Beef Sambosa Recipe

Prepare aromatics

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5–7 minutes. Add the minced garlic, minced ginger and chopped green chili and cook 1 minute until fragrant.

Brown beef and season

Increase heat to medium-high and add the ground beef. Break it up with a spatula and cook until no longer pink and beginning to brown, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if there is more than 2 tablespoons, leaving a little to carry flavor.

Add spices and tomato paste

Reduce heat to medium. Sprinkle in ground cumin, ground coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, paprika, salt and black pepper. Stir to coat the meat and toast the spices for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine; cook 1–2 minutes to remove raw tomato flavor.

Finish filling

If filling seems dry, add 1–2 tablespoons water. Cook another 1–2 minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in chopped cilantro and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. Let the filling cool to room temperature (about 15–20 minutes) before assembling so it won’t soften the dough.

Make dough

In a large bowl whisk together 2 cups flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in 3 tablespoons chilled butter and 2 tablespoons oil using a pastry cutter or fingertips until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

Bring together

Add 1/2 cup cold water gradually, tossing with a fork until a soft, slightly tacky dough forms. If dough is dry, add up to 1 tablespoon more water. Do not overwork. Gather into a ball, flatten to a disk, wrap in plastic and rest at room temperature for 20–30 minutes.

Divide and roll out

On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Using a rolling pin, roll each ball into a thin circle about 5–6 inches (12–15 cm) across and about 1/16–1/8 inch thick. Keep rolled circles covered with a damp towel to prevent drying while working.

Make flour slurry

Whisk together 2 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl to make a paste; this will be used to seal edges.

Fold sambosa

Place one wrapper on your work surface. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of cooled beef filling near one edge. Fold the circle into a semicircle over the filling, press gently to remove air. Starting at one corner of the semicircle, fold into a triangle (like folding a samosa/sambusa) by folding the outer edge over toward the opposite edge, repeating until you have a neat triangle. Brush the open edge with the flour slurry to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling (should make about 12 sambosas).

Heat oil

Pour 3–4 cups vegetable oil into a deep skillet or medium pot to a depth of about 1-1.5 inches. Heat oil to 350°F (175°C) over medium-high heat. If you don’t have a thermometer, test by dropping a small piece of dough — it should sizzle and rise slowly.

Fry sambosas

Working in batches (do not overcrowd), carefully slide 3–4 sambosas into the hot oil. Fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per batch. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel–lined tray to drain. Keep finished sambosas warm in a low oven (200°F / 95°C) while you finish frying the rest.

Alternative: bake

To bake instead of frying: preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Place assembled sambosas on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush lightly with oil, and bake 15–20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crisp and golden.

Combine 1/2 cup plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. Chill until ready to serve.