Kenyan Beef Samosas

Ingredients

• 1.5 tbsp olive oil (For cooking the filling)
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 medium red onion (Diced)
• 1 clove garlic (Minced)
• 1 jalapeño (Minced)
• 1 tsp salt (For the filling)
• 1 tsp pepper (For the filling)
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp cumin (Ground cumin)
• 4 scallions (Diced)
• 1 cup frozen peas (Defrosted)
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro (Chopped)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (For the wrapper dough)
• 0.25 tsp salt (For the wrapper dough)
• 2 tsp olive oil (For the wrapper dough and brushing the dough ball)
• 1 cup water (Plus 2 tablespoons more for the dough)
• 2 tbsp water (Additional water for the dough)
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour (Mixed with 1 tablespoon water to make sealing paste)
• 1 tbsp water (Mixed with the flour to make sealing paste)
• 3 cups canola oil (For deep-frying)
• lime wedge (For serving)

Steps

1. 1

   In a large pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Once hot, add the ground beef, breaking it apart with a spatula, and cook for 3 minutes.

2. 2

   Add the diced onion and cook until the beef is brown and the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.

3. 3

   Add the garlic, jalapeño, salt, pepper, ground coriander, cumin, and scallions to the meat. Cook for 2 minutes.

4. 4

   Add the defrosted peas and chopped cilantro. Cook for another 2 minutes, then remove the meat filling from the heat and let it cool.

5. 5

   In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, olive oil, and water. Mix with your hand or a spatula. Once the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, transfer it to a lightly floured surface and knead for 4 minutes, or until smooth and soft.

6. 6

   Shape the dough into a ball and brush it with olive oil. Cover it with plastic wrap and a warm, damp tea towel. Let it rest for 30 minutes.

7. 7

   Remove the coverings and roll the dough into a 10-inch (25-cm) long log. Cut it into 10 even sections. Roll each section into a ball, then roll each ball on a lightly floured surface into a thin circle about 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter. Stack the circles as they are rolled, sprinkling a little flour between them, and keep them covered with plastic wrap so they do not dry out.

8. 8

   In a greased large pan over high heat, place one dough circle in the pan and cook for 10 seconds on each side. Repeat with the remaining dough circles.

9. 9

   Cut one par-cooked dough circle into four quarters. With the round side of one quarter closest to you, fold the bottom half to the right and seal the fold with the flour paste. Fold the left side across the previous fold to create a cone-like pocket, sealing it with paste.

10. 10

    Fill the pocket with the meat filling. Fold the remaining tip of dough toward you and seal it with flour paste. Repeat with the remaining dough circles and filling.

11. 11

    In a large, deep pan, heat the canola oil to 350°F (180°C). Carefully place 4–6 sambusas in the hot oil and fry for about 5 minutes, flipping once, until light golden brown.

12. 12

    Remove the fried samosas from the oil and drain them on paper towels. Serve with lime wedges.

Notes

The recipe lists 15 servings. The source does not specify the exact amount of filling per samosa or the quantity of flour paste used on each seam.

Nutrition per serving

• appetizer
• snack
• East African
• Kenyan
• deep-fried
• beef
• dairy-free
• high-protein