{{Short description|Deep-fried snack/ turnover}} {{good article}} {{distinguish|Samoa|Samsa (disambiguation){{!}}Samsa}} {{Use Indian English|date=January 2026}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}} {{Infobox food | name = Samosa(s) | image = File:Samosas, snack food at Wikipedia's 16th Birthday celebration in Chittagong (01).jpg | type = Savoury turnover | alternate_name = sambusa, samusa,<ref>{{cite OED2|samosa}}</ref> siṅgaṛā/siṅāṛā, samose | region = India, South Asia, West Asia, East Africa, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, West Africa | course = Entrée, side dish, snack | served = Hot | main_ingredient = Flour, vegetables (e.g. potatoes, onions, peas, lentils), spices, chili peppers, mince, and cheese | variations = | place_of_origin = Central Asia and the Middle East<ref name="Springer2019" /> }} A '''samosa''' ({{IPAc-en|s|ə|ˈ|m|oʊ|s|ə}}) ({{pronunciation|Samosa.ogg|listen|help=no}}) is a fried Indian subcontinent<ref>{{Cite web |title=Samosa |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/samosa |access-date=2022-11-16 |website=www.britannica.com |archive-date=4 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240904031849/https://www.britannica.com/topic/samosa |url-status=live }}</ref> turnover with a savoury filling that mostly consists of vegetables like spiced potatoes, onions, and peas, but can include cheese such as paneer, meat or even fish. Its name originates from the Middle Persian word ''sambosag'' ({{lang|fa|سنبوسگ}}) (meaning 'triangular pastry'). It is made in different shapes, including a triangle, a cone, or a crescent, depending on the region.<ref name="OCF">{{cite book |last=Davidson |first=Alan |author-link=Alan Davidson (food writer) |year=1999 |title=The Oxford Companion to Food |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-211579-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RL6LAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA709 |access-date=29 February 2020 |archive-date=4 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240904032000/https://books.google.com/books?id=RL6LAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA709#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="KaminskyLong2011">{{cite book |last1=Kaminsky |first1=Arnold P. |last2=Long |first2=Roger D. |title=Middle East Today: An Encyclopedia of Life in the Republic |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wWDnTWrz4O8C&pg=PA151 |access-date=22 April 2012 |date=23 September 2011 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-0-313-37462-3 |page=151 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130527190502/http://books.google.com/books?id=wWDnTWrz4O8C&pg=PA151 |archive-date=27 May 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Sa’adia |last=Reza |title=Food's Holy Triangle |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1157291/foods-holy-triangle |work=Dawn |access-date=28 October 2018 |date=18 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181028033941/https://www.dawn.com/news/1157291/foods-holy-triangle |archive-date=28 October 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Samosas are often accompanied by chutney and have origins in the Middle Ages or earlier.<ref name="OCF"/> Sweet versions containing traditional Indian flavours or even chocolate are also made. Samosas are popular snacks in South Asia and within the Indian diaspora across the world.<!--
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== Etymology ==
thumb|left|upright=1.75|Names of samosas in different countries. Many of the names derive from Persian.<ref name="Rodinson Arberry 2001"/>
The English word ''samosa'' derives from the Hindustani word {{transliteration|hi|samosa}} ({{langx|hi|समोसा}}),<ref name="thefreedictionary.com">{{Cite web|title=Samosa|url=https://www.thefreedictionary.com/samosa|access-date=22 April 2021|archive-date=4 January 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040104210928/https://www.thefreedictionary.com/samosa|url-status=live}}</ref> traceable to the Middle Persian word {{transliteration|pal|sambōsag}} ({{lang|fa|سنبوسگ}})<ref name="hin">[https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/lovely-triangles/story-aIL2GLawECV084GXmGqshI.html Lovely triangles] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108021557/http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print.aspx?Id=587bdb22-9913-4871-a1ed-705840d9a281|date=8 January 2009}} ''Hindustan Times'', 23 August 2008.</ref> 'triangular pastry'.