Recipe – Sambusa and Vegetable Rolls

30 Apr Recipe – Sambusa and Vegetable Rolls

By Kelly Downing

One of the hallmarks of an iftar meal is finger food, or small bites, to ease into breaking the fast.  Samboosas are the common go-to and are seen on most iftar tables in this area.  I experiment with different recipes nearly every year, but the recipes I share here are my biggest crowd pleasers.  The veggie rolls are a personal favourite – a treat I look forward to as a vegetarian.

SAMBOOSA

These recipes yield approximately 25 servings each

Cheese Filling:

350g shredded mozzarella cheese

4oz cream cheese, softened

1.5 tbsp feta cheese

Instructions: Combine ingredients so that they’re evenly distributed.

Chicken Filling:

1/3 c olive oil

3 onions, sliced

450g chicken breast, cut in small cubes

1/2 c sumac

1 tsp white pepper

1 cup chicken (or vegetable) broth

1/2 c pine seeds, toasted

Instructions: 

Heat oil in pan.  Sauté onions on medium until soft.  Add chicken and sauté until half cooked.  Add all remaining ingredients and simmer until chicken is fully cooked.  Allow to cool before filling.

Samboosa Assembly:

Prepared filling

Samboosa leaves

Flour and water mixture, for sealing

Roll a single samboosa leaf into a triangular cone shape.  Fill with one spoonful of prepared filling.  Seal with flour mixture.  Repeat with remaining leaves and filling.  Optionally, you can brush the samboosa with a little olive oil before baking.  Samboosa can be airfried, baked (190’ C), or deep fried, according to your preference.  They are done when filling is heated through and the shell is at your desired crispiness.

Times vary based on the thickness of filling and temperature at the start of cooking.  I pre-assemble and freeze my samboosa ahead of time, so I always bake from frozen.  This requires baking times of around 20 minutes.  Make sure to flip your samboosa halfway through baking time (this is not necessary for deep frier).

VEGGIE ROLLS:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 onions, finely sliced

1 bag of coleslaw mix*

1 stick celery, peeled and shredded

2 bell peppers, shredded

1 zucchini, shredded

2 cubes Maggi vegetable stock, crumbled

1/4 ts white pepper

1/2 ts sesame oil

Spring roll pastry sheets

Cornstarch and water mixture, for sealing

*Alternatively, you can shred carrot and cabbage instead of using this shortcut

Instructions:

Heat vegetable oil, cook ginger and garlic until fragrant.  Add onion and cook for 2 minutes.  Add remaining vegetables and stir while cooking until tender.  Stir in Maggi, white pepper and sesame oil.  Allow to cool before filling.  Place 2 tbsp of the mixture onto the pastry sheet.  Roll and seal with cornstarch mixture.  Deep fry until golden brown.