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Grandma making samosas, November 11, 2023, by Krish Patel
Picture of Neehee’s exterior (Grandma’s workplace), November 24, 2023, by Krish Patel
by Krish Patel
I crunched down on the crispy skin, feeling my teeth pierce into the soft steaming potatoes. The last of the triangular-shaped food entered my stomach before the guests even arrived at our house for the Indian New Year. I was notorious for stealing samosas before events but never regretted their pleasant taste. In my opinion, samosas are the most delicious and iconic Indian street food of all time.
After working at Neehees, a Michigan-based Indian street food restaurant, my grandmother became a masterful samosa chef and carried the perfected recipe home. She taught my mom how to make the samosa in a variety of ways, with different stuffings and sizes, but they always came out with the same crispy rough texture on the outside and the soft stuffing on the inside. The pastry is served hot, usually with potatoes and peas stuffed inside, however, the stuffings can be mixed up by adding onions, pistachios, or almonds to enhance the flavor (Pal). Our family’s samosa follows the traditional potatoes and peas for stuffing, and we have bonded over the delectable pastry. Now, we eat samosas almost every week, and at every function at our house, the dish always has a place in our home.
Despite common belief, this popular dish did not originate from India. In reality, the samosa hails from Central Asia. The first written literature about the samosa can be found in medieval Persian texts, which describe a relative of the samosa called the sambosag (Shankar). This common street food today wasn’t always so cheap as this food was originally meant for royalty. But through time, samosas eventually became easier to create, and merchants traveled throughout Asia and Africa with this pastry because it was lightweight yet durable (Pal). Due to the samosa's exposure to different countries, the pastry evolved within many cultures, which is why the samosa has many names. For example, the Maldivian samosa is called bajiyaa, the African version is named sambosa, and some countries in central Asia have a baked version called the somsa (Kalra).
Samosas, November 11, 2023, by Krish Patel
When the samosa finally reached India, it became a popular cuisine because it matched perfectly with their Indian spices and chutneys. Furthermore, it also pairs well with chai, which adds a complementary flavor to the samosa (Pal). In addition, different types of food can be made with samosas, such as samosa chaat, which are broken up samosas and added to a dish with yogurt, cilantro, and some chutneys. One of the main reasons samosas are so popular is because it is just as delicious without meat; many people in India are vegetarians due to the culture, so it has great appeal. Eventually, the pastry spread into nearly every Indian street food restaurant, even in different countries, including the United States (Pal). This food can show the expansion of Indian culture into numerous countries. Now, there is a World Samosa Day because it is so famous and iconic, but it is still served on many other occasions, holidays, and even in casual events (Shankar). On holidays such as Diwali, Indian New Year, and Navratri, I can always find them as snacks. Even during gatherings, my family is always asked to bring some of our flavorful samosas.
The continuous evolution of the samosa has created a variety of similar pastries throughout the world. As the popularity of samosas continues to rise in different countries, it can be correlated with the expansion of Indian culture (Shankar). According to Kartikeya Shankar, “Samosas, those delicious triangular pockets of goodness, have a special place in the hearts and stomachs of people worldwide.” I attribute my weekly consumption of samosas to exemplifying my pride in my family’s and Indian culture.
Works Cited
Kalra, Virinder S. “The Political Economy of the Samosa.” South Asia Research, vol. 24, no. 1, SAGE Publications, pp. 21–36, doi:10.1177/0262728004042761.
Pal, Sanchari. “TBI Food Secrets: Unravelling the Fascinating History of the Samosa, India’s Favourite Street Snack.” The Better India, 4 Jan. 2017, www.thebetterindia.com/80824/samosa-history-india/.
Patel, Krish. Grandma making samosas. 11 Nov. 2023. Author’s personal collection.
Patel, Krish. Neehee’s (Grandma’s workplace). 24 Nov. 2023. Author’s personal collection.
Patel, Krish. Samosas. 11 Nov. 2023. Author’s personal collection.
Shankar, Kartikeya. “World Samosa Day 2023: Around the World in Different Samosas.” Outlook Traveller, www.outlooktraveller.com/experiences/food-and-drink/world-samosa-day-2023-around-the-world-in-different-samosas. Accessed 28 Oct. 2023.
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