Ramadan is only ever complete with Samboosa, aka Samosas. At home, my grandmother, mother and I spend a month prepping loads of them – we make the filling, sit in front of the TV and just wrap for hours, all because we can’t bear to have a Ramadan without them. They are then bagged up and placed in the freezer, eagerly awaiting our Iftars.

For us, it always has to be with chicken and while there are many samboosa recipes out there, I can’t stress enough how delicious and moorish ours are. I personally think it’s our special baharat that goes into them, or just maybe the right amount of heat and acid. Samboosas are always the thing we fight over, everyone wants to bite into that golden crunch, which means they need to be fried fresh every day. Whether it’s Ramadan or a gathering, Samboosas are king.

This recipe is sponsored by Sainsbury’s as part of our ‘It’s Not Ramadan Without’ series where we take a peek into the homes and tables of different families in Ramadan, celebrating what makes Ramadan uniquely meaningful to them through the universal language of wholesome and delicious food. Explore a wide selection of quality ingredients needed to create delicious meals during this special time of the year— conveniently available at your nearest Sainsbury’s*.

Serving Size: Makes 40-45

Ingredients

760g / 3 pieces of chicken breast
2 tbsp garlic paste
Salt
1 tsp black pepper
250ml water
2 medium onions (chopped finely)
2 green chillies (optional) (chopped finely)
1 litre + 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
10g / 1 tbsp Baharat or Garam Masala
100g Fresh Lemon Juice (2)
100g coriander (chopped finely)
Samosa Pastry or Spring Roll Pastry
35g flour + 50 ml water

Method

1. Place the chicken in a pan with the water, 1 tbsp garlic paste, salt and black pepper. Place on medium heat till the chicken is cooked through and water has absorbed, depending on the thickness of your chicken, it will take up to 45 minutes.

2. Once the chicken is cooked, in the same pan shred and pull apart the chicken with two forks till you have thin small strands. Set aside.

3. In a frying pan, add a tablespoon of oil and fry the onions and the other tablespoon of garlic till they are translucent.

4. Add in the baharat, mix it through and fry for 2 minutes.

5. Add in chicken, lemon, coriander and chilli and stir through well till everything is mixed and distributed evenly. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly before wrapping them.

6. To make the paste for sealing the samosa, mix the flour with 50ml of water until you have a thick enough mixture to act like glue.

7. To wrap the samosas, take one samosa pastry and place a heaped tablespoon of the chicken mixture at the bottom, in the middle.

8. Then pick up the bottom right-hand corner and fold over to line up with the left edge. It will look roughly like a right-angle triangle.

9. While holding that down, grab the bottom left corner and tightly pull it over to the right, again lining up with the edge. At this point, you would have closed up the gaps and have the beginnings of a triangle.

10. Keep folding from right to left till you reach the top, and then place a little bit of the flour paste on the inside of the pastry to seal.

11. Wrap a second sheet of pastry following the same method around the samosa to give it a second layer, then set aside and repeat with the rest of the mixture.

12. For frying, add enough oil to a pan that will allow you to deep fry and stop the samosas from touching the bottom of the pan.

13. Place the samosas in the oil at room temperature, then turn on the hob to a high heat. The samosas will begin to turn colour. Once they are golden/deep brown, remove and place on a plate with kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil.

Samboosas are a staple for our Iftar tables. I hope you enjoy eating and making them just as much as we do!

*Products available vary by store size/online. Subject to availability.

Dina Macki

It’s Not Ramadan Without – Dina & Bibi’s Samboosa!