Samsa – Uzbek Flaky Lamb and Onion Pastries

Ingredients:

Preparation mode:

👉 Samsa are the golden, flaky meat pastries sold hot from clay tandoor ovens in every bazaar in Uzbekistan. The thin layered dough wraps a juicy filling of chopped lamb, plenty of onion, cumin and black pepper, and the pastries are brushed with egg and sprinkled with sesame before baking. Samsa are closely related to the Indian samosa – both names come from the Persian sanbosag – but Uzbek samsa are baked, not fried. They are eaten for breakfast with green tea, as a snack on the go or as part of a festive table.

How to Make Samsa

1. Make the dough. Mix the flour and salt, add the warm water and knead for 8–10 minutes into a soft, smooth dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
2. Laminate the dough. Roll the dough into a very thin, large rectangle. Spread it evenly with the soft butter, then roll it up tightly into a long log. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes – this creates the flaky layers.
3. Make the filling. Mix the chopped meat, onions, cumin, pepper, salt and diced fat in a bowl. The onions keep the filling juicy, so don’t skimp on them.
4. Shape. Cut the chilled log into 12 slices. Lay each slice cut side up, press it flat and roll into a thin circle of about 12 cm, keeping the edges thinner than the centre.
5. Fill. Put a heaped tablespoon of filling in the centre of each circle. Fold in three sides to make a triangle and pinch the edges firmly together. Place seam side down on a lined baking tray.
6. Glaze. Brush the samsa with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with sesame or nigella seeds.
7. Bake. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 30–35 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Let them rest for 5 minutes – the filling is very hot.

Tips for the Best Samsa

• Chop the meat by hand with a knife if you can – samsa filling should be juicy and slightly chunky, not a paste.
• Chilling the buttered dough log is the key to flaky layers.
• Bake on the lowest shelf for a crisp bottom, like in a tandoor.

FAQ

What is the difference between samsa and samosa?
They share the same origin. Uzbek samsa is a baked pastry with layered dough and a lamb and onion filling, while Indian samosa is usually fried and often filled with spiced potatoes.

Can I make samsa with puff pastry?
Yes – store-bought all-butter puff pastry makes excellent samsa in much less time.

Can I freeze samsa?
Freeze the shaped, unbaked samsa on a tray, then transfer to a bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding 10 minutes.

👉 More from Central Asia: manti, Uzbek plov and lagman. Love pastries? Try Georgian khachapuri.

Footnotes:

Quick version: use 2 sheets of all-butter puff pastry (about 500 g) instead of homemade dough – cut into 12 squares and fill as below.
For a beef samsa, use beef with about 20% fat, or add a little butter to the filling.