Making sambusas

"Sambusa" is a Tajik dish that I noticed right away because of the similarity of its name with "samosa," which I grew up with in India. I took these photos in March and had intended to go back and get the beginning of the process later on. However, since it's Ramadan now, this sambusa stand in the Green Bazaar is closed during the day. So this post will just have to start mid-process.

First steps (no photos): prepare the dough, mix the filling of finely chopped meat, onions and herbs, and shape the sambusas.  Then stick them to the inside of the tandyr or tandoor oven.

Next: sprinkle a little water in the oven:

Cover the oven:

Scrape the done ones into a big ladle:

Eat with vinegar:

And/or shake on the spices:

Lee's eaten sambusas from another place, where they were triangles made from filo-like layered pastry. They can be filled with spring greens or pumpkin too. Wish I knew the names and origins of these variations.

I love it when food has both culturally unique and universal elements.