Flaky baked pastries stuffed with spiced lamb and onion — the Central Asian answer to the samosa.
Uzbek samsa are triangular or round pastries baked in a tandoor oven until their laminated dough is golden and shatteringly flaky. Unlike fried Indian samosas, these are baked and the dough is layered with butter or fat to achieve their characteristic flakiness. The filling of minced lamb and raw onion renders down inside the pastry as it bakes, creating a juicy, intensely savoury filling.
Serves 8
Mix flour, salt and warm water into a smooth dough. Rest covered 30 minutes.
Roll dough thin, spread with softened butter, fold into thirds, roll again. Repeat twice for flaky layers. Rest 15 minutes.
Mix minced lamb with onions, cumin, black pepper, chilli and salt. Do not cook — it will cook inside the pastry.
Cut dough into 8 squares. Place a spoonful of filling in the centre of each. Fold into triangles and pinch edges firmly.
Place on a lined baking tray, brush with egg and scatter sesame seeds. Bake at 200°C for 25–30 minutes until deeply golden.
Use raw onion in the filling — it cooks down and creates steam that juices the meat.
Seal the edges very firmly or filling will leak.
Lamb fat (kurdjuk) is the authentic fat for laminating; butter is a good substitute.
Fill with pumpkin and onion for a popular autumn vegetarian version.
Round samsa shapes are traditional in some regions; triangles in others.
Best eaten fresh from the oven. Reheat in the oven at 180°C for 8 minutes to restore flakiness.
Samsa have been sold in Central Asian bazaars for centuries, baked in clay tandoor ovens. They are closely related to the South Asian samosa but developed independently along the Silk Road.
Yes — the laminated dough can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before rolling and filling.
Per serving · 8 servings total
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