Cuisine: Central Asia's Classic Lamb Samsa

For those of us with an obsession for cooking and hosting dinner parties, there is almost certainly one or two particular dishes in our repertoires that can wholeheartedly be deemed "classic" due to their sheer popularity among guests. It's a preparation that one has memorized in the mind and internalized in the heart, something that can be repeated timelessly again and again, and never sees a slip in demand. For me, that dish is my mother's unique variation on the lamb-filled samsa.

Samsa. Samosa. Sambusa. Sambousak. By name alone, it's not difficult to see how these "stuffed meat pies" share a common root, even in spite of their extraordinary variety stretching across a vast area from Morocco to India. For the Arab and East African cultures, sambousak are typically savory meat-filled, triangular pastries that are folded and fried as a popular appetizer. Moving eastbound through the "-stans" of Central Asia, the mutton samsa usually loses its sharp triangular points, as it takes on a more bun-like form after being baked on the inner walls of a tandir oven, often served as a breakfast food with black tea. And finally heading south into the Indian Subcontinent, the samosa can be either lamb-filled or purely vegetarian with potatoes and peas, often folded into a tetrahedron shape and fried as a popular street food. Regardless of the style, dough, or filling, all of these variations have earned the well-deserved title of "comfort food" in a majority of Middle Eastern and South Asian nations.

Pulling out the fresh samsa using two rods

Samsa baking on the walls of the tandir

Samsa and tea are a hardy breakfast or afternoon snack food

A connoisseur of international cuisine in her own right, my mother has made nearly all of these variations over the course of my childhood, gradually selecting the best elements to compose the most delicious combinations. My personal favorite, which I present below, has always been the Uzbek-style baked samsa using a Moroccan sweet and spicy ground lamb mixture with dried fruits and chopped nuts. While the dough is generally made from scratch using techniques unique to each household, I've found it more convenient and just as delicious to use pre-made puff pastry that is easily accessible from the freezer aisle of most grocery stores. It must be said that learning to cook from my mother means that almost nothing is formally measured; I've done my best to give rough quantities for each ingredient in the written recipe. As with all cooking, it is up to your taste to determine the best amounts for your preferred flavors. 

Ingredients: Makes about 8 buns

• 0.5 lb/250g ground lamb (can substitute with ground beef)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 3 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 small piece of ginger (about the size of a garlic clove), minced
• 1 Tbsp/14g Ras el-Hanout spice mixture (can replace with 0.5 Tbsp/8g cumin, if unavailable)
• 0.5 tsp/2g ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp/4g ground paprika 
• 1 tsp/4g ground coriander
• 0.5 tsp/2g ground turmeric
• 1 tsp/4g salt
• 0.25 cup/32g dried currant raisins
• 0.25 cup/32g blanched almonds, chopped
• 1 tsp/4g roasted sesame seeds
• 0.5 Tbsp/8mL pomegranate molasses/juice
• 2 Tbsp/30mL honey
• 1 tsp/4g harissa chili paste (or any type of hot chili, to your preferred taste)
• 1 tsp/4g tomato paste 
• 0.5 cup/50g of cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 package frozen puff-pastry squares (or dough of preference, cut into small squares)
• 1 egg
• olive oil for cooking
• butter for greasing baking pan
  
  Abbreviations: Tbsp - US Tablespoon ("big" spoon), tsp - US teaspoon ("small" spoon)
  

Method:

In a large pan on medium flame, break up and well cook the ground meat until no longer red in color. You do not need to add oil to the pan, as the meat will release its own fat. Take care not to burn. Strain the meat using a mesh strainer to remove excess melted fats, then set meat aside.

In the same pan on medium flame, add a little olive oil followed by the onions, garlic, and ginger. Mix and cook until they just begin to turn golden in color, about 5 minutes. Push the mixture away towards the edges of the pan to form a circle.

 

Turn the flame to medium-low. In the center of the pan, add a little more olive oil, followed by the pomegranate molasses, honey, harissa chili paste, and tomato paste. Mix well and allow to simmer in the center of the pan for a minute. Add and mix in all ground spices to the paste. If the paste is too thick/dry, add a little more olive oil. Allow the spice paste to simmer on low flame for 2-3 minutes until a dark red color forms.

Add the raisins and blanched almonds to the outer ring of onion/garlic/ginger. Allow to gently fry while the spice paste in the center of the pan is simmering, stirring often to prevent burning.

 

 

Combine the outer ring of ingredients with the spice paste in the center of the pan. Raise the heat back up to medium-high flame, add the ground meat, and mix all ingredients together. Allow to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning.

Turn off the flame and remove the pan from the burner. Add the chopped cilantro leaves and mix well into the meat filling mixture. Set aside and allow to cool to a reasonable handling temperature.

 

Remove your puff-pastry dough squares from the freezer and allow to thaw to working temperature. Once it softens, work fast with it to prevent it from drying out. In the case of preparing your own dough, have this ready in advance and flattened into squares.

Set your oven temperature to 420°F/215°C and allow to heat. Meanwhile, lay out your dough and add a large tablespoon of meat filling to the center of each square. Take care to ensure there is equal filling for each of your buns, and be careful not to overfill.

 

 

Fold the opposing corners of the dough squares to fully encase the meat filling (see image). Flip the buns upside down onto your buttered baking sheet so that the folded corners are on the bottom.

 

 

Using the egg, mix the yellow yolk with a tablespoon of water to make a light egg wash. Brush the egg wash over the buns. Add a pinch of roasted sesame seeds to the tops of each bun. 

 

 
Place the buns into the oven and allow to bake for 15-20 minutes, or until they have risen well and are golden brown in color. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to a reasonable temperature before serving.

For those of you who are visual learners, I've included a brief summary video outlining the general process:

Once you have all the ingredients collected, these samsa are actually quite simple to make and are perfect for appetizers, snacks, or even as a meal on their own. They can be easily adjusted to match your desired sweetness, spiciness, and saltiness, and also pair well with any flavor of Indian chutney. Though always preferable to eat warm and flaky right from a hot oven, samsa are suitable to last for another day when sealed in a plastic bag or container and kept at room temperature. They also store easily and are perfect for road trips and camping adventures.

Naturally, samsa are most delicious when eaten with the best people in the most magical settings.

If you are interested in other pastry-like foods, check out my recipe on the classic Georgian (the country, not the US state) Adjarian Khachapuri