Samsa - there is so much in this word. The traditional oriental dish has long become popular all over the world. Initially, it originated in Asia, but thanks to the development of trade and market relations, samsa became known far beyond the borders of the East.
There are different versions of the appearance of this dish, but one of them is so romantic and tragic that I want to dwell on it. They say that Samsa is the name of a beautiful Kyrgyz girl who, long ago, lived at the top of the tallest tower. She was very sad and lonely, but one day a handsome horseman came and asked the young lady to marry. The girl fell in love with the boy at first sight, and in order not to waste time climbing thousands of steps on the way down, she simply jumped out of the window in the hope that the wings of love would not allow her to break. Alas, this did not happen, and the girl fell dead at the horseman’s feet. Subsequently, it was this incident that forced the young man to invent a delicious dish, where an equally delicate filling is hidden under the most delicate dough, and to name it after his beloved.
Whether this is true or not, everyone decides in their own way, but the fact remains that Uzbek samsa really turns out incredibly tasty, juicy and tender. The dough, as a rule, is used unleavened and flaky; in consistency it is initially similar to dough for dumplings. For the filling, you need to take the meat, cut it into small pieces, without chopping it into minced meat. Then the onion is added (there is no need to chop too much here, it should be noticeable in the finished dish) and finely chopped fat tail fat - these ingredients are used to add juiciness to the dish. In a traditional samsa recipe you won’t find a large amount of spices - they are added to a minimum to highlight and not overshadow the taste of the meat. The “pies” themselves are made in a triangular shape and baked in a tandoor.
However, everyone knows that any dish has many cooking options, and samsa is no exception. If desired, the dough can be made not unleavened, but, say, shortbread. You can take any meat to your taste or even replace it with cheese, herbs, vegetables or potatoes. You can choose a different shape - round or square, and bake not in a tandoor or even in the oven, but fry in a frying pan in hot vegetable oil. There are a lot of recipes and options, and everyone can choose what they like. But still, it’s better to start getting acquainted with samsa with a more traditional meat version in puff pastry.
- Do-it-yourself homemade samsa made from puff pastry with meat
- Puff samsa made from homemade dough with lamb and cumin
- Recipe for samsa with minced beef - prepare the dough without eggs
- How to quickly cook samsa with meat and fat tail
- How to cook samsa with meat at home - video recipe
Do-it-yourself homemade samsa made from puff pastry with meat
At first glance, it may seem that making your own puff pastry is simply unrealistic, but this is only at first glance. There's nothing special or really complicated about it. Of course, you can buy ready-made dough - it is now available in all grocery stores. But it’s unlikely that anything compares to real homemade dough, prepared with love. Of course, you will spend more time, but the result is worth it.
For the filling, the recipe calls for beef or lamb, but you can choose any meat to your taste. You can also use the spices you like. The main thing is that they are combined with the rest of the ingredients and do not overpower the taste. If the meat is lean, be sure to add onions - it will make the filling more juicy.
The undeniable advantages of samsa prepared according to this recipe include the method of baking it. It is prepared in the oven without using a large amount of vegetable oil. And everyone knows that dishes cooked in the oven are healthier than those fried in a frying pan.
You will need for the test:
- wheat flour – 400 gr.;
- butter – 90 gr.;
- hot water – 200 ml;
- vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. l.;
- salt – 1 tsp.
You will need for the filling:
- meat – 400 gr.;
- onion – 350 gr.;
- zira – 1 tsp;
- dried chopped garlic – 1 tsp;
- salt to taste;
- ground black pepper to taste.
You will need for decoration:
- chicken egg yolk – 1 pc.;
- sedan
Cooking stages.
1. You need to start by preparing the dough. To do this, pass the flour through a sieve. Do not ignore this stage: this way you will not only get rid of possible debris, but also saturate the flour with oxygen, which will have a positive effect on the taste of the finished dish.
2. Make a well in the center of the flour into which you need to pour vegetable oil and water. Knead the dough. First do this in a bowl containing flour, and then place it on a clean table and continue to knead thoroughly with your hands. Wrap the finished dough in cling film or a bag and leave for about 40 minutes.
3. After the specified time has passed, roll out the dough into a large and thin layer. To prevent it from sticking to the table, it is better to sprinkle it with flour in advance.
4. Melt the butter and brush it onto the rolled out dough using a pastry brush.
5. When the entire surface of the dough is coated, you will need to roll it into a roll. Start with a small section of the bottom edge. Roll the roll as tightly as possible. When the “sausage” is ready, divide it into a couple of parts (if necessary), put it in a container, cover with a lid and put it in the freezer for about 50 minutes.
