We have always underestimated samosa. You would be surprised to know that our beloved evening snack did not originate in India. Yes! Samosa is not an Indian dish, it originated during the 10th century in the Middle East region. Widely considered a quintessentially Indian delicacy, the deep-fried, tightly packed aloo snack belongs to Central Asia.
The first official mention of samosa was found in Iranian historian Abolfazl Beyhaqi’s work Tarikh-e Beyhaghi, where it was named 'Sambosa'. They were tiny mince-filled triangles, eaten by travellers and merchants around. They were small in size, so that, samosas can be easily packed in saddlebags as a snack for a long journey.
Mentioning of samosa in the royal era began when poet and scholar of the Delhi Sultanate, Amir Khusro spoke of the snack prepared from meat, ghee, and onion that nobles ate at that time. In India, it was introduced by the Middle Eastern chefs who migrated for employment during the Delhi Sultanate rule. Soon, the samosa became a snack suited for the king.
Then, 14th-century traveller, Ibn Battuta, mentioned about sambusak (samosa) made with minced meat, peas, pistachios, almonds, and other filings being served as part of a royal meal in the court of Muhammad bin Tughluq after the sherbet had been sipped.
Indian Samosa
If you think that the triangular version of samosa, filled with potatoes is the only way to enjoy the savoury snack, then you are wrong. Samosa are available in 20-15 avatars. While in South India, samosas are prepared with cabbage, carrots, potatoes and curry leaves, in Bengal, it is called ‘Shingaras’, and is available in both savoury and sweet flavours.
Also, samosa are filled with chowmien, pasta, chaap, paneer, Keema, maggi, chillis, peas, macaroni and other tasty fillings.
