These baked triangles stuffed with flavors from Uzbekistan are the Uzbek Samsa, and they are so good, I recommend making a double batch because they will go fast!
If only every weekend could start out with this Uzbek Samsa. I’m sure you guys have noticed, but I have definitely switched into full-on fall mode. Don’t hate me, but I love making some cozy recipes nowadays.
In Uzbekistan and many countries of Central Asia, you’ll find Samsa, also known as samosas in some places, being sold on street corners, roadside shacks, fancy restaurants, or prepared for family gatherings, where they are commonly enjoyed with a nice cup of tea.
On this blog, I’ve posted many stuffed savory recipes, including Manty, Chebureki, Belyashi, and Pelmeni. But as delicious as they all are, this traditional Uzbek Samsa is in a class of its own.
These triangular pastries are both crunchy and moist. Traditional buttery flaky pastry dough is wrapped around finely minced lamb meat filling soaked in fragrant spices and baked to golden perfection. The pastry stays crisp on the outside while the inside layers sop up the juices from the meat filling, resulting in a wonderful contrast of crunchy and moist in each bite. It’s a gastronomic experience to sink your teeth into one and hear it crackle back at you.
They’re an irresistible combination of carbs and protein and they’re hand held; what more could you want?
My recipe is inspired by famous Uzbek chef Stalik Khankishiev
To make this Uzbek Samsa, you basically start off with simple dough that you roll out and spread ghee (clarified butter) all over. Then you roll it tightly, divide into equal portions and chill the dough patties. After that you roll out each dough patty, stuff with minced meat and bake them in the oven.
So, I know it sounds a bit intimidating ,but I promise it is simpler than it sounds! Refer to the the step-by-step picture guide to help you through the process.
The hearty texture of homemade dough surpasses unsatisfying phyllo pastry samosas by a mile. This dough is the one kind that Uzbek mothers make for their families. The one that gives you that warm, fuzzy feeling inside.
- Dough
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup melted ghee
- Filling
- 1 lb fatty lamb, minced
- 3 medium onions, finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 egg yolk, beaten
- black sesame seeds, optional
- Sift the flour through the sieve into a mixing bowl.
- Add salt to a cup of warm water and mix until dissolved.
- Combine the water with flour and kneed the dough to form a dough ball. It took 10 minutes in the stand mixer.
- Cover the dough ball and leave to rest for 30 min.
- Once rested, sprinkle the working surface with a little flour and roll the dough into a thin rectangular sheet approximately 2-3mm or 1/8 inch thick.
- Cover the sheet with melted ghee.
- Starting on one edge, roll the dough tightly like a cigar.
- Cut the roll into 18 equal pieces.
- Press each piece with palm of your hand to make a patty.
- Stack patties with parchment paper between them in an airtight container, and place in the fridge to chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Leave to rest for at least 30 minutes.
- Take the dough patties out of the fridge and roll each patty out into a thin circle sheet using a rolling pin. Roll on one side only and never flip the dough.
- Divide the filling between each circle evenly.
- Bring two opposite sides together making a triangle. Pinch the corners. Then bring the bottom part and pinch together again. (Refer to picture guide for visual help.)
- Put the samsa on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper seem side down.
- Cover with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using.
- Bake at 385 F for 30 minutes or until golden.
Those look incredible! Totally worth the extra effort to make that dough too – I’ll be trying these over the holidays, for sure
Good luck Carole. I hope you will love them! And make double batch:)
I love that you’ve made the dough from scratch. Isn’t the stand mixer a lifesaver here! These look absolutely delicious!
Ah yes! My big kitchen tool lifesaver! Thanks Cathy!
These look so delicious!
Thanks Fareen!
Oh my goodness! These look lovely, I’ve always left the samosa-making to my mum. I’ve just never been able to make samosas that taste as good as hers.
I think I’ll give these Uzbek Samsas a go this weekend. Wish me luck!!!
Thank you Riz! I really hope you’ll love them!
Wow! I’m actually drooling…love that you showed this technique and your photography is stunning. Pinning for later!
Thank you Bernice!!
These look amazing! Love the technique for the dough, definitely going to try that!
Have a fantastic rest of the weekend!
Thanks so much Redawna! Hope you love it!
