Samboosa (Ramadan Fried Pastry Triangles with Meat or Cheese)
Local name: سمبوسة
In short: Crisp fried pastry triangles filled with spiced beef and onion or a salty herbed cheese, folded from strips of thin pastry and ready for iftar. It takes about 1 h 30 min in total and makes 10 servings.
- Prep
- 1 h
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 h 30 min
- Servings
- 10
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 330 kcal
Samboosa is the fried triangle that appears at almost every Saudi iftar. Strips of thin pastry are folded around a filling of spiced minced beef with onion, or a mix of salty cheese and herbs, and fried until blistered and crisp. They are made in large batches, often frozen ahead, and served with lemon or a spicy tomato sauce. Folding takes a little practice, but the method is simple.
Instructions
- For the meat filling, cook the onion in the oil for 5 minutes. Add the beef and cook for 8 minutes until browned and dry. Stir in the spices, salt, pepper and parsley, then cool completely.
- For the cheese filling, mix the feta, mozzarella, parsley and pepper in a bowl.
- Keep the pastry strips under a damp cloth. Place 1 tablespoon of filling at one end of a strip, about 2 cm from the edge.
- Fold the corner of the strip diagonally over the filling to form a triangle, then keep folding the triangle along the strip until you reach the end. Seal the end with a dab of flour paste.
- Heat the oil in a deep pot to 175°C (350°F). Fry 5 or 6 samboosa at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, turning, until golden and crisp.
- Drain on paper towels and serve hot with lemon wedges or a chili tomato sauce.
Tips
- Keep the filling dry and cool. A wet filling steams the pastry from inside and makes it burst in the oil. Do not overfill, or the folds will open.
- To freeze, place the folded, unfried samboosa on a tray until firm, then bag them for up to 2 months. Fry from frozen at 170°C (340°F) for 4 minutes.
Questions and answers
Can I bake samboosa instead of frying?
Yes. Brush with oil and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 20 minutes, turning once. They will be less blistered but still crisp.
How do I stop them from opening in the oil?
Seal the end well with flour paste and do not overfill. Make sure the oil is hot enough, since cooler oil makes the folds open.
What can I fill them with?
Spiced minced meat, salty cheese with herbs, chicken with vegetables or spinach. Cooked filling must be cool before you fold.
How long does it take to make Samboosa (Ramadan Fried Pastry Triangles with Meat or Cheese)?
About 1 h 30 min in total: 1 h of preparation and 30 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Samboosa (Ramadan Fried Pastry Triangles with Meat or Cheese)?
About 330 kcal per serving, with 12 g of protein, 22 g of carbohydrates and 21 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 330 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 12 g |
| Carbohydrates | 22 g |
| Fat | 21 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Sodium | 600 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
