Sambuus (Somali Spiced Meat Samosas)
In short: Crisp triangular pastries filled with spiced minced beef, onion, leek and cilantro, fried until golden and served with lime and hot sauce. It takes about 1 h 30 min in total and makes 8 servings.
- Prep
- 50 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 h 30 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 390 kcal
Sambuus are crisp, triangular fried pastries filled with spiced minced meat, onion and leek, and a fixture of Somali Ramadan tables. They are eaten to break the fast and served at celebrations and weddings. Thin pastry sheets make them light and shatteringly crisp, and a squeeze of lime or a spoonful of green hot sauce balances the rich filling. Fry them in batches and keep them warm in a low oven.
Instructions
- Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the onions and leek for 6 minutes until soft.
- Add the beef and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking it up, until browned and cooked through to 71°C (160°F). Add the garlic, chili, cumin, coriander, pepper and salt and cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Cook until the pan is dry, then cool the filling completely.
- Keep the pastry covered with a damp towel. Place a strip with its short end toward you and put a heaped tablespoon of filling at the bottom corner.
- Fold the corner diagonally over the filling to make a triangle, then keep folding the strip up and over in triangles until you reach the end. Seal the final flap with a dab of flour paste.
- Heat the frying oil to 175°C (350°F). Fry 5 or 6 sambuus at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, turning, until golden and blistered.
- Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a 100°C (210°F) oven while you fry the rest. Serve with lime wedges.
Tips
- Cool the filling fully and cook off all the moisture. Wet filling steams the pastry from the inside and makes it soggy.
- For a baked version, brush the folded sambuus with oil and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 18 to 20 minutes, turning once, until golden.
Questions and answers
Can I freeze sambuus?
Yes. Freeze the filled, unfried sambuus on a tray, then bag them for up to 3 months. Fry from frozen at 170°C (340°F) for 4 to 5 minutes.
Can I use another filling?
Minced lamb or chicken works well. A vegetarian version with lentils, potato and carrot is also popular during Ramadan.
How are sambuus different from Indian samosas?
Sambuus are folded from thin pastry sheets, so they are lighter and crispier than many samosas. The filling is usually seasoned meat, onion and leek rather than potato and peas.
How long does it take to make Sambuus (Somali Spiced Meat Samosas)?
About 1 h 30 min in total: 50 min of preparation and 40 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Sambuus (Somali Spiced Meat Samosas)?
About 390 kcal per serving, with 16 g of protein, 32 g of carbohydrates and 22 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 390 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 16 g |
| Carbohydrates | 32 g |
| Fat | 22 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Sodium | 480 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
