Spiced ground beef enveloped in pastry and fried to perfection, these beef samosas make the best kind of appetizer. I prefer using lean ground beef for this recipe. Traditionally samosas are deep-fried though sometimes when we get uncooked samosas from our families we use the air fryer. The samosa wrappers can be found in the freezer section in well-stocked supermarkets and at Southeast Asian grocery stores.
1. Brown ground beef over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven, stirring and breaking up beef into small chunks with the back of a spoon, for 8 to 10 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.
2. Stir in garlic, gingerroot, cumin, coriander, salt, ground red chili pepper, turmeric and lemon juice. Cook, stirring often, for about 30 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated. Stir onion, green onions and cilantro. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.
3. Fill a deep-fryer or large, heavy saucepan with at least 4 inches (10 cm) of oil. Heat over medium heat to 350°F.
4. Combine flour with just enough water in a small bowl to make a paste with glue-like consistency.
5. Fold one wrapper to form a cone, overlapping tightly so no filling goes through the hole. Fill the pocket with a couple spoonfuls of the meat mixture. Brush the edges with the flour-paste, then fold over to seal and make a triangle. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
6. Deep-fry samosas, a few at a time to avoid crowding pot, turning once, for about 10 to 12 minutes, until golden and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Serve hot or at room temperature.
*For the garlic and gingerroot paste, you can use the purée or paste found in jars in the grocery store or use a fine grater, such as a Microplane, to make your own purée in small amounts just as you need it.
**Ground red chili pepper is available in Indian grocery stores and well-stocked supermarkets. It is ground up dried red chili peppers and may be labeled as lal merch. Cayenne can be substituted but has a harsher flavour so you may wish to use less.
You can test that your frying oil is hot enough for cooking adding a piece of wrapper to the hot oil. If it is ready, the wrapper will float to the top.
If you have an air fryer, arrange samosas in the air fryer basket, leaving space between each. Follow the manufacturer’s directions to air fry the samosas until golden and crisp.
Servings 0