Sambusak Recipe

Prepare and wilt greens

Rinse the spinach well and roughly chop if the leaves are large. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbs olive oil over medium heat. Add sliced leeks and a pinch of salt; cook 4–5 minutes until softened and translucent. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add the spinach in batches to the skillet, letting each batch wilt before adding more. Cook until all spinach is wilted and any liquid has mostly evaporated, about 4–6 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a fine-mesh sieve or bowl lined with cheesecloth; press or squeeze to remove excess moisture. Let cool slightly.

Once drained, chop the wilted spinach and leeks finely and return to a bowl. Crumble in the feta and break up the goat cheese with a fork. Add ground cumin, ground coriander, lemon zest, lemon juice, chopped parsley, salt and black pepper. Mix thoroughly until evenly combined and relatively dry (cheeses and lemon balance moisture). Taste and adjust seasoning. Let the mixture cool to room temperature before assembling.

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Unroll phyllo and keep covered with a lightly damp kitchen towel to prevent drying. Lightly dust a working surface with flour if needed. Take one phyllo sheet and brush lightly with melted butter (about 1 tbs per sheet). Place a second sheet on top and brush again. Trim to a neat rectangle if uneven.

Cut the stacked phyllo into 3–4 strips lengthwise depending on desired sambusak size (for 8 sheets, cutting into 3 strips yields medium triangles). Place a heaping tablespoon of filling near one end of a strip. Fold the strip over the filling to make a triangular pocket (fold like folding a flag along the strip) or fold into a half-moon if preferred. Continue folding until you reach the end, sealing the final edge with a little melted butter.

Place assembled sambusak seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Repeat until all filling and phyllo are used. If using egg wash: whisk the egg with 1 tsp cold water and lightly brush tops of sambusak. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds evenly over the tops. Brush any exposed edges with remaining melted butter.

Bake in the preheated oven for 18–22 minutes, rotating the pan halfway, until golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes on the baking sheet.

While the sambusak bake, prepare the spiced honey: in a small heatproof bowl or small saucepan, warm the honey gently over low heat (do not boil) or microwave for 10–15 seconds until fluid. Stir in ground cinnamon, smoked paprika and a pinch of cayenne if using. Taste and adjust — the blend should be warm-spiced and slightly smoky.

After the sambusak have rested 5 minutes, transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle each sambusak lightly with the spiced honey (about 1/2 tbs per piece) or serve the honey on the side for dipping. Finish with an extra light sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds if desired.