Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Sometimes I get tired of the same old food French, Spanish, Italian, or Japanese food, so I look towards other cuisines. Today we are going to talk about a food from North Africa called a Sambussa. These are usually made during Ramadan. Every cuisine makes food packages. They are fun to make easy to eat and add a nice touch to a meal.
Ingredients
1 cup brown lentils
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup finely chopped onions
2 cloves chopped garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon peeled ginger root grated
1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup diced green pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
8 wonton wrappers
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
Oil for deep frying
Procedure
Rinse lentils and bring them to a boil in the water. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Check that they don’t run out of water and add more as needed. Meanwhile, sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil until translucent. Add the spices and green pepper. Now combine the soft tender lentils with the spice and green pepper mix.
Brush all edges of a wonton wrapper with egg wash then either put a tablespoon on lentil mixture on one side and fold in half on the diagonal or put filling at the bottom and make a small roll folding in the ends as you go. Repeat with remaining wrappers. Deep fry each pastry in 3 inches of oil at 350 degrees. These can be frozen raw and fried as needed. Serve with a cumin scented sour cream.
