The Fascinating Evolution of Samosa: A 500-Year-Old Recipe Unveiled

Samosa: A Global Street Food Icon

The samosa is celebrated as one of the most beloved street foods worldwide. However, its appearance 500 years ago was quite different from what we enjoy today. An ancient Persian manuscript housed in the British Museum reveals a recipe that diverges significantly from the modern version.

‘Ni’matnama’: The Book of Delights

This recipe is documented in the ‘Ni’matnama’, which translates to ‘The Book of Delights’. It was composed for the Sultan of Mandu in Central India between 1501 and 1510 AD. The manuscript's journey is reminiscent of a cinematic tale: it once belonged to the great Mughal emperor Akbar, later passed to Tipu Sultan of Mysore, and eventually found its way to the British Museum through the British East India Company, where it remains preserved today.

A 500-Year-Old Recipe: No Potatoes or Chilies

While today's samosas are typically filled with potatoes and spicy chilies, these ingredients were absent in the 500-year-old recipe. This is primarily because potatoes and chilies had not yet arrived in India, as they were introduced later by the Portuguese.

Key Ingredients According to Ni’matnama

Roasted eggplant pulp: Used as the filling for the samosas.

Dried ginger: Added for depth of flavor.

Dried lamb meat: Cooked with onions and garlic until completely dried.

Pure ghee: Instead of oil, these samosas were fried in pure ghee.

From Royalty to Street Food

In its early days, the samosa was not a common snack but a delicacy reserved for royal courts. The recipe from Ni’matnama was far richer, more aromatic, and distinctly royal compared to the samosas found at street stalls today. The balance of spices and the use of meat made it a luxurious dish. This manuscript serves as a reminder of how tastes and ingredients evolve over time, yet our love for samosas has remained constant for centuries.

Quick Facts

Manuscript: Ni’matnama (1501-1510 AD)

Location: Mandu, Madhya Pradesh (Malwa Sultanate)

Preservation: British Museum, London

Main Ingredients: Eggplant, dried ginger, lamb, ghee

Did you know? The original name of the samosa is ‘sambosa’, with roots tracing back to Central Asia and Persia. The Sultans of Mandu adapted it with Indian spices and local flavors.

The Journey and Name of Samosa

In the manuscript, it is referred to as ‘sambusa’ or ‘sambosa’. In Central Asia, it was known as ‘somsa’.

Persian Roots

Originally, this dish hails from Persia (Iran), where it was called ‘sanbosag’.

Influence of Mandu

Upon reaching Mandu, the cooks of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Khilji began incorporating fragrant Indian spices like rose water, camphor, and musk, transforming it into a fragrant dish.

Unique Meat Cooking Technique

According to Ni’matnama, the filling for the samosas was not prepared in a conventional manner. It mentions a technique called ‘do-piyaza’, where the meat was roasted until all moisture evaporated, resulting in a coarse texture. Finely chopped onions were added at the end to maintain their crunch, a characteristic of good samosas even today.

The Artistic Mastery of Ni’matnama

This manuscript is renowned not only for its text but also for its miniatures. It depicts the Sultan cooking, hunting, and enjoying royal feasts. The illustrations show cooks rolling out samosas and frying them in ghee, providing invaluable insight into the culinary techniques and utensils of that era.

Why Eggplant in Samosas?

While it may sound unusual today, roasted eggplant served as a binder with the meat, adding moisture and creating a creamy filling.

The Arrival of Potatoes in India and the Transformation of Samosas

This manuscript confirms that the samosa was a ‘foreign guest’ in India, which adapted it into a new form.

Post-16th Century: The Portuguese Introduce Potatoes

Vegetarian Revolution: As a significant portion of the Indian population was vegetarian, spiced boiled potatoes and peas gradually replaced the meat filling.

From Royalty to Street: The transition from expensive meat to affordable potatoes marked the samosa's shift from royal courts to becoming a popular street food.

Conclusion

The samosa is one of the most eaten street foods on the planet. This is a 500-year-old recipe for it, written in Persian in a manuscript sitting in the British Museum.
The manuscript is called the Ni’matnama, the Book of Delights, written between 1501-1510 AD, for the Sultan of…

— Dr. M.F. Khan (@Dr_TheHistories)