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Somali Sambuusa

Name: Somali Sambuusa
Total time: 60 min
Yield: Serves 12
Cuisine: Somalia
Ingredients: 12 Spring roll wrappers; 250g Ground Beef; 1 Onion; 1 Green Chili Pepper; 1 clove Garlic; A pinch Cilantro; 1 tsp Cumin powder; 1/2 tsp Cardamom powder; 1/2 tsp Salt; 1 tbsp All-purpose flour; To taste Oil for frying; 1/2 Lemon

Snack

⏱ 60 min

👥 Serves 12

Difficulty ⭐⭐

Spiced ground meat folded into triangles and fried — the fried snack essential to Somali Ramadan.

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📖 The Story Behind This Dish

Sambuusa is the fried snack that always appears on Somali tables to break the Ramadan fast: ground beef or lamb is sautéed with onion, green chili, and xawaash spices like cardamom and cumin, wrapped in thin pastry triangles, and fried. The pairing of crisp pastry and spicy filling is a favorite.

🌆 Where it's eaten: At sunset during Ramadan, triangular fried pastries are piled high on a Somali family table beside dates and sweet tea.

🥕 Ingredients (serves 12)

Spring roll wrappers 12
Ground Beef 250g
Onion 1
Green Chili Pepper 1
Garlic 1 clove
Cilantro A pinch
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Cardamom powder 1/2 tsp
Salt 1/2 tsp
All-purpose flour 1 tbsp
Oil for frying To taste
Lemon 1/2

👩‍🍳 Instructions

Stir-fry the ground beef, add the chopped onion, garlic, green chili, spices, and salt, and cook until dry.
Mix in the chopped cilantro and cool.
Cut the spring roll wrappers into long strips, fold into triangles around the filling, and seal with flour mixed with water.
Fry in 170°C oil until golden.
Serve with lemon.

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