As much I love spending hours in the kitchen making cakes, doughs, pastries, curries and spice blends etc. from scratch, I have complete understanding for those who don´t have the nerves or time to invest in such details. Even if we put the commitment and willingness part aside, there are at times other factors like weather, availability of ingredients and space that makes it hard for even the most skilled cooks to make everything from scratch.
And in situations like these, there are some “convenient foods” that come as a life saver. Puff pastry is a perfect example!
A good quality store bought puff pastry can be perfectly useful for cooks of all skill and commitment levels. Available in different qualities and for different purposes, it´s also very encouraging for the novice cooks to try things they might not otherwise be willing to attempt. It can be shaped, filled, baked in a variety of ways to make things that look and taste incredibly good.
Instant Samsa is a quick and easy appetizer that is loved by all! Prepared in minutes and also gone in minutes, this crowd-pleaser is definitely going to make you dance with joy!
All you need is:
- Puff pastry
- Lamb or minced beef
- some basic spices
- onion
Things to remember :
- Chop lamb meat in small cubes with a sharp knife or use minced beef instead. That´s all up to you!
- The onions should not be chopped too fine! Best is to peel, cut in half, then again cut in half and slice thinly! Youll end up having medium sized thin slices that won´t damage the puff pastry and will also give a nice texture to the filling.
- Get puff pastry from the refrigerator because frozen pastry tends to puff up more! You´re looking for a thin, not too flaky yet crispy, many folded pastry for making samsa. Refrigerated fresh one is ideal.
- The egg wash is just for the nice golden colour. You can yield the same look with milk.
Samsa can be served as appetizer, party snack or light meal.
You choose!
Instant Samsa - Meat Pockets
Ingredients
- 1 pkt puff pastry refrigerated
- 200 g lamb meat / mined beef
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced, see notes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper freshly ground
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 egg for brushing
- black or white sesame seeds for garnishing
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 180 C.
- Chop meat in very small cubes with a sharp knife.
- Peel the onion. Cut in half, then again in half. Slice thinly!
- Combine meat with onions, salt, pepper and cumin.
- Cut the puff pastry in medium squares.
- Place a spoonful of filling in the middle of the square. Don´t overdo!
- Now fold the two opposite corners together and press the dough firmly with your finger tips enclosing the meat.
- Again,fold the other two corners and make a pocket.
- Brush with beaten egg or milk. Sprinkle few sesame seeds or cumin seeds on top.
- Bake for 20 - 25 min. or until golden brown.
Notes
- If youre using the fan setting, reduce the oven temperature to 160 C.
- Make sure, you pinch firm enough to seal the puff pastry. There shouldnt be any holes to prevent pockets from opening while baking.
- Brushing samsa with egg can be tedious. You can save time by beating egg in a small bowl and dipping the pinched side of each pocket in it. Place the samsa on baking tray with the egg side up and proceed with the recipe!
- Baking time may vary depending on your oven temperature and settings.
- Consume all the samsas within the same day as the baked puff pastry begins to soften with time.
