In Central Asia, samsa is folded by hand and baked against clay walls. You find them crisped and steaming in marketplaces, passed in parchment and eaten on the move. They’re fast, fragrant, and filled with spice or sweet onion and lamb. They’re also intentional—folded like a secret, sealed like a promise.

This version leans inward. It builds flavor from the ground: sweet potato, wild mushrooms, and garlicky greens encased in a soft, thin dough of squash and cassava. There’s no rushing here. Each pocket is shaped slowly, sealed by touch, and baked golden—meant to be held, broken open, and eaten while warm.

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 cup cassava flour

• ½ cup mashed roasted squash (kabocha or butternut)

• 2 tablespoons tapioca flour

• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

• ¼ cup warm water, more as needed

Filling

• 1 cup finely diced wild mushrooms (shiitake, lion’s mane, maitake)

• 1 cup mashed, roasted sweet potato

• 1 cup chopped garlic greens or tender beet tops

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or dill

• ½ teaspoon sea salt

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.

2. In a skillet, dry-sauté mushrooms over medium heat until browned and aromatic. Add garlic greens and cook until wilted. Remove from heat and stir in sweet potato, herbs, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

3. In a bowl, mix cassava flour, tapioca flour, and salt. Add mashed squash and mix until crumbly. Gradually add water and knead into a pliable, non-sticky dough.

4. Divide dough into 6–8 balls. On a cassava-dusted surface, roll each ball into a thin round.

5. Spoon 1–2 tablespoons of filling onto one side of each round. Fold into a triangle or half-moon and pinch edges tightly to seal.

6. Arrange pockets on the baking sheet. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the edges are golden and firm.

7. Let cool slightly before serving warm.

To Serve

• With a roasted root vegetable dip or spiced carrot mash

• Alongside herbed cucumber slices or tomato broth

• Packed cold in a lunchbox with steamed greens

• Toasted lightly and dipped in squash-garlic purée

Notes from the Kitchen

• Use dry, mashed squash and sweet potato to avoid soggy dough.

• Roll the dough as thin as possible without tearing—it should stretch but not break.

• If the edges resist sealing, dampen your fingers slightly before pinching closed.

• Best served warm. Store any leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a dry skillet or low oven.

Folding these is quiet work. There’s no rush. Just dough, hands, filling, breath. Each one becomes its own moment—pressed, sealed, golden. A small container of warmth, carrying the earth inside it.