Sambusa (Yemeni Fried Meat Pastries)
Local name: سمبوسة
In short: Thin, crisp pastry triangles filled with spiced minced beef, scallions and cilantro, fried until golden and served hot at iftar. It takes about 1 h 15 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 h 15 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 330 kcal
No Ramadan table in Yemen is complete without a plate of hot sambusa. These crisp triangles are wrapped around a filling of minced meat, onion, scallions and cilantro, then fried in batches and eaten with a squeeze of lemon or a spoonful of fiery sahawiq. Home cooks often make dozens ahead and freeze them, ready to fry at sunset. Folding a long strip of pastry around the filling, like a flag, gives the classic shape.
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add the ground meat and cook for 8 minutes, breaking it up, until browned with no pink left (71°C / 160°F).
- Stir in the garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric, pepper and salt and cook for 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the scallions and cilantro, and spread the filling on a plate to cool completely.
- Cut the pastry sheets into 3 equal strips and keep them under a damp towel so they stay pliable. Mix the flour and water into a smooth paste.
- Place 1 tbsp of filling at the bottom of a strip. Fold one corner diagonally over the filling to make a triangle, then keep folding the triangle up the strip, like folding a flag, until you reach the end. Seal the tip with a dab of paste.
- Heat the frying oil in a deep, heavy pan to 175°C (350°F). Fry 5 or 6 sambusa at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until deep golden.
- Drain the sambusa on a wire rack or paper towels and serve hot with lemon wedges and a spoonful of sahawiq or hot sauce.
Tips
- Cool the filling fully before folding. Warm filling steams the pastry from inside and makes it soggy and hard to seal.
- To freeze, lay the folded sambusa on a tray, freeze until firm, then bag them for up to 3 months. Fry straight from frozen at 165°C (325°F) for 4 to 5 minutes.
Questions and answers
Can I bake sambusa instead of frying?
Yes. Brush them with oil and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 18 to 20 minutes, turning once. They will be drier and less blistered than fried ones but still crisp.
Can I use a vegetarian filling?
A mix of cooked lentils or chopped cooked potato with the same onions, scallions, cilantro and spices works well. Cook off any extra moisture so the filling is dry.
What is the difference between sambusa and samosa?
Yemeni sambusa are small, thin and crisp, with a meat and herb filling and a long-strip fold. Samosas in some other places use a thicker dough and a spiced potato or pea filling.
How long does it take to make Sambusa (Yemeni Fried Meat Pastries)?
About 1 h 15 min in total: 45 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Sambusa (Yemeni Fried Meat Pastries)?
About 330 kcal per serving, with 12 g of protein, 21 g of carbohydrates and 22 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 330 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 12 g |
| Carbohydrates | 21 g |
| Fat | 22 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Sodium | 420 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
