Samosa

The flaky, crunchy, and full of flavors Samosa is arguably one of the widely known and loved street foods of India. A hearty and wholesome street food most popular in North India, Samosa is featured everywhere from street vendors to grocery stalls to restaurants small or large and is a snack practically synonymous to Indian cuisine. Samosa presents a pastry-like crust made with all-purpose flour (maida) that is stuffed with a savory blend of mashed potatoes, spices, and peas for a delightful and satisfying snack. An all-time Chai companion, Samosa is best devoured with a spicy green chutney as a heartwarming snack, or it can be gulped down with a zesty chickpea gravy or inside a bun as Bun Samosa for a meal.

The word ‘Samosa’ can be traced back to the Middle Persian word ‘sanbosag’ which means ‘triangular pastry’. Similar pastries are called ‘sambusak’ in Arabic and ‘sambusaj’ according to the Middle Arabic recipe. It was in 1300s that Samosa made a debut in the Indian soil through Central Asian peddlers and vendors across the Muslim world. A Samosa filling can be vegetarian or non-vegetarian and the taste and flavor may depend on region to region, only the shape and the crusty pastry are the only constant. As an Indian street food, a Samosa is usually made vegetarian with potatoes stirred in a mixture of peas, onions, spices, ginger, and green chilies, and sometimes paneer. This beautiful golden triangular snack when served with a delectable green chutney burst in the palate with a blast of diverse flavors packed in one single bite.

In North India, Samosa is one of the most famous and loved street food that is available at every corner of the street in all restaurants and road-side vendors. In the states of Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand, a version of Samosa known as Singara or Singra is very popular. The size is a bit small when compared to what we get in North India and the filing comprises mainly of cooked diced potatoes, peanuts, and raisins and are fried to get that crusty texture. In Hyderabad, Lukhmi is served which is a smaller version of Samosa and has a thicker pastry crust with a minced-meat filling. The states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka serve a slightly distinct version of samosa that are folded in a different shape and the filling consists of mashed potatoes tossed with spices, fried onions, peas, cabbage, carrots, curry leaves, and chilies. Meat version is also available in the south Indian eateries which is quite common and loved by many.