You may think of the samosa as a humble street snack but it is much, much more than that.
It is an historic artefact - as well as delectable evidence that there is nothing new about the process of globalisation.Bite into a samosa and the notion that identity is defined by the boundaries of a nation state should shatter like the deep-fried crust.
These days it is considered a quintessentially Indian delicacy, but its history is far more complex and cosmopolitan than that. Savour the sensation as your teeth sink into the soft, yielding centre. Let the flavours flow into your mouth.
What you are tasting is the story of India itself - the product of the fluid forces of the great migrations and interactions that shaped this country.
The samosa's origins actually lie thousands of miles away in the ancient empires that rose up in the Iranian plateau at the dawn of civilization itself.
We don't know for certain when the first cooks shaped pastry into the now-familiar triangular shape but we do know that the origins of the name are Persian - "sanbosag".
The samosa is first mentioned in literature by the Persian historian Abul-Fazl Beyhaqi, writing in the 11th Century.
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| Samosa: The Origin will Break Your Heart |
But the samosa was to be transformed as it followed the epic journey made by successive waves of migrants into India.
It was brought to India along the route the Aryans had taken more than 2,000 years earlier - through Central Asia and then over the great mountains in what is now Afghanistan, before descending down into the fertile plains of the great rivers of India.
The great armies of the Mamluks, Tamerlane and the Mughals later made the same journey, helping build the great sub-continental empire we now know as India.
And, just as India was reshaped by these waves of migrants, the samosa also underwent a transformation. Initially it metamorphosed into something much less refined.
By the time it reached what is now Tajikistan and Uzbekistan it had become what Professor Pushpesh Pant, one of the world's experts on Indian food, describes as "a crude peasant dish".
The courtly titbit was now a high-calorie staple, a much bigger and heartier dish - the sort of thing a shepherd would take out into the pastures with him.
It retained its distinctive shape and was still fried, but the exotic nuts and fruits were gone - the savoury pastry was now filled with coarsely chopped goat or lamb eked out with onions and flavoured simply with salt.
Over the following centuries the samosa made its way over the icy passes of the Hindu Kush and into the Indian subcontinent.
What happened along the way explains why Professor Pant regards the samosa as the ultimate "syncretic dish" - the ultimate fusion of cultures.
"I think the samosa tells you how influences, culinary and otherwise, have come across to us," he says, "and how India has adopted them, adapted them to its own requirements and milieu, and transformed them totally."
Once in India the samosa was taken up and tailored to local tastes, becoming the world's first fast food. The samosa is endlessly adaptable and India introduced its own spices - adding coriander, pepper, caraway seeds, ginger and more.
The filling changed, too, with vegetables often replacing meat. Later still it was to become the vehicle for other much more novel foodstuffs, because the modern Indian samosa is the product of yet another great historical upheaval - the discovery of the New World.
These days most samosas are filled with potato and flavoured with green chillies, ingredients only introduced from the New World by Portuguese traders in the 16th Century. And the samosa has continued to evolve since then. Everywhere you go in India it is different.
Today is World Samosa Day. For every Indian, it's one snack filled with memories. All this while we had been thinking that it's an Indian snack, but you will be surprised to know that our beloved samosa did not originate in India.
Over the following centuries the samosa made its way over the icy passes of the Hindu Kush and into the Indian subcontinent.
What happened along the way explains why Professor Pant regards the samosa as the ultimate "syncretic dish" - the ultimate fusion of cultures.
"I think the samosa tells you how influences, culinary and otherwise, have come across to us," he says, "and how India has adopted them, adapted them to its own requirements and milieu, and transformed them totally."
Once in India the samosa was taken up and tailored to local tastes, becoming the world's first fast food. The samosa is endlessly adaptable and India introduced its own spices - adding coriander, pepper, caraway seeds, ginger and more.
The filling changed, too, with vegetables often replacing meat. Later still it was to become the vehicle for other much more novel foodstuffs, because the modern Indian samosa is the product of yet another great historical upheaval - the discovery of the New World.
These days most samosas are filled with potato and flavoured with green chillies, ingredients only introduced from the New World by Portuguese traders in the 16th Century. And the samosa has continued to evolve since then. Everywhere you go in India it is different.
Today is World Samosa Day. For every Indian, it's one snack filled with memories. All this while we had been thinking that it's an Indian snack, but you will be surprised to know that our beloved samosa did not originate in India.
If we go by the reports and facts, samosa originated during the 10th century in the Middle East region. The first official mention of samosa was found in Iranian historian Abolfazl Beyhaqi’s work Tarikh-e Beyhaghi, where it was referred to as ‘Sambosa’.
They were very small in size and that’s the reason they were used as a snack by travellers who could easily pack them in saddle bags and eat on the go.
To begin with, the first mention of samosa in the royal era began when noted poet and scholar of the Delhi Sultanate, Amir Khusro spoke of samosa prepared from meat, ghee, and onion that nobles relished during that time.
To begin with, the first mention of samosa in the royal era began when noted poet and scholar of the Delhi Sultanate, Amir Khusro spoke of samosa prepared from meat, ghee, and onion that nobles relished during that time.
Later, in 14th-century traveller, Ibn Battuta, mentioned about sambusak (aka samosa) made with minced meat, walnuts, pistachios, almonds, and spices being served as part of a royal meal in the court of Muhammad bin Tughluq. Even in the Mughal dynasty, Ain-i-Akbari, has mentioned the recipe of samosa known as ‘Sanbúsah’.
If you think that the triangular version of samosa, filled with mashed potatoes is the only way you can enjoy this savoury snack, then you need to know that there are more than 15-20 desi avatars of samosa being relished pan-India.
In Hyderabad, it is called ‘Lukhmi’, which has a thicker crust and is stuffed with minced meat. While in South India, samosas are prepared with cabbage, carrots and curry leaves as stuffing. In Bengal region, it is called ‘Shingaras’, and is available in both savoury and sweet flavours.
While in Gujarat, one can find a tinier version of standard samosa, filled with French beans and sweet peas. And in Goa, the samosa is called ‘chamuças’ and is prepared with minced beef, chicken or pork.
The way samosa arrived in India, it also travelled to other parts of the world and was seasoned with regional flavours. The best part is, the popularity this glorious triangular snack has gathered over a period of time has resulted in so many innovations around the same.
Here is how the world consumes it: in Portugal, Brazil, and Mozambique region, samosa is known as ‘pastéis’. While in the Arab countries, they call it ‘Sambusak’ stuffed with minced meat or chicken, onions, spinach and feta cheese.
Interestingly, in Israel, samosas are stuffed with mashed chickpeas and in Maldives, they stuff it with a filling of tuna or fish mixed with onions. - Online Sources
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