6. While the dough is resting, you can start preparing the filling. Rinse the meat in ice water and wipe dry using paper napkins. Cut it into small pieces.
7. Peel the onion and chop into small cubes. Lightly press it down with your hands or a board and transfer it to the meat. Add salt and spices, stir.
8. Remove the dough from the freezer and cut into small pieces of approximately 3 centimeters.
9. First press down each piece with your hand and then roll it into a round plate.
10. Place a little filling in the center of the dough disk and roll it into a triangle, pointing the edges towards the center and pinning them together with your fingers.
11. Place the pieces on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, seams down, brush with beaten yolk for shine and sprinkle with sedana. Bake samsa in the oven at 180 degrees for about 40 minutes.
You can serve it hot or cold, according to your taste. Homemade samsa will serve as an excellent snack or addition to lunch.
Puff samsa made from homemade dough with lamb and cumin
Samsa prepared according to this recipe turns out incredibly tasty, juicy, aromatic and tender. The dough used is shortbread puff pastry, which is made from the simplest ingredients. It may take more time than buying something ready-made, but the taste will be much better. Samsa is baked in the oven, which means it is not soaked in fatty oil, which makes the food quite light. At the same time, it is really very satisfying.
The recipe requires 3 types of meat. This is done to complete the taste, and the added spices only emphasize it. If you do not like any type of meat from the proposed options, you can replace it with any other. Fat tail fat, which is also added to the filling, completely melts during cooking, making the dish truly juicy. Try making samsa using this recipe, and your loved ones will be delighted.
You will need for the test:
- wheat flour – 700 gr.;
- butter – 200 gr.;
- water – 200 ml;
- chicken egg – 1 pc.;
- salt – 1 tsp.
You will need for the filling:
- beef – 300 gr.;
- veal – 300 gr.;
- lamb – 300 gr.;
- tail fat – 100 g;
- onion – 450 gr.;
- black pepper to taste;
- cumin to taste;
- salt to taste.
You will need for decoration:
- light sesame;
- dark sesame;
- chicken egg – 1 pc.
Cooking stages.
1. First you need to start preparing the dough. Sift the flour into a wide, fairly tall bowl. This must be done. Firstly, you will filter out possible debris, and secondly, you will saturate the flour with oxygen, which will have a beneficial effect on the tenderness and airiness of the dough.
2. Take cold butter and start grating it on a coarse grater directly into the flour. For convenience, periodically dip the butter into the flour so that it does not smear on the surface of the grater. Rub the butter in 3 additions, periodically stirring it into the flour with your hands to prevent it from melting.
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3. Beat a chicken egg into a glass of cold water, add salt and stir everything thoroughly. Add the mixture to the flour and butter, stirring constantly with a fork.
4. When you have mixed the dough well enough, continue kneading it on the table with your hands for some more time. Wrap the finished dough in cling film or a bag and set aside for 30-60 minutes.
5. While the dough is resting, make the filling. Rinse the meat in ice water and dry with paper napkins or a towel. Chop the meat into small pieces.
6. Peel the onion and chop it into cubes. Also chop the fat tail fat into small cubes.
7. Combine meat, onion and fat tail fat, add spices and stir well. Cover the filling with a lid or cling film and set aside.
8. Take out the dough and roll it out on the table into a fairly thin layer, having first sprinkled both the table and the dough itself with flour.
9. Melt 60 grams of butter, let it cool slightly and brush the dough with a pastry brush.
10. Roll the dough into one large sausage. Make it as tight as possible. When everything is done, roll the resulting sausage into a snail for compactness, wrap it in a bag and put it in the freezer for a quarter of an hour.
11. After the specified time has passed, remove the dough from the freezer and cut it into pieces. The larger they are, the larger the samsa will be, so adjust the size yourself.
12. Make a small cake from each piece, then roll each of them using a rolling pin into a medium-thick disk.
13. Place the filling in the middle of each tortilla and bring the edges together to form a triangle, using your fingers to secure them together.
14. When you have used all the dough and filling, place the envelopes, seam side down, on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
15. Break the egg into a glass, beat with a fork and brush each samsa with a pastry brush. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Send to bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
History Edit
The history of this dish is not exactly known. But it is known that this dish has spread to many countries: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and so on. Perhaps samsa became widespread during the campaigns of the great Tamerlane or much earlier in the era of Alexander the Great.
Samsa recipes were significantly enriched after the conquest of Central Asia by the Russian Empire (1865-1917). For example, previously high-grade flour was not used in Central Asia, only then it began to be imported from Russia for the European population, as well as potatoes and cabbage. But nevertheless, samsa remains an unsurpassed dish of Uzbek cuisine.
