Std 6 English · Unit Four

4.3 The Untold Story of Samosa

Complete textbook exercise solutions — Maharashtra State Board (Balbharati), Grade Six English.

About the chapter

This lesson tells the interesting history of the samosa. The samosa began in Persia and travelled to India with Middle Eastern traders. India gave it a new form, and later the potato became its main filling. Today the samosa is loved all over India and in many other countries.

Key points

The samosa originated in Persia, where it was called ‘Sambosa’.
Traders brought it to India along trade routes.
It was served in royal courts and mentioned in the Ain-i-Akbari.
The Portuguese brought the potato; the British made it popular.
The potato-pea filling gave us the famous aloo samosa.
Different regions of India have their own kinds of samosa.

Words to remember

originate – to begin from a place
embrace – to accept happily
robust – strong and large
lineage – family history
affordable – not costly; cheap enough to buy

★Let’s do : Categorize the following words in the given table.

Category	Verbs
Preparation	Peel, Clean, Cut, Whisk, Knead, Marinate, Grind, Stir
Cooking process	Cook, Melt, Pour, Bake, Grill, Fry, Boil
Serving and eating	Eat, Serve, Pack, Decorate, Swallow

2Answer the following.

(i) How did the introduction of potatoes by the Portuguese and British impact the Samosa’s filling and taste?
The Portuguese brought the potato to India in the 16th century. The British made it popular in the 19th century. The potato was cheap, filling and useful in many dishes. So it slowly replaced the old filling of meat and dry fruits. In this way, the famous aloo samosa was born.

(ii) What does the Samosa’s triangular shape signify and how did it become its distinctive feature?
The lesson gives two ideas. One idea is that the shape came from the Egyptian pyramids. The other idea is that a triangle is easy to fold, seal and fry. The shape stayed, and today we recognise a samosa by its triangle shape.

(iii) Do you help in the kitchen with cooking? How?

This is a personal-response question. Students should write their own answer.

3Fill in the blanks with suitable words from the list.

(i) The samosa originated in Persia before coming to India.
(ii) India embraced the Samosa and made it her own.
(iii) Punjabi Samosas are large and robust.
(iv) Every dish has a unique lineage tracing back to its history.
(v) Street Samosas are affordable and loved by all.

4Choose the correct word from the given brackets and complete the sentence.

(i) The sailors sailed across the deep blue sea.
(ii) The son of the king became the emperor.
(iii) We will meet at the tea stall.
(iv) She likes to write stories about food.
(v) I bought a pair of Samosas.

All these pairs are homophones. They sound alike but have different spellings and meanings.

5Circle the palindromes.

The palindromes are: LEVEL MOM CIVIC NOON DAD

Not palindromes: FOOD, TASTE, RICE — these do not read the same backwards.

6Find and write two palindromes.

(i) MADAM
(ii) RADAR

More palindromes: eye, did, pop, refer, level, kayak.

7Arrange the given sentences in the correct order.

1. (ii) A farmer harvested fresh potatoes.

2. (i) The potatoes were peeled and mashed with spices.

3. (iv) A cook filled the dough with potato mixture.

4. (v) The Samosas were fried till golden brown.

5. (iii) The Samosas were served hot with chutney.

Correct order: (ii) → (i) → (iv) → (v) → (iii)

Create (a)Word Art — Make a word web around ‘Samosa’ using words from the story.

SAMOSA — words for the web:

Shape: triangle, crescent-shaped, fold, seal
Taste: delicious, spicy, irresistible
History: Mughal courts, Amir Khusrau, Ain-i-Akbari, trade routes
Origin: Persia, Sambosa, Middle Eastern traders
Filling: potato, peas, minced meat, dry fruits
Indian variations: Punjabi Samosa, Bengali Shingara, Sweet Samosa

Create (b)Writing Prompt — Imagine you are a Samosa travelling through time.

I was born in a Persian kitchen more than a thousand years ago. People called me Sambosa. I was small and filled with meat, nuts and dried fruit.

Traders carried me across deserts because I was easy to carry and fry. In the 14th century, I reached India with Middle Eastern traders.

India gave me a new look. I was served in royal courts. The Ain-i-Akbari even mentions me on Emperor Akbar’s table.

Then the Portuguese brought the potato, and the British made it popular. A cook filled me with potato and peas. I became the famous aloo samosa!

Today I am sold at railway stations and served at weddings all over India. When you eat me, remember my thousand-year-old journey.

The 4-frame comic is a drawing activity. Students should draw their own.

8Make a flipbook of the Samosa travelling to India, and the follow-up activities.

These are craft, reading and survey activities. Students should complete them themselves.

Model questionnaire on food habits:

Do you eat home-made food every day?
How often do you eat street food?
Do you eat fruit every day?
How many glasses of water do you drink in a day?
How often do you eat packaged snacks?
Do you check the expiry date on packets?
Do you wash your hands before every meal?
Which one habit would you like to change?

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