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.
. 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.
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.
