Spiced Meat Sambusas (Printable)

Golden crispy pastry filled with aromatic spiced beef and onions, perfect for sharing.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Meat Filling

01 - 1 lb ground beef or lamb
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1-inch piece ginger, grated
05 - 1 green chili, finely chopped
06 - 1 tsp ground cumin
07 - 1 tsp ground coriander
08 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
09 - 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
10 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
11 - 3/4 tsp salt
12 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
13 - 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
14 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil

→ Pastry

15 - 16 spring roll wrappers
16 - Small bowl of water for sealing

→ For Frying

17 - 3 cups vegetable oil for deep frying

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onions and sauté for 2–3 minutes until softened and translucent.
02 - Stir in minced garlic, grated ginger, and chopped green chili. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
03 - Add ground beef to the skillet. Cook, breaking up meat with a spatula, until browned and cooked through, approximately 6–8 minutes.
04 - Stir in cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 2 additional minutes to allow spices to bloom.
05 - Remove skillet from heat. Stir in chopped fresh cilantro and transfer filling to a bowl. Let cool completely to room temperature before assembling.
06 - Place a spring roll wrapper on a clean work surface. Spoon 1.5 tablespoons of cooled filling near one corner. Fold into a triangle shape, tucking in sides as you fold, and seal the final edge with water. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
07 - Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan to 350°F. Fry sambusas in batches for 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
08 - Serve hot with lemon wedges, tamarind chutney, raita, or hot sauce for dipping.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The spice blend hits every perfect note, warm but not overwhelming, making these impossible to stop eating
  • They freeze beautifully before frying, so you can always have homemade appetizers ready for unexpected guests
  • The folding technique becomes almost meditative once you get the rhythm, and the results look impressively professional
02 -
  • Never skip the cooling step for the filling, because hot filling will make the wrappers soggy and cause them to tear during wrapping
  • Keep a small bowl of water nearby while folding, as dry seams will pop open during frying and ruin all your careful work
  • The oil temperature really matters, too cool and they will be greasy, too hot and they will burn before the inside heats through
03 -
  • A clean pair of kitchen shears makes quick work of trimming any ragged edges from the wrappers before folding
  • Line your cooling rack with paper towels over a baking sheet to catch any oil drips and keep your counter clean

Go Back