TAJIK SAMSA

Самса

Samsa or Somsa is a popular Central Asian snack across the region. It is usually made with lamb and baked in a tandyr oven. Although, since a lot of people may not have access to one, here's a recipe for oven baked samsa.

 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup of unsalted butter
• half of a yellow onion
• 500g of ground fatty lamb
• 1/4 tsp pepper and salt
• 1 tbs of nigella seeds
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp of wild cumin seeds preferably from Central Asia (optional)

DIRECTIONS

TIME: 1h 30min including resting time.

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.

2. Start the dough. In a medium-sized bowl, sift 2 cups of all purpose flour with salt and combine. Then, add a cup of water and knead until it becomes nice and smooth. Let it rest for 30 min.

3. Meanwhile, prepare the filling by adding finely chopped onion, salt, pepper and cumin seeds to the lamb. Mix until well incorporated.

4. Once the dough is rested, roll it out 4 mm thick and spread softened room temperature butter all over the surface. Then, roll it up and set aside in the fridge for 10 min.

5. Once chilled, cut the dough into disks about the size of your palm, around 1,5 centimetres thick. Then, stuff with the meat mixture and close them by folding into a triangular shape.

6. Brush them with the beated egg and sprinkle the nigella seeds on. Place on a baking tray.

7. Bake for 30 to 45 min and serve hot.