Samboosa

About This Recipe

Samboosa are the Gulf's answer to samosas: thin pastry parcels filled with spiced ground meat, folded into triangles and deep-fried until golden and shattering. They are the most popular Ramadan snack across Bahrain, prepared by the hundreds in family kitchens and sold at every iftar market.

Ingredients

Serves 5

• 250 gminced beef or lamb
• 1 mediumonion, finely chopped
• 1 tspbaharat
• 20 sheetsspring roll pastry, cut into strips
• oilfor deep frying

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook filling

   Dry fry onion until soft. Add mince and baharat, cook until browned and dry. Season with salt, remove from heat, and cool completely.

2. 2

   Fill and fold

   Place a spoonful of filling at the end of a pastry strip. Fold into a triangle by continuously folding corner to corner. Seal the final edge with a flour-water paste.

3. 3

   Fry

   Heat oil to 170 °C. Fry samboosa in batches for 3–4 minutes until deep golden.

4. 4

   Drain and serve

   Drain on paper towels and serve hot with tomato sauce or yoghurt dip.

Variations

• •

  Fill with cheese and herbs for a vegetarian version.

• •

  Add chopped boiled egg to the meat filling for extra richness.

Storage

Freeze unfried samboosa on a tray, then bag. Fry from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to cooking time.

Frequently Asked Questions