<ref>Nişanyan - Türkçe Etimolojik Sözlük: [https://www.nisanyansozluk.com/?k=samsa&lnk=1 Samsa] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307082807/https://www.nisanyansozluk.com/?k=samsa&lnk=1 |date=7 March 2023 }}. accessed: 26 April 2021.</ref> Similar turnovers are called {{transliteration|ar|sambusak}} in Arabic from Persian; medieval Arabic recipe books sometimes spell it {{transliteration|ar|sambusaj}}. All these word-forms are borrowed from the Persian.<ref name="Rodinson Arberry 2001">{{cite book |last1=Rodinson |first1=Maxime |last2=Arberry |first2=Arthur |last3=Perry |first3=Charles |title=Medieval Arab Cookery |publisher=Prospect Books |year=2001 |page=72 |isbn=978-0907325918}}</ref>{{-}}
== History == [[File:Nimmatnama-i Nasiruddin-Shahi 283.jpg|thumb|The Persian manuscript ''Ni'matnāmah Naṣir al-Dīn Shāhī'' explaining how samosas should be cooked]] [[File:Sweets 1.jpg|thumb|upright|Medieval Indian cookbook with Persian manuscript ''Ni'matnāmah Naṣir al-Dīn Shāhī'' ({{circa}} 16th century) showing samosas being served]] The Indian/Pakistani samosa is believed to be derived from a medieval precursor from the Middle East<ref name="Springer2019">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gAPOCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA130 |title=Indigenous Culture, Education and Globalization: Critical Perspectives from Asia |page=130 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3662481592 |date=23 October 2015 |access-date=5 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190106153328/https://books.google.ca/books?id=gAPOCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA130 |archive-date=6 January 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=4 January 2017 |title=TBI Food Secrets: Unravelling the Fascinating History of the Samosa, India's Favourite Street Snack |url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/80824/samosa-history-india/ |access-date=19 December 2021 |website=The Better India |archive-date=5 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105071341/https://www.thebetterindia.com/80824/samosa-history-india/ |url-status=live}}</ref> that was baked and not deep-fried. The earliest mention of a samosa precursor was by Abbasid-era poet Ishaq al-Mawsili, praising the ''sanbusaj''. Recipes are found in 10th–13th-century Arab cookery books, under the names ''sanbusak'', ''sanbusaq'', and ''sanbusaj'', all deriving from the Persian word {{transliteration|fa|sanbosag}}. In Iran, the dish was popular until the 16th century, but by the 20th century, its popularity was restricted to certain provinces (such as the {{transliteration|lrl|sambusas}} of Larestan).<ref name="OCF" /> Abu'l-Fadl Bayhaqi (995–1077), an Iranian historian, mentioned it in his history book, ''Tarikh-i Bayhaqi''.<ref>Beyhaqi, Abolfazl, ''Tarikh-e Beyhaghi'', p. 132.</ref>
The Central Asian ''samsa'' was introduced to the Indian subcontinent in the 13th or 14th century by chefs from the Middle East and Central Asia who cooked in the royal kitchens for the rulers of the Delhi Sultanate.<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 January 2017 |title=TBI Food Secrets: Unravelling the Fascinating History of the Samosa, India's Favourite Street Snack |url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/80824/samosa-history-india/ |access-date=7 May 2022 |website=The Better India |archive-date=5 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105071341/https://www.thebetterindia.com/80824/samosa-history-india/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Amir Khusrau (1253–1325), a scholar and the royal poet of the Delhi Sultanate, wrote around 1300 CE that the princes and nobles enjoyed the "samosa prepared from meat, ghee, onion, and so on".<ref name="tri">[http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040905/spectrum/food.htm Savoury temptations] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205091240/http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040905/spectrum/food.htm |date=5 December 2008}} ''The Tribune'', 5 September 2005.</ref> Ibn Battuta, a 14th-century traveller and explorer, describes a meal at the court of Muhammad bin Tughluq, where the ''samushak'' or ''sambusak'', a small pie stuffed with minced meat, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, and spices, was served before the third course of ''pulao''.