About this Dish
Uzbek baked pastries — triangular parcels of flaky dough filled with minced lamb, onion and fat, baked in a tandoor oven until golden. The fat (kurdjuk — sheep tail fat) is essential — it melts during baking and makes the filling extraordinarily juicy. Bought from samsa bakeries and eaten standing outside, burning hot from the tandoor.
IngredientsServes 4
🌾Plain flour, 500g
💧Cold water, 200ml
🧂Salt, 1 tsp plus extra for filling
🐑Lamb shoulder or leg, 500g finely hand-chopped (not minced)
🧅White onions, 3 large, very finely diced
🫙Sheep tail fat (kurdjuk) or cold lamb fat, 150g finely diced
🌿Ground cumin, 1.5 tsp
🖤Black pepper, 1 tsp freshly ground
🥚Egg yolk, 1, beaten with 1 tbsp water for egg wash
🌱Nigella seeds (kalonji), 1 tbsp for topping
Method
1
Mix flour and salt in a bowl, then gradually add cold water and knead for 10 minutes until you have a smooth, firm dough — it should feel stiffer than bread dough. Wrap in cling film and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.2
Combine the hand-chopped lamb, diced fat, onions, cumin, black pepper and a generous pinch of salt in a bowl. Mix well with your hands and keep cold in the fridge until needed — the fat must stay solid.3
Roll the rested dough out very thinly on a floured surface, around 2–3mm thick, then fold it over itself several times to create layers, like a rough puff pastry. Rest for 10 minutes, then roll out again and cut into roughly 15cm squares.4
Place a heaped tablespoon of cold filling in the centre of each square. Fold two opposite corners together, then fold in the remaining sides to form a tight triangle, pinching the seams firmly so no juices escape during baking.5
Preheat your oven to its highest setting, ideally 240–250°C, and place a heavy baking tray or pizza stone inside to heat up for at least 20 minutes. Brush each samsa with egg wash and sprinkle with nigella seeds.6
Carefully lay the samsa seam-side down onto the screaming-hot tray and bake for 20–25 minutes until deeply golden and flaky. The fat will have melted inside, making the filling wonderfully juicy — let them cool for just 2 minutes before eating, as they will be extremely hot inside.User Reviews
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