Today, samsa is made with meat (lamb, chicken, beef), vegetables (pumpkin, potatoes, onions), as well as mushrooms, eggs, peas, herbs, and even sweet fillings. The final magician of the taste of samsa is the spices that enrich the taste of the filling - black/red pepper cumin and sesame seeds.
Recipe for samsa with minced beef - prepare the dough without eggs
The dough for this recipe is prepared from such a small amount of the simplest ingredients that it’s hard to imagine. Of course, making puff pastry yourself will take quite a lot of time, but the result is worth it - the samsa will turn out incredibly tender and tasty.
For the filling, ready-made minced beef is used, but you can choose minced meat from any other type of meat or even make it yourself. If you still decide on beef, then under no circumstances reduce the amount of onion used. Since beef is quite lean meat, it needs to be made more juicy, which is why onions are needed. If the meat is of high quality and fresh, you should not add a lot of spices to it. A small amount of ground black pepper is enough to highlight the taste.
You will need for the test:
- wheat flour – 500 gr.;
- water – 300 gr.;
- melted margarine – 150 gr.;
- salt – 1 tsp.
You will need for the filling:
- minced beef – 600 gr.;
- onion – 500 gr.;
- salt – 1 tsp. with a slide;
- ground black pepper – 0.5 tsp.
You will need for decoration:
- chicken egg yolk – 1 pc.;
- sesame.
Cooking stages.
1. As in previous recipes, you need to start preparing samsa with dough. First, dissolve the salt in water, and then add the already salted liquid into the pre-sifted flour, stirring constantly. First, knead the dough with a spoon in a bowl, then place it on a floured table and knead with your hands.
2 Cover the finished dough with a towel or napkin and let it sit for about 20 minutes. Then divide it into 2 parts, knead again with your hands and again leave it alone under the towel for another 20 minutes.
3. After the specified time has passed, roll out each piece of dough into a thin layer of literally 1-2 millimeters. Make sure that it is even in thickness, and that the layers themselves are approximately the same in diameter.
4. Brush the entire surface of 1 layer with melted margarine - use half of what you have. Place a second layer on top and also grease with margarine.
5. Roll the resulting structure into a tight roll. Then turn the roll into a rope, twisting the ends in opposite directions. Cut the tourniquet into several pieces, place in a bag and place in the freezer for 3 hours.
6. Meanwhile, make the filling. Peel the onion and finely chop.
7. Add salt and pepper to the minced meat and stir thoroughly. Then combine it with the onion and mix everything thoroughly again.
8. When the dough is frozen enough, remove it from the freezer and let it thaw slightly. Cut into portions weighing approximately 60 grams. Then you need to flatten each piece crosswise - this will give you exactly puff pastry.
9. Grease each resulting cake with a drop of vegetable oil and roll it into a fairly thin disk using a rolling pin. Place the filling in the middle of each disc and then bring the edges together to form a triangle.
10. Place on a baking sheet lined with foil or baking paper, seam side down. Beat the yolk of a chicken egg with a fork and brush it onto each samsa using a pastry brush, sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 20 minutes. Homemade samsa cooks quite quickly, but it is best to check the meat inside for readiness before eating; it should not be pink.
What furniture to choose for the bathroom?
When developing a design project for a bathroom in a private home, the issue of choosing suitable furniture is always acute.
It is important not only to choose suitable furniture according to design, but also to take into account its location and size
In modern bathroom furniture collections we can often see:
- cabinets for a washbasin or with a sink included;
- various racks and hanging cabinets;
- dryers;
- wall and floor mirrors;
- various chests of drawers and shelves for storing towels;
- special cabinets with a compartment for a washing machine;
- racks with equipped laundry baskets and more. etc.
When choosing furniture for the bathroom of your home, try to give preference to one series/manufacturer. This way you can avoid the risk of inconsistency between the design and decor of individual elements.
It has become fashionable today to decorate large bathrooms in homes in dark colors (dark blue, dark purple, dark green, etc.). Not only white sanitary ware, but also classic light furniture looks great with such interiors. If you still want to place dark furniture in your bathroom, this is also not a problem. The stores sell bathroom furniture in popular wenge and brown colors, as well as grey, black, red, blue, green and many other shades.
For small and small bathrooms, it is a good idea to install furniture with a lot of mirror and glass decorative elements, which will make the room seem more spacious. Another interesting idea is to install large mirrors above the sinks.
