Samsa with pumpkin filling

Country kitchen

Samsa is a traditional Uzbek dish, a puff pastry filled with various fillings. Most often, it's filled with meat and sheepskin fat. However, vegetable versions are no less popular. We suggest you try a savory version of samsa with pumpkin filling.

To prepare this baked good at home, it's important to choose unsweetened pumpkin varieties with firm flesh. It's important to chop it properly. Chopping it too finely will turn the filling into a mushy mess, while chopping it too coarsely can leave it soggy. Therefore, it's best to cut the pumpkin into cubes measuring 4-5 mm on a side.

Samsa is traditionally baked in special tandoor ovens, but a regular oven can also produce excellent results. For this recipe, you can use ready-made puff pastry or make your own at home. Yeast puff pastry is ideal for pumpkin-filled samsa.

Ingredients:

puff pastry – 250 grams;
pumpkin – 300 grams;
onion – 1 piece;
vegetable oil – 1.5 tablespoons;
tomato paste – 1 teaspoon;
egg yolk – 1 piece;
black sesame – 1 teaspoon;
salt, pepper.

How to make pumpkin samsa

Peel and finely chop the onion

Peel the pumpkin and cut into small cubes.

Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan. Add the pumpkin and fry until golden brown. Add the onion and cook for 2–3 minutes.

Add tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Stir the filling and cook for 1–2 minutes. Cool the mixture.

Defrost the dough and cut out circles with a diameter of 8 cm.

Roll out each circle slightly and place one tablespoon of filling in the center.

Fold and pinch the edge as shown in the photo.

Join the other two edges together and form the dough into a triangular pie. It's important to pinch the edges tightly.

Place the samsa seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush each samsa with egg yolk.

Sprinkle the baked goods with black sesame seeds and place in an oven preheated to 200 degrees.

Bake for 30–40 minutes until golden brown. The cookies will expand and rise.

Place the samsa on a wooden board or wire rack and let cool.

Samsa has a crispy dough structure and a juicy, tender filling.

Serve these with tea or dinner. Samsa stays crispy and stays fresh for a long time.