Ok, that picture with the ghee spread on the dough is actually making me drool! I love the technique. Will definitely try those!
Thanks so much Stephanie! I hope you give these a try!
Thanks for the recipe! I’m actually trying it out now.
I did a mistake with the filling.. According to instructions, I “combined all ingredients” for the filling… including the ghee! Will that be a problem?
Hi Ant! Sorry for the misleading instruction on ghee! The ghee needs to be spread on the dough as shown on the picture in the post. Ghee in the filling shouldn’t be a problem, but you’ll need ghee for the dough as well. Do you have another 1/2 cup of ghee for the dough?
This looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it. What type of flour do you use? And have you ever tried it with beef, chicken, or a mix of beef and lamb?
Thank you Daniel! I’ve used all-purpose flour and yes you can definitely use any kind of meat for the filling.
This time last year, my partner and I consumed samsas daily, for breakfast, lunch or dinner as we biked our way across Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan . I was never too keen on the meat filled ones, but in Osh we came across one lady who was making and selling pumpkin samsas outside of the local hospital and they were to die for… pumpkin and onion filling was so deliciously sweet they were almost like candy… unfortunately, we never came across another pumpkin samsa seller. We have been playing with the idea of making our own ever since we returned to Canada and now that I came across your recipe we have no excuse but to try by following your dough instructions and recreating the pumpkin filling. Thank you for the recipe.
Thank you so much Jana! I love pumpkin Samsa too. Sometimes I mix pumpkin and meat fillings together. Hope you love it!
I’ve had the mixed chicken and pumpkin filling samsas in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn and FALLEN IN LOVE! But I can’t find a recipe anywhere!
Can you explain how you prepare your mixed pumpkin/meat filling? I hope to make some for Christmas. Thanks!
Hi ,
can those be frozen ?
After baking or before ? 🙂
Yes, they can be frozen raw, before baking
Thank you for the reply , I made them , cooked them , ate some, and frozen some . Then unfroze and reheated . they where awesome every time . Great recipe that I shared with some friends . ( even made my own ghee) 🙂
Can the dough be made in bread machine?
Hi Marina! Yes, of course, bread machine is fine.
I will be trying this recipe tomorrow. My mom made these for our family and when she passed away we could not duplicate her dough recipe. I’m going also bake them in my wood burning pizza oven to try to get that flavor we had growing up.
Thank you so much for this recipe! Haven’t had these since I was a child 🙂 look forward to making! Can I replace the ghee with grass fed butter?
Can you freeze them?
Hey there! I’ve tried this recipe a couple times and am having a problem getting the dough to form a ball. I put the 2 cups of flour and 1 cup of water in my mixer and it never forms a ball. It stays very liquidy, pancake batter consistency. The attached picture is after over five minutes of mixing.
Is the flour to water ratio correct? Not sure what I could be doing wrong by combining the two ingredients.
Thanks in advance for any help.
I’m having the exact same problem. I’ve tried this recipe 3 times and each time the dough is a struggle. I always end up having to add flour. It turns out good in the end, but I’m always scrambling to make the dough work.
Hiya! For basic dough recipe using 2C flour, I’d recommend 3/4C of liquid. I use all purpose flour and this is the proportion that works almost always for me. Good luck!
Thank you. Great recipe. I ate them for sitting.
It remains to fine-tune the aesthetics and work with the dough.
Beautiful photo.
I also had to put more flour. Each flour is different. 😉
Cooking well
I am going to make them this weekend! I can’t stop drooling over the pictures you put up.
Thank you for the instructions and ingredients.
Can you use ground lamb instead of minced? I am having hard time finding any cuts of lamb in our local stores? Also, what other fillings have you tried? My family and I are looking forward making this recipe 😊
Hi! Do I add a beaten egg in the filling too?
All the Uzbeki and such restaurants in my area do not make lamb only Samsa , so I’ve no choice, but to make my own 🙃. I wonder, though, if I can substitute ghee with coconut oil?!
I am an amateur cook, but love to cook delicious food for my family whenever I have the opportunity. At first, I thought there was going to be no way I could make this dish. However, with your explicit directions and photos, following your recipe to a T… I was able to pull this off pretty well. Excellent recipe and absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe and taking the time to make it so easy to follow. MVC