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1
Knead & Rest the Pastry
10 Mins
Room temperature, ~21°C (70°F)
Rub the 30 g of oil into the flour and half the salt until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the warm water a little at a time and knead for 5 minutes into a firm, smooth dough. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 20 minutes.
A firm dough rolls thin without tearing; a soft dough sticks and stretches. Add water a spoon at a time.
Done when: The dough is smooth, firm and no longer sticky.
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2
Cook the Beef Filling
15 Mins
Medium heat, ~175°C (350°F)
Heat a dry pan over medium heat and cook the beef, breaking it up, for 5 minutes until browned. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for 3 minutes more. Stir in the cumin, garam masala, turmeric and remaining salt, then the potato and peas with 60 ml of water. Cover and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the potato is tender, then uncover and cook until the filling is dry. Stir in the coriander and cool completely.
If the filling is wet, keep cooking uncovered — wet filling is the main reason samboosa burst open.
Done when: The beef is browned, the potato is tender, and the filling is dry enough to hold its shape on a spoon.
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3
Roll & Fold the Triangles
15 Mins
Room temperature, ~21°C (70°F)
Divide the dough into 8 balls. Roll each ball into a thin circle about 18 cm across and cut it in half. Brush the straight edge of a half-circle with water, fold it into a cone, and press the seam shut. Fill the cone with about 2 tablespoons of filling, brush the top edge with water, and press it closed into a triangle. Repeat to make 16 triangles.
Roll the pastry as thin as you can — thin pastry blisters and shatters; thick pastry stays doughy.
Done when: Each samboosa is a neat triangle with sealed edges and no filling poking out.
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4
Fry Until Blistered & Golden
12 Mins
Medium heat, oil at 175°C (350°F)
Heat the frying oil to 175°C (350°F). Fry the samboosa in batches of 4 for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until blistered and deep golden. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack. Let the oil come back to temperature between batches.
Do not fry more than 4 at a time — crowded samboosa stick together and the oil cools.
Done when: The pastry is blistered, crisp and deep golden, and the filling inside is steaming hot, reaching at least 71°C (160°F).
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5
Drain & Serve Hot
3 Mins
Serve hot, above 63°C (145°F)
Rest the fried samboosa for 2 minutes on the rack, then pile onto a plate with mint chutney and dates on the side.
Drain on a rack, not on paper — paper traps steam and softens the pastry.
Done when: The samboosa are crisp, hot and ready to eat.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the samboosa piled high, still crackling from the oil, with mint chutney, dates and hot karak tea.
Bahrain
1h 35m
Spain
Vietnam