<ref>[http://www.india-today.com/iplus/1999_3/life3.html Regal Repasts] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107113339/http://www.india-today.com/iplus/1999_3/life3.html |date=7 January 2009}} Jiggs Kalra and Dr Pushpesh Pant, ''India Today Plus'', March 1999.</ref> ''Ni'matnāmah Naṣir al-Dīn Shāhī'', a medieval Indian cookbook started for Ghiyath Shah, the ruler of the Malwa Sultanate in central India, mentions the art of making samosa.<ref name="Bloom">{{cite book |last1=Bloom |first1=Jonathan M. |title=The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture |volume=1 |date=2009 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-530991-1 |page=236}}</ref> The ''Ain-i-Akbari'', a 16th-century Mughal document, mentions the recipe for qottab, which it says, "the people of Hindustan call ''sanbúsah''".<ref>[http://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D00702015%26ct%3D50%26rqs%3D666 Recipes for Dishes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727161648/http://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile=00702015&ct=50&rqs=666 |date=27 July 2011 }} ''Ain-i-Akbari'', by Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak. English tr. by Heinrich Blochmann and Colonel Henry Sullivan Jarrett, 1873–1907. Asiatic Society of Bengal, Calcutta, Volume I, Chapter 24, page 59. "10. Quṭáb, which the people of Hindústán call sanbúsah. This is made several ways. 10 s. meat; 4 s. flour; 2 s. g'hí; 1 s. onions; ¼ s. fresh ginger; ½ s. salt; 2 d. pepper and coriander seed; cardamum, cumin seed, cloves, 1 d. of each; ¼ s. of summáq. This can be cooked in 20 different ways, and gives four full dishes".</ref>
The samosa gained its popularity for its savoury flavour and convenience. The pocket-sized food item was a readily available snack for workers and travellers across India, Pakistan, and Central Asia.<ref>{{cite web |date=24 July 2023 |title=The Story of the Samosa |url=https://www.baytalfann.com/post/the-story-of-the-samosa |access-date=4 December 2024 |website=Bayt Al Fann}}</ref>
==Regional varieties==
=== Indian subcontinent ===
In Indian subcontinent, samosas are prepared with an all-purpose flour (locally known as maida) and stuffed with a filling, often a mixture of diced and cooked or mashed boiled potatoes, onions, green peas, lentils, ginger, spices and green chillies.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Pal |first=Sanchari |date=4 January 2017 |title=TBI Food Secrets: Unravelling the Fascinating History of the Samosa, India's Favourite Street Snack |url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/80824/samosa-history-india/|access-date=1 May 2021 |website=The Better India |archive-date=5 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105071341/https://www.thebetterindia.com/80824/samosa-history-india/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://food.ndtv.com/recipe-samosas-1-492604|title=Samosas Recipe by Niru Gupta|work=NDTV Food|access-date=23 April 2021|archive-date=3 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171203212523/https://food.ndtv.com/recipe-samosas-1-492604 |url-status=live}}</ref> A samosa can be either vegetarian or non-vegetarian, depending on the filling. The entire pastry is deep-fried in vegetable oil to a golden-brown colour. It is served hot, often as a ''chaat'' street food, with fresh chutneys.<ref>{{cite book |last=Collingham |first=Elizabeth M. |author-link=Lizzie Collingham |title=Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors| publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2006 |isbn=0-19-517241-8 |url=https://archive.org/details/currytaleofcooks00coll |url-access=registration |pages=187–189}}</ref> In the Indian states of Assam, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand, ''singara'' (সিঙ্গারা) or ''shingra'' ({{lang|as|চিংৰা}})<ref name=Xobdo>{{Cite web|script-title=bn:চিংৰা|url=http://www.xobdo.org/dic/%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%82%E0%A7%B0%E0%A6%BE|access-date=23 November 2021|website=Xobdo.org|archive-date=4 September 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240904031850/http://www.xobdo.org/dic/%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%82%E0%A7%B0%E0%A6%BE|url-status=live}}</ref> (the East Indian version of samosas) is a popular snack found almost everywhere. They are a bit smaller than in other parts of India, with a filling of cooked diced potato, peanuts, and sometimes raisins.<ref name=":0"/> In Hyderabad, a smaller version with a thicker pastry crust and minced meat filling, called ''lukhmi'', is eaten.<ref name=":0"/>
