Crispy Ethiopian Sambussa
Golden, flaky fried pastry triangles stuffed with spiced ground beef and lentils. Ready in under 20 minutes with a sheet-pan shortcut using phyllo dough.
- Total time
- 18 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 18g
Ingredients
- ½ lb ground beef
- ½ cup cooked lentils (canned or leftover)
- ½ medium onion, finely diced
- 8 sheets phyllo dough sheets
- 1 tbsp berbere spice blend (or garam masala + cayenne)
- 4 tbsp neutral oil (for brushing and frying)
Instructions
- 1
Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up clumps with a spoon, ~5 minutes.
- 2
Add diced onion and berbere; cook until onion softens and spices are fragrant, ~2 minutes.
- 3
Stir in cooked lentils, then remove from heat and cool slightly, ~2 minutes.
- 4
Place one phyllo sheet on a cutting board; brush lightly with oil and lay another sheet on top.
- 5
Cut the double layer into 4 squares. Place 1 tbsp filling in the corner of each square.
- 6
Fold each square diagonally to form a triangle, pressing edges to seal. Repeat with remaining phyllo.
- 7
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Fry triangles 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown.
- 8
Serve hot with hot sauce or yogurt on the side.
Tools you’ll need
- 12-inch skillet
- cutting board
- spoon
- pastry brush
- kitchen knife
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