Fall

Pumpkin Samsa

March 15, 2017
1
1 Ratings
Photo by Desert Cooking
  • Serves 4-6
Author Notes

A savory Central Asian pastry filled with pumpkin and onions. A meat filling is also popular, but I like this lighter version. —Desert Cooking

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Ingredients
  • Dough
  • 2 cups Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 2-3 tablespoons Butter
  • 1/2 cup Water
  • 1 Egg
  • one handful Nigella Seeds and/or Sesame Seeds
  • Filling
  • 2 cups Pumpkin or Butternut Squash
  • 1 Onion, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
  • 3 tablespoons Vegetable or Olive Oil
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Combine flour, water and salt and kneed dough for 5-7 minutes. Split into two balls and cover and rest for 30 minutes.
  3. Mince onion and pumpkin. Mix with salt, pepper and oil.
  4. Melt butter in a pan.
  5. Roll out one dough into a very thin sheet. Brush dough with melted butter.
  6. Roll dough up like a scroll.
  7. Roll second dough out into a thin sheet, brush with butter. Then wrap this sheet around the already scrolled dough.
  8. Cut the scrolled dough tube into 12 pieces (like how you would prepare cinnamon rolls). Place pieces upright on a plate (so swirl is upright) and place in freezer for ten minutes in order to solidify the butter.
  9. Take out of freezer and flatten dough pieces a bit. Then using a rolling pin, gently roll flat in a small circle. (you should be able to see a swirl pattern on the dough when it is rolled flat)
  10. Place filling in the center of the dough and fold two edges together, then bring third edge into center to close and make the triangle shape.
  11. Place egg in bowl and scramble with fork. This will be the egg wash.
  12. Brush Samsa with egg wash and sprinkle with nigella seeds.
  13. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or room temperature.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

4 Reviews

texw39 January 20, 2023
Dough doesn’t hold together. Maybe needs to rest longer or under a moist cloth or something.
texw39 January 20, 2023
Inedible, too much filling for amount of dough. Needs clearer instructions
Judith S. May 4, 2019
I believe there is a typo in the recipe. There is no way 1/2 cup of water will create a dough with 2 cups of flour. And while you are doing that, would you also give some idea of the size of the rectangle one should start with. I just came back from Uzbekistan. The rolled dough is intriguing but even an experienced cook could do with a little and some thoughts about a partially cooked filled. thanks
Desert C. September 3, 2020
Hi Judith, you should add enough water to make a dough, it won’t be the softest dough but should be kneeded until smooth.

The dough should be thin but not see thru thin, maybe 2’x1. if you watch a YouTube video of someone making samsa it will also be helpful.