Pumpkin samsa
Oshqovoq somsa: Uzbek flaky pastries with sweet-spiced pumpkin
In autumn, when piles of orange pumpkins appear in the Chorsu bazaar in Tashkent, bakers switch some of their samsa from meat to oshqovoq somsa: crisp, flaky triangles filled with diced pumpkin, onion, cumin and a little sugar, baked against the tandoor wall. They are a street snack eaten hot from paper with green tea, and a fasting-friendly favourite at home. The pastry here is the quick laminated dough Uzbek home cooks use, rolled thin, buttered and coiled. Chef's tip: dice the pumpkin small (1 cm) and don't pre-cook it; raw pumpkin steams inside the pastry and stays in tender, distinct pieces instead of turning into purée.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the pastry
For the filling
To finish
Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Mix 16 oz plain flour and 1 tsp salt, add 1 cup cold water and knead for 8 minutes into a firm, smooth dough. Wrap and rest for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 2: Roll the dough on a lightly floured worktop into a very thin rectangle, about 40 × 60 cm; you should almost see the worktop through it.
Step 3: Spread 2 ⅞ oz butter thinly over the whole sheet. Roll it up tightly from the long side into a log, then coil the log into a snail. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes until firm.
30 minStep 4: Meanwhile mix 1 ⅓ lb pumpkin or butternut squash, 2 onion, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper in a bowl. It should smell of cumin and taste pleasantly salty-sweet.
Step 5: Heat the oven to 425°F (400°F fan) and line two trays with baking paper.
Step 6: Cut the chilled snail into 12 pieces across the coil. Stand each on its cut side and roll into a 13 cm round, rolling from the centre outwards so the layers show as rings.
Step 7: Put 2 heaped tablespoons of filling in the middle of each round and a cube of 1 oz butter on top. Fold three sides over to form a triangle and pinch the seams firmly. A frequent mistake is overfilling; the seams burst and the juice burns on the tray.
Step 8: Set the samsa seam-side down on the trays, brush with 1 egg yolk and sprinkle with 1 tbsp sesame seeds.
Step 9: Bake for 25–30 minutes, until deep golden, crisp and you can hear the filling bubbling faintly inside. The pumpkin should feel soft when pierced with a skewer through the base.
28 minStep 10: Cool for 5 minutes before eating; the filling is very hot. Reheat leftovers in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes to re-crisp.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 31 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pumpkin samsa take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 50 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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