The Aussie Gourmet: Bucharian Samsas

In The K tchen Bukharian Meat Samsas

By Naomi Nachman

Every few weeks, I film a cooking episode for my show, “Sunny Side Up” for Kosher.com. My recent guest was producer and businesswoman Victoria Zirkiev. Together, we made one of her favorite Bukharian recipes: Samsa. It is a cross between savory hamantaschen and a perfect hand pie. You can customize the filling and toppings. Watch how easy it is to make on our show on Kosher.com.

Photo by Jenna Grunfeld

Ingredients

1 pound beef or chicken, diced 1 tablespoon pepper (or to taste) 1 teaspoon coriander 1 teaspoon cumin 1 egg, beaten 2 large onions, diced 1 package puff pastry squares 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste ¼ cup sesame seeds or black sesame seeds, for topping

Dipping Sauce

¼ bunch cilantro, or to taste (about ½ cup chopped) 3 to 4 frozen garlic cubes Salt, to taste Pepper, to taste 1 cup Tuscanini Crushed Tomatoes or 1 (6-ounce) can tomato sauce

Preparation

Prepare the Samsa

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a bowl, mix onions with salt, pepper, cumin, and coriander. Add beef or chicken and mix well.

3. Working with one pastry square at a time, place about two tablespoons of the meat mixture in the center of the square. 4. Bringing two opposite corners together, form a triangle. Pinch together the ends of the pastry to seal. 5. Place samsa on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

6. Bake 30 minutes or until golden.

Prepare the Dipping Sauce

In a bowl, combine all ingredients for dipping sauce. Serve with samsa.

Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet.com or at (516) 295-9669.