karumpia

Karumpia refers to a savory pastry name used in several regional food traditions. While there is no single global definition, the term is often used to describe a fried or baked dough shell filled with vegetables, meat, or legumes.

Typical preparation involves making a dough from flour, water or milk, and salt; rolling into rounds, adding a filling such as mashed potato with spiced onion and minced meat or chickpeas with herbs; sealing the edges and cooking by deep-frying or baking until golden.

Variations: In coastal communities, coconut and chili add a distinctive flavor; inland variants may use curried potato and peas. Size ranges from bite-sized snacks to larger hand pies.

Etymology and usage: The origin of the term karumpia is not well documented; it may be a regional name, a loanword, or a modern coinage used in informal cuisine writing. The dish appears in local markets and family cookbooks rather than in formal culinary canon.

See also: empanada, samosa, pasty.