Samsa — Самса

A piping-hot chicken samsa, fresh out of the tandoor oven.
At Osh Bazar, Bishkek.
Photo: Robert Henschel

As the name suggests, the Kyrgyz samsa is closely related to the Indian samosa, and is traditionally baked in a tandoor oven. Samsy (plural of 'samsa') are either triangular or circular, often made with flaky pastry (i.e. Blätterteig or слоеное тесто) and generally filled with a mixture of potatoes, onions, and either chicken or meat (i.e. lamb/beef/horse). A vegetarian option with significantly more potatoes in the place of meat is sometimes offered, and occasionally you will also see samsy with cheese – a grilled cheese sandwich taken to the next level. My absolute favourite is the chicken and cheese samsa I've found in two places in Bishkek; unfortunately, like most exceptional things, it is otherwise quite hard to find. A samsa is a cheap and filling meal, which, thanks to plentiful meat and onions, is quite nutritious as well. A good samsa off the street will generally cost 35 som (about 75 cents), which is quite reasonable by any standard.

One personal complaint is that the meat samsy are sometimes also filled with tripe; par for the course, as far as Kyrgyz beef dishes go, but not something I personally enjoy. Also inconvenient is that the cooks often seem to see no need to remove the bones from the chicken samsy, so take some care when biting into one.

A meat samsa from a stand near the
 intersection of Sovietskaya and
Gorky in Bishkek.
Photo: Robert Henschel

Variations of the samsa are found all throughout Central Asia and, like plov, are most likely originally from India or Persia. As with many other dishes, however, the Kyrgyz have made the samsa their own: a meat samsa, for example, tastes very much like Beshbermak, the Kyrgyz national dish (noodles, meat, fat, onions, spices, tripe optional). In this way, the samsa fits both the traditional and modern needs of the Kyrgyz. The ingredients are readily available: meat and fat from the nomads' animals, and potatoes, onions and flour for the dough from one of the many small villages scattered throughout the countryside or from trade at a local bazar. The meat and onions give nutritional value, the potatoes, dough and fat are filling and can keep you going for some time, whether on a long journey or a hard work day.

Samsy are my go-to food when I don't feel like making something for myself, but don't want to spend the time or money to go to a restaurant. A good samsa baked in a tandoor oven is hard to beat.