How to quickly cook samsa with meat and fat tail
Samsa according to this recipe is prepared much faster than the previous ones. You don't need to layer the dough and freeze it. Everything is simple here: after kneading, you need to let the dough sit, and then you can cook right away. The main condition is to roll it out into the thinnest layer. At the same time, the dish turns out no worse than from classic puff pastry. And the appearance of such “pies” is very attractive.
For the filling, use any meat of your choice. But considering that the recipe requires fat tail fat, it is better to opt for a leaner version of meat: beef or lamb. Do not under any circumstances reduce the amount of onion - it also makes the minced meat more juicy, and classic spices will help the meat flavor to reveal itself. In principle, you can only use salt and pepper - this will not make the dish any worse, but the rich taste of fresh meat will be emphasized very favorably.
You will need for the test:
- flour – 500 gr.;
- chicken egg – 1 pc.;
- water – 300 ml;
- vegetable oil – 70 ml;
- vegetable oil for coating – 50 ml;
- salt – 1 tsp.
You will need for the filling:
- meat – 500 gr.;
- tail fat – 100 g;
- onions – 4-5 pcs.;
- cumin to taste;
- a mixture of peppers to taste;
- salt to taste.
You will need for decoration:
- chicken egg – 1 pc.;
- sesame.
Cooking stages.
1. First, pass the flour through a sieve. You can do this several times - this will only make the dough more tender and airy. Mix salt and water in a glass until the salt is completely dissolved.
2. Make a hole in the sifted flour and break an egg into it, add salted water, vegetable oil and mix everything. Knead the dough with your hands, wrap it in a bag and leave for at least 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, rinse the meat in ice water and cut into small cubes. Also finely chop the fat tail. Remove the skins from the onion and chop into small pieces. Combine meat, fat and onion, add selected spices and mix everything thoroughly.
4. When the required time has passed, remove the dough from the bag and divide it into 3 approximately equal parts. Roll each of them into a very thin layer, and then divide the resulting dough disk into 4 parts, cutting crosswise.
5. Brush the quarter circles with vegetable oil using a silicone pastry brush. Then place your index finger near the corner of one quarter in the center of the circle and, moving it along the surface of the table, move the dough from the center to the edge, as if gathering fabric into a fold.
6. Then take the dough folded in this way by both ends on both sides and, without lifting them from the table, lift the ends up and connect in the center, overlapping the corners. You should end up with a teardrop-shaped design of folds.
7. Place the filling on the top of this “drop”, tuck the edges so that it does not fall out and roll it into a roll. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam side down.
8. When the dough and filling are finished, brush the dough with a beaten chicken egg, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake at 180 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
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The finished juicy and crispy homemade samosa will delight you and your loved ones with its incredible taste and aroma.
Modern variety of fillings
As already mentioned, initially there was only one type of samsa - with lamb. However, over time, a fairly wide selection of fillings appeared. First of all, these are, of course, other types of meat. In our places, they often make samsa with beef: lamb still needs to be found, but cow meat is here, right at hand. Chicken is also often used for filling. Interestingly, no one cooks samsa with pork. Either the meat is too fatty for this dish, or these are echoes of the Islamic heritage of samsa.
In addition to meat, this dish is also available in vegetable versions. The “pies” are filled with pumpkin, peas, potatoes, and mushrooms. There are also recipes with stuffed eggs along with something.
The “parents” of samsa – the Uzbeks – have also made it as a dessert since ancient times. To do this, fruit jams were placed inside, and on top, in addition to the usual sesame seeds, the delicacy was sprinkled with sugar.
There are also mixed fillings. One of the most popular options is samsa with potatoes and meat. You can use any kind of dough for it, be it regular or puff pastry. Some experimenters suggest adding semolina to the regular dough for such samsa - they say this makes the dough more fluffy, but tighter. However, even if you choose regular, keep in mind that you will have to knead it longer to make it more dense. Still, the filling is supposed to be more moist and uneven, so it can break through the sides of the pie.
Again, it’s a question of the ratio of components. Most chefs agree that even mixed samsa, with potatoes and meat, should contain onions. However, its quantity probably depends on personal tastes. Still, you can’t use it in the same volume as in traditional samsa.
In a word, you need to get the hang of it, practice using classic recipes, feel the taste of real samsa - and then you can invent your own recipes. Happy experimenting and bon appetit!
How to cook samsa with meat at home - video recipe
Samsa may seem like a rather difficult dish to prepare, especially if you are not very experienced in baking and the dough does not come to you the first time. Perhaps the video recipe will help you understand the nuances and close all the shortcomings. Be sure to check out this visual cooking guide.
As you can see, there is nothing particularly difficult about preparing samsa at home. And very few products are used. Take a little time to please your loved ones, and the result will be simply amazing.
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