Both flat (triangular) and full-shaped (tetrahedron/triangular pyramid) samosas are popular in Bangladesh. A Bengali version of the full-shaped samosa is called a {{transliteration|bn|shingara}} ({{lang|bn|সিঙাড়া}}) and is normally smaller than the standard variety. The {{transliteration|bn|shingara}} is usually filled with pieces of potatoes, vegetables, and nuts.<ref name=Xobdo/> Samosas are called {{transliteration|ne|singadas}} in the eastern part of Nepal, from their shape which is like a water caltrop (''shingara'' in Eastern India); the rest of the country calls it samosa.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Baral |first1=Binod |title=Unraveling the history of samosas |url=https://theannapurnaexpress.com/story/44970/ |work=The Annapurna Express |date=19 July 2023}}</ref>
A distinct variety, available in Karachi, is called {{transliteration|ur|kaghazi samosa}}<ref>{{cite web |last=Gupte |first=Vaishnavi |title=Easy samosa recipes to kill those evening hunger pangs |url=https://www.cntraveller.in/story/easy-samosa-recipes-hunger-cooking-home-food-lockdown/ |date=14 May 2020}}</ref> ({{langx|ur|{{nq|کاغذی سموسہ}}}}; "paper samosa") due to its thin and crispy covering, which resembles a wonton or spring roll wrapper. Fillings include beef, chicken, and lamb, or they can be made as a sweet.<ref name="Lugo GoWorld 2021"/>
The samosas made in Maldivian cuisine are known as {{transliteration|dv|bajiyaa}}. They are filled with a mixture including fish like tuna and onions.<ref>Xavier Romero-Frias, ''[https://www.himalmag.com/eating-on-the-islands/ Eating on the Islands] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200328214604/https://www.himalmag.com/eating-on-the-islands/ |date=28 March 2020 }}'', Himal Southasian, Vol. 26 no. 2, pages 69-91 {{ISSN|1012-9804}}</ref>
<gallery class=center mode=nolines widths=180 heights=180> File:Samosas before being fried.jpg|Samosas before being fried, at a sweet shop in Kolkata File:Samosa with sauce available at Indian Coffee Houses in Kerala .jpg|Samosa with tomato ketchup at coffee houses in Kerala File:Vegetable Samosa.jpg|Vegetable samosa File:Samosa-and-Chatni.jpg|Tetrahedral shingaras, with green chutney </gallery>
=== Central Asia ===
The ''samsa'' is a savoury turnover in Central Asian cuisines such as that of Uzbekistan. It consists of a pastry stuffed with meat and sometimes vegetables and baked in a tandoor oven, rather than being fried.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Odinaeva |first1=Sabina |last2=Khamidullaeva |first2=Shodiya |title=Tandoor Samsa: Happiness Baked Fresh! |url=https://www.visituzbekistan.co/articles/from-the-tandoor-with-love |publisher=Visit Uzbekistan Magazine |access-date=17 January 2026}}</ref>
In Tajik cuisine, {{transliteration|tg|sambusa-i varaki}} are triangular turnovers, filled with minced beef or mutton mixed with tail fat, flavoured with onions and spices, and baked in a tandoor oven.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sambusa baraki |website=Taste Atlas |url=https://www.tasteatlas.com/sambusa-baraki |access-date=4 September 2024 |archive-date=19 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119182521/https://www.tasteatlas.com/sambusa-baraki |url-status=live }}</ref>
<gallery class=center mode=nolines widths=240 heights=200> File:Samsa of Khiva.jpg|A batch of ''samsas'' being baked in a tandoor oven in Khiva, Uzbekistan </gallery>
===Southeast Asia===
Samosas are called {{transliteration|my|samuza}} (စမူဆာ) in Burmese, and are an extremely popular street snack in Burma. Samosas are also used in a traditional Burmese salad called ''samuza thoke'' ({{lang|my|စမူဆာသုပ်}}; {{Lit|samosa salad}}), a salad of cut samosa pieces with onions, cabbage, fresh mint, light potato and chickpea curry broth, masala, chili powder, salt and lime.<ref>{{Cite web |title=စမူဆာသုပ် |url=http://we.com.mm/detail/10794 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111072954/http://we.com.mm/detail/10794 |archive-date=11 January 2021 |access-date=2021-01-09 |website=WE |language=my |url-status=dead}}</ref>
In Indonesia, snacks similar similar to samosas include ''pastel'', ''panada'' and ''epok-epok''.<ref name="Lugo GoWorld 2021">{{cite web |last=Lugo |first=Ligia |title=Traveling Through Cuisine: How to Make Samosas at Home |url=https://www.goworldtravel.com/make-samosa-popular-indian-dish-at-home/ |publisher=Go World Travel Magazine |date=25 February 2021}}</ref>
