Sambousek

Sambousek also pronounced Samboosak, or Sambousak is a small meat pie, served as mezze (appetizer) or snack. It is usually filled with ground beef or lamb, but can be filled with feta and other cheeses. This recipe is famous in the middle east cuisine specially in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine. It is usually served in small amounts, usually 3-4 pies in a plate.

Meat Pie Sambousek Recipe

Ingredients:
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon yeast
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup + warm water
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1lb. ground beef or lamb
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped or grated
  • 1 teapsoon black pepper
  • 3/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • oil for frying
Preparation:

Dough
  • Sprinkle yeast over water in mesuring cup. Allow to dissove and stir until thorouhly mixed.
  • Combine flour and salt in large bowl. Slowly sit in yeast water.
  • Mix dough with hands or wood spoon.
  • Add oil, and coat the dough, contining to mix until dough is elastic.
  • Cut dough into small pieces (about 10-12) cover, and allow to sit for 1 hour in a warm place.
Filling
  • Put the onions in olive oil, adding pepper and cumin in a frying pan.
  • Add ground meat and brown. Stir to ensure the meat and onions are well mixed.
  • Allow to cool.
Assembly
  • Roll out small pieces of dough into desired shape, about 1/16 inch thin. You can do circles, triangles, squares, or crescents.
  • Place 1 tablespoon of meat filling, seal, and crimp edges to seal.
  • Fry until golden brown on each side - about 6-8 minutes.
  • Drain on paper towel and serve.
Spinach and Feta Cheese Sambousek Recipe

Ingredients:
  • 500g fresh spinach leaves
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 40ml Butter, salted
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • 60g White Cheese, crumbled
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 400g puff pastry
  • Flour
Preparation:
  • Chop off thick stems of spinach and place leaves in a saucepan (without water) and steam with the lid on until the spinach is soft.
  • Squeeze out all the liquid from spinach and chop coarsely.
  • Stir-fry onion in 30ml of LURPAK BUTTER, until golden. Add spinach, salt, pepper, allspice and lemon juice. Mix well, and leave spinach in the hot pan to dry out excess liquid.
  • Set aside to cool. When cool, add crumbled white cheese. Cut puff pastry in half. Dust rolling surface and the rolling pin with flour. Roll out each half into a thin sheet, turning the sheet over a few times and dusting it each time with a little flour.
  • Cut into rounds with a pastry cutter. Pile up the rounds and wrap in cling film.
  • Place spoonful of spinach and cheese mixture on a round of pastry. Now lift up 4 sides of each stuffing filled round and pinch the opposite edges together, making a 4 cornered sambousek. Seal the openings by pinching the edges firmly prepare all pastry rounds in the same manner.
  • Place the sambousek on sheets of foil on baking trays, brush the tops with the remaining butter and bake in a pre-heated oven to 180 degrees C / 350 degrees F / for 25-30 mins or until golden.
See More Middle Eastern Mezze Recipes:

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