Crispy triangular pastries filled with spiced lentils or seasoned ground beef, a popular Eritrean snack and street food.
Instructions
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1
Make dough by mixing flour, salt, olive oil, and water. Knead for five minutes until smooth, rest for twenty minutes.
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2
For filling, cook ground beef or lentils with onion, jalapeños, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper until done.
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3
Roll dough thin and cut into strips eight centimeters wide. Place a spoonful of filling at one end.
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4
Fold corner over filling to form a triangle, continue folding in flag-fold pattern to seal completely.
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5
Heat oil to 175C and fry sambusas for three minutes, turning once, until golden and crispy.
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6
Drain on paper towels and serve hot with a squeeze of lemon or dipping sauce.
Did You Know?
During Ramadan, Eritrean sambusa vendors set up stalls near mosques, selling hundreds of fresh sambusas for iftar.
The Story Behind Sambusa
The Eritrean sambusa arrived through centuries of Red Sea trade with the Arabian Peninsula, but Eritrean cooks transformed it with local spicing and fillings. The lentil-filled version is especially popular during fasting periods, demonstrating how Eritrean cuisine adapts dishes to meet religious dietary requirements while maintaining deliciousness.
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