Samosa is probably India’s most popular appetizer. Its triangular shape comes with savory fillings of all kinds. So popular is the Samosa that it has found a permanent place in Indian and even Arabian menus – with a growing selection of fillings to choose from, including veggies, meats, cheeses, and more. Tempo went Samosa hunting…
Where: Arab Udupi – Tourist Club Area
What: Punjabi Samosa
Build: Punjabi Vegetarian Samosa with Mint and Sweet Chutney.
Comment: Stay clear from Arab Udupi in the evening! It’s jam-packed inspite of their two floors of space. When we went to sample Samosas they didn’t have any empty seats so we decided to munch our samosas outside in a small chat corner. It took some time for our samosas to arrive, which isn’t ideal considering samosas are supposed to be a “quick bite”. When the samosa arrived, they looked good even though both the chutneys were runny. The sweet chutney was too sweet to be had with the samosa and the pastry was too oily. But once you go past that the filling brings back nostalgic memories of perfectly seasoned samosa fillings. Despite the flavours, this one fell short of perfection because of the oil.
Recommendation: Their samosas pack in memories of Indian street food and are the cheapest of the lot.
Rating: 4 ½ stars
Where: Foodlands Restaurant – Madinat Zayed
What: Punjabi Samosa
Build: Punjabi Vegetarian Samosa with Date and Coconut Chutney along with tomato ketchup.
Comment: Foodlands is a bit more upmarket than your regular Indian eatery; hence the samosa is comparatively expensive. You also have to wait a good 15 minutes for your “snack” to arrive. The samosas were piping hot and freshly cooked, and were served with coconut chutney instead of mint chutney – which gave the dish a decidedly South Indian zing. The food presentation was lackluster, but the samosas had the right stuffing, the right masala and a near perfect pastry (albeit a few burnt edges).
Recommendation: The samosas are more of a side dish, rather than a go-to main meal.
Rating: 4 stars
Where: Samrat Restaurant – Salaam Street
What: Punjabi Samosa
Build: Vegetable samosa with Mint and Sweet Chutney
Comment: Samrat is a modern Bollywood inspired restaurant which was surprisingly empty when we went there. There’s nothing “friendly” about the customer service here. We noticed that they had only samosas in their savory section as opposed to a fully fledged sweets section. The samosa platter arrived fast and though it wasn’t fresh from the pan, it looked pretty good. Both the chutney’s had a pleasant semi-thick consistency which was something overlooked everywhere else. The samosa pastry was baked to perfection with the right amount of outside crispiness and softness inside. The filling had atypical stuffing like cashew nuts and raisins, which complemented the usual potatoes and peas fare. A well laid out samosa platter made with lots of creativity and care.
Recommendation: They mark their creativity not just with the subtle Bollywood décor but with small details in their meals too. A word of caution though – check your bills properly since they managed to confuse our bill with the only other customer dining there!
Rating: 3 ½ stars
By Diji Shujahi