<gallery class=center mode=nolines widths=180 heights=180> File:samosa.jpg|Burmese-style {{transliteration|my|samuza}}, smaller than their Indian counterparts File:Indonesian-style samosa.jpg|Indonesian-style ''samosa'' identified as kue kering </gallery>
=== Africa ===
All across East Africa, samosas, known by several variants of the name, are popular. In Somalia, ''sambuus'' filled with vegetables, meat, or seafood are eaten on special occasions.<ref name="Ahmed LATimes 2021">{{cite news |last1=Ahmed |first1=Ifrah F. |title=Why Somali fried dumplings deserve a place on your table and in your heart |url=https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2021-05-06/sambuus-somali-fried-dumplings-ramadan-eid |work=Los Angeles Times |date=6 May 2021}}</ref> Samosas, locally called samoussas, are a popular snack on Réunion. They are filled with chicken, cheese, crabs or potatoes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cuisine-creole.com/samoussas/ |title=Samoussas |first=par |last=Leslie |date=17 June 2018 |access-date=29 October 2020 |archive-date=1 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001054926/https://cuisine-creole.com/samoussas/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
South African ''samoosas''<ref name="ejozi">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ejozi.co.za/south-african-cuisine/samoosas.html |title=Samoosas in South African Cuisine |access-date=19 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203151858/http://www.ejozi.co.za/south-african-cuisine/samoosas.html |archive-date=3 December 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="indianFusion">{{cite web |url=https://www.indianfusion.co.za/south-african-indian-samoosa-samosa/ |title=Samoosa (Samosa) | Indian Fusion South Africa |date=11 September 2010 |access-date=19 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190519022941/https://www.indianfusion.co.za/south-african-indian-samoosa-samosa/ |archive-date=19 May 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> tend to be smaller than Indian ones.<ref name="sbsRecipe">{{Cite web |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/samoosas |title=Samoosas |date=26 April 2012 |access-date=19 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190529070628/https://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/samoosas |archive-date=29 May 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> Samosa dough is also used for a flatbread called ''farmaas puri'', which consists of rolled-up sheets of dough stacked with minced meat, which are cut into thin circles and deep fried. Originating in South Africa, ''farmaas puri'' spread to Gujarati communities in India and Pakistan, where it is popular during Ramadan.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shabbir |first=Buraq |date=4 April 2024 |title=Gujaratis bring decades-old recipes to Ramadan iftar spreads in Pakistan’s Karachi |url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/2487856/amp |access-date=26 November 2025 |work=Arab News}}</ref>
In West African countries such as Ghana and Nigeria, samosas are a common street food. In Nigeria, they are usually served in parties along with chicken or beef, puff puff, spring rolls and plantains and are among the finger foods called "small chops".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ndeche |first1=Chidirim |title=How To Make Samosa (Small Chops) |url=https://guardian.ng/life/food/how-to-make-samosa-small-chops/ |location=Lagos, Nigeria|access-date=17 January 2026 |date=24 August 2017|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref>
<gallery class=center mode=nolines widths=240 heights=180> File:Sambusadish2.jpg|Somali ''sambuus'' being fried </gallery>
=== Middle East ===
Sambousek ({{langx|ar|سمبوسك}}) are usually filled with either meat, onion, pine nuts, za’atar, spinach dock, or cheese.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tamimi |first1=Sami |last2=Wigley |first2=Tara |title=Falastin: A Cookbook |isbn=9780399581748 |url=https://www.google.co.il/books/edition/Falastin/PACmDwAAQBAJ |access-date=13 April 2025}} Sami Tamimi</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Darwish |first1=Soha |title=Cheese sambousek |url=https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/cheese-sambousek |website=BBC Good Food|access-date=13 April 2025}}</ref> ''Sambousek'' is most popular during Ramadan.<ref>{{cite news |title=جدل حول "سمبوسة ولا سمبوسك وجلاش ولا أولاش".. فما أصل الكلمة؟ |url=https://www.masrawy.com/ramadan/cooking-recepies/details/2020/5/1/1777259/%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%84-%D8%AD%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%A9-%D9%88%D9%84%D8%A7-%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%B3%D9%83-%D9%88%D8%AC%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B4-%D9%88%D9%84%D8%A7-%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B4-%D9%81%D9%85%D8%A7-%D8%A3%D8%B5%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A9- |access-date=19 December 2025 |work=Masrawy |date=1 May 2020 |language=ar |trans-title=Controversy over "Samosa or Sambousak, Goulash or Olash"... What is the origin of the word?}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=«السمبوسة» نجمة المائدة الرمضانية.. ما أصلها؟ |url=https://www.alkhaleej.ae/2023-04-05/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%A9-%D9%86%D8%AC%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%B6%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%85%D8%A7-%D8%A3%D8%B5%D9%84%D9%87%D8%A7/%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%AA/%D9%85%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AA |access-date=19 December 2025 |work=Al Khaleej (newspaper) |date=5 Apr 2023 |language=ar |trans-title=Samosas, the star of the Ramadan table... what is their origin?}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=الكبة والسمبوسك.. أطباق شامية على موائد فلسطين الرمضانية |url=https://felesteen.news/post/47029/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%B3%D9%83-%D8%A3%D8%B7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%82-%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AF-%D9%81%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%B6%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9 |access-date=19 December 2025 |work=Felesteen News |date=21 May 2019 |language=ar |trans-title=Kibbeh and sambousek... Levantine dishes on Palestinian Ramadan tables}}</ref>
Sambuseh ({{langx|fa|سمبوسه}}) originated in Iran but is now rare there. The sweet fried turnover qottab is derived from it. Modern Iranian Sambuseh is made either with a sausage and pizza cheese based filling, or with vegetables.<ref>{{cite web |title=This deep-fried pastry is one of the world's most popular |publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald |url=https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/this-deep-fried-pastry-is-one-of-the-world-s-most-popular-20260109-p5nstk.html |date=11 January 2026}}</ref>
Sambusak (Hebrew: סמבוסק) comes in several distinct forms, as sambusak has been influenced differently by Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish cuisine. Sephardi sambusak is generally thicker, baked, and stuffed with either cheese or beef and coated with sesame or nigella seeds. Mizrahi sambusak is generally thinner, larger, fried, and stuffed with curry-spiced chickpea and onion, and is usually not coated with seeds.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sambusak (Sephardic Stuffed Pastries) |url=https://recipeland.com/recipe/v/sambusak-sephardic-stuffed-past-17124 |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=RecipeLand.com |archive-date=4 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240904031908/https://recipeland.com/recipe/v/sambusak-sephardic-stuffed-past-17124 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sheff |first=Sharon Gomperts and Rachel Emquies |date=2022-05-26 |title=A Classic of the Iraqi Kitchen: Curried Chickpea Sambusak |url=https://jewishjournal.com/culture/food/348823/a-classic-of-the-iraqi-kitchen-curried-chickpea-sambusak/ |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=Jewish Journal |language=en-US}}</ref>
<gallery class=center mode=nolines widths=180 heights=180> File:Sambousek.JPG|Sambousek File:Falafel2.jpg|Sambuseh at a bazar in Ahvaz, Iran </gallery>
=== Portuguese-speaking regions ===
In Goa (India), Portugal, and Angola, samosas are known as {{lang|pt|chamuças}}. They are filled with chicken, beef, pork, lamb or vegetables, and generally served quite hot. Samosas are an integral part of Goan Catholic and Portuguese cuisine, where they are a common snack.<ref name="GF">{{cite news |url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2004/10/25/stories/2004102500930300.htm |title=Goa Delights |newspaper=The Hindu |access-date=2008-10-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071009055032/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2004/10/25/stories/2004102500930300.htm |archive-date=2007-10-09 |url-status=usurped}}</ref>
