In Aden Samboosas (aka samosas) are a must in most households during the month of Ramadan. The first two weeks before Ramadan every household in Aden is making hundreds of these and freezing them. I make them occasionally as my husband and I are not big fans of friend food. You can also bake these, by spraying them with oil and then placing on a baking sheet and baking at 350 degree oven for 10 minutes on each side or until golden brown. But for the most part they are friend. I used Spring Roll Wrappers that you can really find in any grocery store. If not then make a visit to the Asian grocery stores, and you’ll find them in the freezer section. This is they look like:
I use two layers of these, as they’re pretty thin. I cut each into three long rectangular strips like this:
I stuffed these with a potato stuffing. Traditionally it is made with ground beef and God Willing I’ll post the recipe for that once I make it. But here’s the recipe for the potato stuffing: https://yemeniyah.com/2010/08/15/potato-stuffing-for-sambosa/ . You will also need some samboosa glue made from a little flour and water. They’ll help you glue the ends and give them neat ends. Now, once you have all the parts you can start assembling. So, take one of these strips and fold once to form a triangle at the bottom, and then fold again to make a triangular pocket. Then start stuffing:
Then continue to fold and glue the end.
It’ll turn out to be a perfect triangle.
I usually lay these on a tray and then freeze while still on the tray and then when frozen transfer them to ziplock bags. You can deep fry these in vegetable or corn oil until they are golden brown. I like to serve them with slices of lemon.
If you want to make your own wrappers here is the recipe: https://yemeniyah.com/2013/03/11/mutabaq-yemeni/ You will do the same as above, i.e. cut each later into long wide strips. But make sure you just use one layer, not two as with the spring roll wrappers.
Happy Cooking !
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The Farmer’s Market I frequent sells 3 bunches of Cilantro [Kuzbara] for $1 all year round. I end up using 1 or 2 bunches, and the third goes bad and into the trash. What a waste!
I tried cutting up the Cilantro and freezing it in Ziplock bags. I tried stuffing some in ice cube trays and adding a little water/or olive oil and making Cilantro cubes . All of these methods didn’t preserve the flavor I was looking for , or the the texture for my dishes . I simply do not like frozen Cilantro; I want it fresh for garnish, salads, chutneys … So, I tried this and it really works:
Take a jar, fill it with cold water, and use it as a vase for your cilantro. Cover the top with a plastic bag and refrigerate. Change the water at least twice a week. They stay so fresh and firm for at least 7-10 days. I haven’t tried it beyond 10 days–mine are usually gone by then–but I wouldn’t be surprised if you got a few more days out of them. According to a Facebook response to this post, the Cilantro was still usable at 3 weeks.
And the “Cilantro Chronicles” continue . . .
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