Djibouti Sambusas

Ingredients:

For the Sauce:
2 garlic cloves minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp green chilies, minced
400g tin diced tomatoes
2 tbsp Cider vinegar
1 tsp ground cumin

For the dough:
250g flour
pinch of salt
water as needed

For the filling:
2 tbsp oil
500g minced meat (beef, goat or lamb would be typical)
2 onions, finely diced
3 leeks, finely diced
1 tsp ground cumin
salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Oil for frying

Method:

Place a wok or deep frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add a splash of oil and use to gently fry the garlic and chillies for 3 minutes. Now add in the tomatoes, vinegar and cumin, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Turn this sauce into a serving dish and set aside.

For the sambusa dough sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Slowly add the water, mixing with your fingers until everything comes together as a stiff dough. Shape into a ball, cover with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and set aside to rest for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the filling: Place a frying pan over medium heat, add a splash of oil then use to fry the meat until browned all over. Add in the onions and leeks add the cumin then season to taste with salt and freshly-ground black pepper.

Continue frying for about 8 minutes, until the meat is fully cooked and the onions and leeks are tender. Take off the heat and set aside.

Now turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Pat flat then roll out quite thinly with a rolling pin.

Cut into 10cm squares then place a tablespoon of the meat filling mixture in the centre of each square. Fold the dough over to form a triangle. Seal the edges by brushing with water and pressing them together firmly.

Heat oil in a pan or deep fryer and cook until golden brown and crispy. Remove them with a slotted spoon and set on a paper towel to drain off any excess oil.

Serve hot accompanied by the sauce.