<gallery class=center mode=nolines widths=180 heights=180> Chamuças.jpg|Goan ''chamuças'' Ponta Delgada, São Miguel, Azores (Açores) Archipelago, Portugal (49051209161).jpg|Portuguese ''chamuças''<br/>in Ponta Delgada, Azores Chamuças en Afrique portugaise.JPG|Angolan ''chamuças'' </gallery>
=== English-speaking regions ===
Samosas are popular in the United Kingdom and the English-speaking Commonwealth including Canada,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/lineups-threaten-to-stall-fredericton-s-hot-samosa-market-1.662412|title=Lineups threaten to stall Fredericton's hot samosa market|date=30 January 2007|publisher=CBC.ca|access-date=25 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070202063839/http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2007/01/30/nb-boycesamosas.html|archive-date=2 February 2007|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/rss/article/743845|title=Patel couldn't give her samosas away|last=Fox|first=Chris|date=29 July 2009|work=The Daily Gleaner |page=A1|access-date=25 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327022534/http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/rss/article/743845|archive-date=27 March 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> and in the United States. They may be called ''samboosa'' or ''sambusac'', but in South Africa, they are often called ''samoosa''.<ref>[http://www.southafrica.info/plan_trip/travel_tips/questions/saenglish.htm#s South African English is lekker!] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318013407/http://www.southafrica.info/plan_trip/travel_tips/questions/saenglish.htm#s |date=18 March 2012 }}. Retrieved 13 June 2007.</ref> Frozen samosas are increasingly available.<ref>[https://www.traderjoes.com/FearlessFlyer/Article/4800#s Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer: Mini Vegetable Samosas] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200112223240/https://www.traderjoes.com/FearlessFlyer/Article/4800#s |date=12 January 2020}}. Retrieved 27 May 2019.</ref> Variations can be made using filo,<ref>[http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/13008 Fennel-Scented Spinach and Potato Samosas] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080130130831/http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/13008 |date=30 January 2008}}. Retrieved 6 February 2008.</ref> or flour tortillas.<ref>[http://www.fsafood.com/fsacom/Recipes/Recipe+Index/A-Z+Listing/P/Potato+Samosas.htm Potato Samosas] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061018215457/http://www.fsafood.com/fsacom/Recipes/Recipe+Index/A-Z+Listing/P/Potato+Samosas.htm |date=18 October 2006}}. Retrieved 6 February 2008.</ref>
==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=20em}} * {{annotated link|Aloo pie}} * {{annotated link|Bourekas}} * {{annotated link|Chebureki}} * {{annotated link|Cornish pasty}} * {{annotated link|Curry puff}} * {{annotated link|Fatayer}} * {{annotated link|Jiaozi}} * {{annotated link|List of snack foods from the Indian subcontinent}} * {{annotated link|Turnover (food)|Turnover}} * {{annotated link|Echpochmak}} * {{annotated link|Vada pav}} {{div col end}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links==
{{Doughnut}} {{Dumplings}} {{Kue}} {{Pastries}} {{Potato dishes}} {{Street food}} {{Subject bar |auto=1 |commons=y|commons-search=samosa |wikt=y|wikt-search=samosa }}
Category:Turnover Category:Indian fast food Category:North Indian cuisine Category:South Indian cuisine Category:Central Asian cuisine Category:Bangladeshi fast food Category:Bangladeshi snack foods Category:Indian snack foods Category:Indonesian snack foods Category:Middle Eastern cuisine Category:Sephardi Jewish cuisine Category:Stuffed dishes Category:Kashmiri cuisine Category:Burmese cuisine Category:Goan cuisine Category:Indo-Caribbean cuisine Category:Cape Verdean cuisine Category:Somali cuisine Category:Maldivian cuisine Category:Malaysian cuisine Category:Singaporean cuisine Category:Nepalese cuisine Category:Portuguese cuisine Category:Cuisine of Odisha Category:Iranian pastries Category:South African cuisine Category:Eritrean cuisine Category:Ethiopian cuisine Category:Kenyan cuisine Category:Djiboutian cuisine Category:Mauritian cuisine Category:Deep fried foods Category:Tajik cuisine Category:South Asian cuisine Category:Dumplings Category:Arab pastries Category:Bangladeshi cuisine Category:Pakistani cuisine Category:Barbadian cuisine Category:Fijian cuisine Category:Israeli pastries Category:Indian dumplings