Samusa, also known as Burmese Samosa Soup, is our favourite vegan comfort food from Myanmar.
Traditional Burmese Samosa Soup recipes are vegetarian and vegan friendly, featuring a tangy broth prepared with freshly ground spices, tamarind pulp and healthy pulses like lentils or chickpeas.
This authentic Samusa Soup recipe from Myanmar is a traditional main course entree served from Yangon to Mandalay, garnished with finely chopped cabbage, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
Save this story to Pinterest!
What Is Samusa?
Samusa is a traditional Burmese soup featuring a tangy tamarind broth flavoured with toasted spices.
Burmese Samusa is not to be confused with South Asian samosa, although the pastry is an important component of the dish.
A samosa is a fried South Asian pastry with a savoury filling, including ingredients such as spiced potatoes, onions, peas, or meat. It may take different forms, including triangular, cone, or half-moon shapes, depending on the region.
So Samusa is the name of a Burmese Soup that features crunchy samosa pastries floating in the broth. We like to use vegetarian samosa from India that are typically stuffed with potato, peas and spices. If you eat meat you can also use samosas filled with lamb, goat, beef or chicken. Though most authentic Samusa recipes are vegetarian or vegan.
Travel to Myanmar by Cooking Samusa at Home
I love traveling through Asia.
My first visit had me living in South Korea for a year as a teacher and it’s where I was first introduced to fermented vegetables like kimchi.
After my contract ended in Seoul I travelled throughout southeast Asia for 6 months, visiting Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.
I spent a month traveling to the ancient temples of Bagan, floating communities of Inle Lake, and exploring the capital Yangon while visiting luxury hotels like The Savoy and Sule Shangri-La.
What I found most fascinating is Myanmar’s distinct regional food cultures. Much like the regional cuisines found in Germany, Italy or Spain, each town in Myanmar had its own local speciality.
Burmese Samusa is a must-try soup when traveling through Myanmar. The dish does a great job at showcasing Burma’s unique multicultural cuisine, featuring local ingredients grown in Myanmar paired with Indian flavours like turmeric, garam masala and crunchy deep-fried samosas.
This soup is readily available in restaurants throughout Myanmar. The comfort food dish is traditionally accompanied with a variety of side dishes, such as Burmese salads called athoke.
You May Also Enjoy These Burmese Travel Stories…
- 15 Must Try Tastes in Myanmar
- Biking Through the Ancient Temples of Bagan
- Things To Do on Myanmar’s Inle Lake
- Things to Do in Yangon
- The Savoy Hotel Offers an Oasis in the Heart of Yangon
- Sule Shangri-La Hotel in Yangon
Where To Eat Burmese Samosa Soup
If you live in a large city in Canada or America you’ll likely have access to a local Southeast Asian restaurant that serves Samusa.
Haven’t traveled to Myanmar before? It may be helpful to first sample Burmese Samosa Soup at a local restaurant to better understand how the dish is served. You can assess the spicy heat level of the tangy broth, what style of samosa to add to the bowl and the best complimentary side dishes to serve at the table.
In Toronto and Ottawa, popular Burmese restaurants that may serve their own unique Samusa recipe include Popa and Rangoon Restaurant.
Samosa Soup Recipe Cooking Tips
This homemade Burmese Samosa Soup recipe is quick and easy to make at home.
- We love making Samusa as a way to use up day-old samosas. If you have leftovers samosas in your fridge add them to this flavourful and delicious Burmese soup after quickly reheating them in your oven or air fryer.
- The recipe includes Indian garam masala spice blend, which is a common ingredient in Myanmar as the country is sandwiched between Thailand and India.
- We suggest toasting the spices in a wok but you can use a small pot or frying pan if you prefer.
- We’ve used a mortar & pestle to crush the toasted spices but you can use a spice grinder or food processor if you prefer.
- We suggest preparing the soup in a Dutch Oven or large pot to reduce splatter when cooking over the stove.
- We’ve used red onions in this recipe but you can substitute for sweet Vidalia onions or white onions if you prefer.
- Samusa Soup always features pulses like lentils or chickpeas. In our rendition of the recipe we’ve added toasted chickpea flour to the soup base to add additional flavour but you can add lentils or whole chickpeas if you want additional protein, fibre and texture.
- We’ve used a spicy Jalapeno to heat up the soup but if you don’t like spicy food feel free to omit. By removing the seeds you can considerably reduce the heat in the dish. A Thai-style red or green chili will also work well.
- We like to use classic Indian samosas that are vegetarian, typically stuffed with potatoes, peas and spices. If the samosas are large cut them in half before adding to the soup so you can easily scoop them up with a spoon.
Samusa Recipe Health Benefits
Our Burmese Samusa Soup recipe is packed full of healthy ingredients!
A rich source of blood-building iron, cumin may also help balance your blood sugar levels and reduce bad cholesterol. It is also traditionally used as a digestive aid.
The star component of turmeric is curcumin, a potent phytochemical that has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It is often prescribed in Indian Ayurvedic medicine to help relieve arthritis, aid digestion and inhibit the growth of cancers.
Chili has been proven to help reduce the duration of sickness, prevent heart disease, and promote weight loss.
Paprika is rich in vitamin A, capsaicin, and carotenoid antioxidants. These substances may help prevent inflammation and improve your cholesterol, eye health and blood sugar levels.
Onions are a humble vegetable packed with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Regular consumption of onions can help boost digestive health and reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
It is only recently that scientists have begun to identify the components responsible for garlic’s myriad health benefits. Rich in phytochemicals and potassium, garlic helps boost your immune system, fight cancer and protect your heart.
