Flaky pastry triangles filled with seasoned lamb, onions, and cumin, baked in a tandoor oven until golden and crispy. A popular street food throughout Kyrgyzstan.
Nutrition & Info
Allergen Warnings
Equipment Needed
Instructions
-
1
Make dough from flour, water, and salt; rest 20 minutes.
-
2
Roll dough thin, spread with softened butter, fold and roll 3 times.
-
3
Cut into squares.
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4
Mix lamb, onions, cumin, pepper, and salt for filling.
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5
Place filling on each square, fold into triangles, seal edges.
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6
Brush with egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds.
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7
Bake at 220°C for 20 minutes until golden.
Did You Know?
In bazaars across Kyrgyzstan, samsa vendors start baking at dawn, slapping the raw pastries onto the inner walls of clay tandoor ovens where they bake suspended over hot coals.
Chef's Notes
Equipment Tips
- oven or tandoor
- rolling pin
- baking sheet
The Story Behind Samsa
Samsa arrived in Kyrgyz lands through Uzbek and Tajik culinary influence, but the Kyrgyz version developed its own character with generous cumin seasoning and a preference for lamb over beef.
Traditionally baked in a tandoor oven, samsa gets its distinctive flaky layers from a technique of folding butter or fat into the dough, similar to European puff pastry but predating it by centuries.
Today samsa is the quintessential Kyrgyz street food, sold hot from bazaar ovens across the country and considered the perfect quick meal for busy workers and travelers.
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