Meat Sambousak

Sambousak or sambousek is a fried pastry with a savory filling, such as meat, spiced potatoes, cheese, or peas It may take different forms, including triangular, cone, or half-moon shapes, depending on the region. These pastries are filled with a mixture of onion and meat then fried till golden.

YIELDS 6 Servings
PREP TIME 30 mins
COOK TIME 30 mins
TOTAL TIME 1 hr

Ingredients

For the Filling
 2 lbs (1kg) minced beef
 1 onion, chopped
 2 tbsp olive oil
 1 tsp ground spices
 Salt and pepper (to taste)

For the tomato cilantro salsa
 2 tomatoes, medium
 1 green chili
 ½ cup cilantro leaves
 1 tbsp lemon juice
 2 garlic cloves, minced
 Salt and pepper (to taste)

For the Dough
 2 cups flour
 ¼ tsp salt
 ½ cup vegetable oil
 1 cup water
 Pinch of salt
 Vegetable oil for deep frying

Directions

For the Filling
1. Cook the minced beef in a pan over medium heat until brown breaking down any chunks of meat with a wooden spoon and drain off any excess fat.

2. Add the onion, oil, spices, salt and pepper stirring continously for 5 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and cool aside.

For the tomato cilantro salsa
4. Plunge the tomatoes in boiling water for 20 minutes, then plunge them into ice cold water.

5. Finely chop the tomatoes, the rest of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper.

6. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the Dough
7. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl using the beater, on low speed.

8. Add the oil and water and continue to mix on medium speed for 10 minutes until well combined and a soft, elastic dough is formed.

9. Divide the dough into small equal balls.

10. Roll out onto a smooth floured surface and cut into circles of about 1/2cm thick.

11. Place a tablespoon of the filling into each semi-circle and lightly brush the edges with water using your finger tips.

12. Fold the dough over and seal the edges.

13. Deep fry in batches until golden and drain on paper towel.

14. Arrange on a plate and serve with tomato cilantro salsa.

Notes:
- Ground Spices are: nutmeg, coriander, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and dried chilli).
- Another filling variation: peas, chopped onion and cubes of boiled potatoes cooked in some olive oil and seasoned with dried coriander and cumin.