Chickpeas are rich in cancer-fighting vitamin C, energy-boosting B vitamins, and gut-healthy fibre.
Tamarind is a rich source of magnesium and contains more calcium than many plant-based foods.
Peppers are an incredible source of vitamins C and A, which support your skin and immune system. They also provide beneficial carotenoid compounds such as beta-carotene, which has been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers.
Fresh mint is antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, and can have a calming effect on the digestive system. It is also a good source of folate, which supports blood health.
An excellent source of vitamins K and C, cabbage helps keep your bones, blood, and immune system healthy.
A good source of bone-strengthening vitamin K, cilantro is also rich in antioxidants that help protect the eyes from damage by free radicals.
A rich source of phytochemicals and vitamin C, limes help boost your immune system and neutralize free radicals that cause disease and skin aging. Lemons also protect against heart disease and help improve blood flow to the brain.
What To Serve with Samusa
Burmese Samosa Soup is typically enjoyed as a main course entree in Myanmar, served alongside sticky rice, noodles, flatbread or salads.
If you’re planning the menu for an authentic Burmese feast you may also like to serve Shan Noodles, Ginger Salad, Fermented Tea Leaf Salad, Tomato Salad, Chickpea Tofu, Mohinga, Creamy Coconut Burmese Chicken Curry and Burmese Khow Suey Pork Coconut Noodle Soup.
If you’re hosting a large Southeast Asian-inspired dinner party, we suggest serving some of these yummy homemade recipes:
- Laos Papaya Salad Tum Mak Hoong
- Bun Cha Vietnamese Noodle Bowl
- Vietnamese Grilled Pork “Bun Thit Nuong”
- Vietnamese Crepe Bánh Xèo
- Crispy Thai Prawn Omelette
- Thai Glass Noodle Stir Fry Pad Woon Sen
- Stir-Fried Garlic Basil Thai Eggplant
- Yum Woon Sen Thai Glass Noodle Salad
- Khao Pad Sapparod Thai Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice
- Egg Tofu Soup with Pork Meatballs
- Gai Pad Med Mamuang Thai Cashew Chicken
- Nam Tok Authentic Thai “Waterfall Beef” Salad
Samusa keeps well in the fridge for 4-5 days so store it in an airtight container. Always add the samosa to the soup just before eating as it will get soggy once added to the broth.
Types of Samosas
If you’re traveling throughout Southern Asia you’ll soon learn there are many different types of samosas.
In India the most common samosa filling is potato and peas. This classic combo is delicious and filling, and can be made with either fresh or frozen vegetables. Other popular vegetable fillings include spinach, cauliflower, and mushrooms.
We like to use vegetarian samosas filled with potato and peas in our Samusa Soup recipe but you can also use store bought or homemade meat-filled samosa pastries. Popular fillings include spiced lamb, goat, pork, beef or chicken.
If you’re making homemade samosas and have leftovers we like to make this Burmese soup to use them up the following day for lunch.
You can use homemade deep-fried samosas or store bought fresh or frozen. Samosas should be heated until crispy before adding to Samusa. Popular heating methods include baking in the oven or crisping up in an air fryer.
You may also enjoy these samosa recipes: Samosa Chaat and Air Fryer Samosas.
You May Also Enjoy These Soup Recipes…
- Aguadito de Pollo Peruvian Chicken Soup
- Spicy Gukbap Korean Rice & Beef Soup
- Thai Pork Rib Soup with Vermicelli Noodles
- Chupe de Quinoa Gluten Free Peruvian Soup
- Turkish Mint Yogurt Corbasi Soup
- Egg Tofu Soup with Pork Meatballs
- Flädlesuppe German Pancake Soup
- Pepper Milagu Rasam Vegan South Indian Soup
- Romanian Soup Ciorba de Perisoare
- Spicy Szechuan Hot and Sour Soup
- Chicken Manchow Soup
- Creamy Vegetarian Parsnip and Pear Soup
- Chinese Wonton Egg Drop Soup
How To Make Traditional “Samusa” Burmese Samosa Soup
Samusa Burmese Samosa Soup
Equipment
- Wok
- Mortar & Pestle
- Dutch Oven or Large Pot
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Small Bowl
- whisk
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1/3 cup Canola Oil
- 4 Dried Chiles
- 3 Bay Leaves
- 2 cups Red Onions chopped
- 1/4 cup Garlic minced
- 1.5 tsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Ground Turmeric
- 2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/4 cup Toasted Chickpea Flour
- 6.5 cups Water
- 1/2 cup Tamarind Puree
- 1 Jalapeno minced
- 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
- 1/4 cup Mint Leaves
Assembly
- 6 Samosas
- 2 cups Green Cabbage shredded
- 1 cup Cilantro
- 1 Lime cut into wedges
Instructions
- In a dry wok over medium heat, toast the cumin and mustard seeds until fragrant and starting to pop, no more than 30 seconds. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and pulverize into a powder.
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add mustard-cumin blend, dried chiles, and bay leaves and cook for 20 seconds. Stir in the onions and garlic, lower the heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened, 5 minutes. Stir in the paprika, turmeric and salt and cook for 3 minutes more.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour and 1/2 cup of the water until flour no longer has lumps. Stir the flour mixture into the pot. Pour in the remaining 6 cups of water and the tamarind paste and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in the jalapeno, garam masala, and mint.
- To serve, break up the samosas into pieces and divide among 4 large bowls. Ladle the hot broth over the top. Top with shredded cabbage and cilantro and serve with lime wedges.
Nutrition
Some of the links in this story use affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase through our site, Dobbernationloves will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Your support helps us to produce comprehensive content.
Save this story to Pinterest!
