Ye Misir Sambusa (Ethiopian Lentil Samosa)

Serves 4–6

Craving a delicious snack? Look no further than this quick samosa recipe! We've got a fantastic Ye Misir Sambusa (Ethiopian Lentil Samosa) recipe, that's featured on CBC, from Luladey Moges's cookbook, Enebla: Recipes from an Ethiopian Kitchen. These vegetarian lentil samosas are like a taste of Ethiopia in every bite. Perfect for a quick snack or appetizer, they're packed with traditional Ethiopian flavours that'll make your taste buds dance. Dive in and cook up something amazing!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup brown lentils 1 medium yellow onion, diced 1/3 cup oil 2 jalapeños, deseeded and diced 2 cloves garlic, diced 1 teaspoon grated ginger 1 teaspoon ground coriander Salt and pepper 1/2 (4.7-ounce) package egg roll/spring roll wraps (or 8 sheets of phyllo pastry, halved) Vegetable oil for frying (about 4 cups)

RECIPE

1. Place the lentils in a pot, add enough water to cover them by 2 inches, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are al dente, about 5 minutes. You don’t want them fully cooked or mushy. Remove from the heat, drain, and set aside.
2. Place the onions and oil in a skillet. Cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the jalapeños, garlic, and ginger. Cook to soften slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lentils and coriander, making sure the coriander does not clump. Turn down the heat to low, add salt and pepper to taste, and stir. Cover the pot and let cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are fully cooked, 8–10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Working with one egg roll wrapper at time, fold each sheet into a cone and add 2 tablespoons of lentils. Fold in the top edges of the wrapper to close it, brush a little water along each edge, and seal. Repeat the process with the remaining wrappers and filling.
4. Place 4 cups of oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot. The oil should be at least 4 inches deep, but it shouldn’t come more than halfway up the sides of the pot, so adjust the amount as required. Place the pot over high heat and bring the oil to boiling point (365°F). Deep-fry a few sambusas at a time, making sure they are submerged in the oil and gently turning them so they cook evenly on each side. Give the oil a few minutes to return to temperature between batches. Once they are golden brown, about 5 minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pot and place on paper towel or parchment paper to drain the oil.
5. Serve while warm with a side of sauce—my personal favorites are awaze or kochkocha—or by itself.

Note: For the meat version of this dish, called ye siga sambusa (beef sambusas), substitute the lentils with 1 pound of ground beef. Place the beef in a pot and add enough water to cover it by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until rare/medium-rare but not fully cooked, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain, and follow the method above from paragraph 2 to the end.

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Recipe by Luladey Moges from Enebla: Recipes from an Ethiopian Kitchen, text copyright © 2022 by Luladey Moges.