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Soha Darwish says, "Halfway through the soup course we start eyeing the food laid in front of us and we usually seek a bite-sized appetiser to nibble on while finishing the soup. On most occasions it will be fried filo pastry triangles called ‘sambousek’, that have a filling of either cheese or meat. My favourite is a white cheese similar to feta with nigella seeds. The combination is just magical and so easy to master. Usually, sambousek is prepared ahead of Ramadan and frozen in batches (which is very convenient for busy home cooks) then fried minutes before Iftar."

  • 200g feta
    crumbled, or Kashkawan stretchy cheese, grated
  • 2 tbsp nigella seeds
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
    plus extra for dusting
  • 300-400g sambousek or filo pastry sheets
    cut into 8-10cm wide strips
  • 500ml vegetable oil
    for frying

Nutrition: per serving

  • kcal81
  • fat4g
  • saturates1g
  • carbs8g
  • sugars0.4g
  • fibre0.5g
  • protein3g
  • salt0.32g

Method

  • step 1

    Mix together the cheese and nigella seeds in a bowl until combined. Tip the flour into a second bowl and gradually whisk in 250ml water, then set aside.

  • step 2

    Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour and lay out one pastry strip. Add 1 tsp of the cheese mixture close to the top corner, then start folding into a triangle until you reach the lower end of the strip.

  • step 3

    Brush the end of the pastry strip with the flour and water mixture and seal the triangle. Transfer to a baking tray lined with baking parchment and repeat with the remaining strips and mixture.

  • step 4

    Pour the oil into a large saucepan, filling it no more than halfway. Heat until the oil reaches 180C on a cooking thermometer or a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds, then cook in batches of 6-8 for 1-2 mins on each side until golden all over. Transfer to a wire rack lined with kitchen paper and serve warm.

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