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Uzbekistan · Dough and pastry
Uzbek Somsa
Local name: Somsa
Flaky layered pastry triangles filled with chopped lamb and plenty of onion, baked until golden.
- Servings4
- Prep1 h 40 min
- Cooking40 min
- Total time2 h 20 min
- DifficultyMedium
Contains glutenContains dairyContains egg
About this dish
Somsa is one of the best-loved baked pastries in Uzbekistan, eaten on the street and at home. Traditionally it is baked in a tandoor and sold hot, and it is also served to guests and alongside meals.
What marks the Uzbek version is lamb and fat chopped by knife into small pieces and mixed with raw onion. The filling makes its own juices as it bakes, while the dough turns flaky and crisp. At home a very hot oven stands in for the tandoor.
Ingredients
Tick the ingredients off like a shopping list.
Dough
Filling
Topping
Method
Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl, add the lukewarm water and knead for about 10 minutes into a soft, smooth dough.
Cover the dough and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Chop the lamb and tail fat with a knife into pieces smaller than a hazelnut, add the finely chopped onion, then mix in the salt, cumin and pepper.
Leave the filling for 15 minutes so the onion releases its juices, then stir once more.
Roll the dough out on a floured surface into a very thin rectangle and spread the surface with soft butter.
Roll it up tightly from the long edge into a log and chill it for 20 minutes.
Heat the oven to 220 °C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Cut the log into 8 equal pieces; press each flat with the cut side up and roll it out so the centre is thicker than the edges. Place filling in the middle and fold the edges into a triangle, pinching the seams tightly closed.
Arrange the somsas seam side down on the tray, brush with egg yolk, sprinkle with sesame and bake at 220 °C for 35 minutes until deep golden.
Let them rest for 5 minutes and serve hot; the filling is very hot, so be careful.
💡 Tips
- Chop the meat by knife rather than mincing it; the filling stays juicier and tastes better.
- The thinner you roll the dough, the more layers you get.
- Pinch the seams tightly closed or the juices will leak out during baking.
- Add the onion raw; it softens and turns sweet and juicy as the somsa bakes.
- Chilling the log makes it easier to cut and keeps the layers distinct.
🛒 Can't find it abroad?
- Lamb tail fat — Use other lamb fat, or 50 g butter.
- Lamb — Beef mince mixed with a little fatty beef works as a substitute.
- Nigella seeds — Use plain sesame seeds.
This recipe was prepared with the help of AI, following the traditional home-style method; quantities, times and steps were checked automatically for consistency. Ovens and stoves differ, so check doneness by eye.
