Instructions
How many of my Indian friends (or more particularly their cooking-obsessed mothers) do you think I am going to offend when I point out that the samosa didn’t originate on the subcontinent? A whole bunch, I’d reckon, and being right isn’t likely to save me either.
Like many creations, the samosa’s etymology (word history) tells us about it’s background. The term derives from a Persian word ‘sanbosag’ which has been documented since at least the 7th century. Today you’ll find variations from North Africa to Malaysia, and every stop in between.
But it was the Indians who made it their own. Silk Road traders brought the idea of samosa to India some time in the 14th century, and originally it was considered an aristocratic food. In a society where caste and rank mattered, the samosa was boutique and elegant, not the rustic street food it has become.
Even within the subcontinent there are great regional differences between samosas. In Pakistan and northern India, meat fillings bound with potatoes are common. Their samosas are large, doughy, and lightly-fried.
Southern India tends towards a smaller and more delicate samosa with a finer pastry. Vegetable and fish fillings are also more common. Importantly, the potato-based filling is never used, instead peas and lentils are used as binders.
But then there is also the Portuguese-influenced western region of Goa, most famous for its vindaloo. There these pastries are called ‘chamuça’, and they are almost bite-sized. The most common Goan filling is chilli-spiked lamb, a dish that has now been exported back to Portugal. You’re as likely to find these in Lisbon as you are in India.
To make a great samosa, they key is a fine pastry, hot oil, and absolute freshness. That most store-bought and restaurant samosas are disappointing happens because they are made with the intent of freezing. Fine pastry is ruined when frozen, so a great samosa must be made on the day it is to be cooked.
You really can fill a samosa with just about anything, but if you want to make the classic potato-based version, cook the potatoes until they are fall-apart, crush them lightly, and allow them to cool completely before preparing the filling. Nothing will ruin a samosa more effectively than a hot filling.
As for the samosa dough itself, the same rules apply as do for shortcrust pastry – a light hand always wins. Once the dough is barely smooth, set it aside to rest for at leats 30 minutes. The more relaxed and pliable it becomes, the finer it can be rolled, and as a result the crisper it can be fried.
So while I may not talk my way out of trouble with the Indian cooks, I can at least offer them a perfect samosa as a peace offering.
Samosa