with enthusiasm. At least this is my experience. Many times, I feel Samosa is the cure for all my problems. 😀

If I am stuck up somewhere and have my samosa, it opens up my mind… “dimag ki batti jala de”!

Samosa - Most favourite Indian Snack ( Mine too)

While researching the historical routes of samosa, I came across this news about the banning of samosa in some parts of Somalia. The “al-Shabaab” has banned my favourite samosas. Thankfully, I am not living in Somalia and will never be. This ban has been in place since 2011. What harm would an innocent like samosas have done to them? I felt sad thinking that an instrument of joy and happiness was taken away from the lives of the people there.

To me, samosa can only be enjoyed if fried. But in today's times, samosa is also baked. These baked samosas are offered to people who want to lose weight. I ordered an air fryer when I saw a popular food blogger trying baked samosa. Motivated me, I made both fried and air-fried samosa for comparison. 

The Samosas - waiting to be fried!

I picked up a baked samosa with great hope. ( Who does not want to lose weight and also have tasty samosas?) But they are nothing in comparison with fried samosa. Baked samosas are absolutely worthless. They may look alike in a photograph. Your favorite influencer on social media may advise you to eat them by posting photos of them. I would suggest you to abstain from cheese-stuffed pizza or sandwiches, but whenever you eat samosa, eat it fried. 

Samosa Vs Pizza - Which is your favourite?

The most popular samosa filling is spicy potatoes, onions and peas. Samosas are available in many forms, like triangular, conical, or half-moon. But if you ask me the truth, I would say that shape does not affect the taste. It tastes just the same. 

The samosa without chutney is nothing. It is the magic wand that makes the taste of samosas divine. Be it sour-sweet chutney of tamarind or green-sour-chili chutney of coriander and mint. The taste of samosa is incomplete without chutney.

Samosa with chutney.

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And do you know that when you eat samosa, you are acting as a link in carrying forward the tradition of medieval times? Yes, samosa is of medieval origin. 

Samosa basically had its roots in Central Asia. It was first mentioned by the poet Ishaq al-Mausili as Sambusaj. Many Arabic cookery books in the 10th - 13th centuries had recorded recipes and other details of samosa. 

An Iranian historian, Abolfazl Behaqi (995–1077) mentions it in his treatise, Tarikh-i-Behagi.

Samosa is still a popular snack in the cuisines of South Asia, the Middle East, Central Asia, and East Africa.

The word samosa is derived from the Persian word Sanbosag which means 'triangular pastry'. Samosas are called sambusak in Arabic. In Medieval Arabic recipe books, it is referred to as sambuj.

Air fried Samosas - My Kitchen

Traveling through Central Asian countries, samosas entered the Indian subcontinent in the 13th or 14th century. It got straight entry into the royal kitchen of the Delhi Sultanate. Amir Khusrau (1253–1325), a scholar and royal poet of the Delhi Sultanate, wrote in about 1300 AD that princes and nobles enjoyed "samosas prepared with meat, ghee, onions". 

A 14th-century traveler and researcher, Ibn Battuta, also described Muhammad bin Tughlaq's court meal, as a delicacy filled with mince, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, and spices called samushak or sambusak.

In North India, samosa is prepared with all-purpose flour and mashed boiled potato filling with a mixture of onions, green peas, lentils, ginger, and spices. A samosa can be vegetarian or non-vegetarian. It is served hot by deep frying in oil or ghee till golden brown. Often accompanied by a fresh green chutney, such as mint, coriander, or tamarind. 

Samosas are often served in chaat, with the traditional accompaniment of either chole or white pea preparations, with yogurt, tamarind paste, and green chutney. Served, and garnished with chopped onions, coriander, and chaat masala.

It is also made sweetened with a sweet filling of khoya and dry fruits.

Eastern Indian samosas tend to be slightly smaller, and are called singra, or singara. These are crispier than its north Indian cousin the samosa. Singara filled with cauliflower mixture is also a very popular variety. (I do not like though) Non-vegetarian Singra has a spicy filling of mutton and fish. 

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There are also sweet versions such as coconut singara, as well as others filled with khoya and dipped in sugar syrup.

In Hyderabad, a smaller version of samosas with a thick crust and mince-meat filling is popular called lukhmi. In the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, samosas are slightly different, folded differently, much like the Portuguese chamuka. The filling varies a bit, but in general, the mashed potato filling with spices, fried onions, peas, carrots, cabbage, curry leaves and green chillies is more popular. And it is mostly eaten without chutney. In South India, samosas are made in a variety of shapes, the filling of which is influenced by local food habits, and may include meat.

Nowadays, another version of samosa (noodle samosa) is also popular in India. It is a samosa filled with noodles and raw or cooked vegetables.

To know more about samosa in our neighboring countries and the detailed history of samosa, listen to this podcast by clicking here.