Backstory: This recipe was given to me by an Uzbek friend. One day, when staying at her house, she served this dish to us and I fell in love. I find this to be one of the most satisfying dishes on a cold rainy day. This one dish meal will not leave you wanting anything else other than more of it so make plenty! Samsa can be made a thousand different ways so modify it to suit your personal tastes.
Ingredients:
Puff pastry
1 pound of organic lamb
3 medium potatoes peeled and chopped into small cubes
1/2 large red onion chopped
1 cup of crushed tomatoes
1 egg for egg wash
Spices: turmeric, cumin, garlic, black pepper, sea salt, chopped cilantro
Optional: sesame seeds for sprinkling
Pro tip: Get the pre-cut puff pastry for this dish. It comes in 36 squares and makes the job very simple. Keep puff pastry in the freezer. It takes about an hour to defrost so keep that in mind.
Cooking directions:
Add a little olive oil to the saute pan and add red onion, followed by lamb. Once lamb is mostly browned, add chopped potatoes, crushed tomatoes and all the spices expect for cilantro. Cover, reduce fire and cook until potatoes are soft (around 15 min). Mash with potato masher and add cilantro. Turn fire off and let cool to room temperature.
Assembling directions:
Place non heaping table spoon of lamb mixture on each puff pastry square. Pinch corners diagonally and seal completely. Form into a ball shape and place on a tray lined with aluminum foil. I ended up with 30 of these beautiful balls.
Make an egg wash and baste each ball. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake on 350 in the middle rack for 30 minutes. Serve with basmanti rice and garden salad for a complete and satisfying meal. Enjoy!