Have you ever come across sambusa and samosa and wondered what their difference was? Well, you’re not alone. While the two are fried dough stuffed with filling, there’s actually more to explore to understand why they are different. From their shape to the taste, how they are prepared and served, I’ll help you understand their difference.
Generally, their main difference is that samosa is prepared with a mixture of onions and meat filling, while samosa is more vegetarian and is prepared with potatoes and peas filling. Moreover, samosa is often traditionally served with a variety of sauces, while sambusa is served alone, with a sprinkle of salt or ketchup.
Let’s explore more of their similarities and differences.
Contents
What is Sambusa?
Sambusa is a snack of Ethiopian origin that is very popular in the Middle East and Africa. This tasty treat is made with triangle-shaped dough, often filled with meat or cheese, vegetables, and spices.
Like samosa, sambusa is served as a side dish or appetizer in homes, parties, weddings, and events.
What is Samosa?
Like sambusa, samosa is also triangle-shaped dough but of Indian origin. Its fillings comprise spiced potatoes, peas, and onions.
Samosa is made with deep-fried thin, and flaky dough and is served during tea time in many Indian houses or as a snack or appetizer in functions and events.
Similarities and Differences Between Samosa and Sambusa
Now let’s compare the two in detail;
Similarities
- They are both prepared in triangular shapes
- The wrappers and binder in both are prepared with all-purpose flour for elasticity while preparing and a great crunchy texture while deep fried.
- You can prepare the wrapping pastry sheet at home or buy premade ones.
- They are both deep-fried in oil but can be baked, and samosa can also be deep-fried in ghee.
- Both have excellent flavors from the fillings and spices used
Differences
- Although the fillings for these two snacks vary from place to place, traditionally, samosas are filled with peas, potatoes, and spices, while sambusa is filled with meat or cheese mixed with onions and spices.
- Samosa is spiced with powdered and whole spices, while sambusa is spiced with powdered coriander and cumin seed. One can add powdered garam masala and black pepper for a spicier version.
- Samosa is of Indian origin, while Sambusa is of Ethiopian origin.
Sambusa Vs. Samosa Comparison Table
| Sambusa | Samosa | |
| Shape | Triangle shape | Triangle shape |
| Filling | A mixture of meat and onion or cheese and spices | Potatoes and peas with spices |
| Frying technique | Baking or deep frying | Baking or deep frying |
| Spices | Powdered coriander and cumin seeds | Coriander seeds and cumin seeds |
| Other spices | Black pepper, garam masala, | Fennel seeds, Amchoor powder |
| Fried in | Oil | Ghee or oil |
| Origin | Somalia, Ethiopia | India |
| Serving accompaniment | Ketchup | Mint, coriander, or Tamarind chutney |
Conclusion
It’s interesting that both sambusa and samosa look so similar but are different snacks. Their preparation styles differ and give you a food adventure from one continent to another. If you were confused about their differences, we hope reading this helps you distinguish between the two snacks.
