Vegetable Samosa Recipe (sambusa ya mboga)

 

This vegetarian samosa is made with vegetables in season and heavily spiced, giving it a deliciously great taste! Loved for its health consciousness, the vegetable samosa serves as an all-time snack and mainly enjoyed by the whole family

Ingredients 

557 g cabbage 

1 head garlic, fresh (42 g) 

4 onions, red skinned, raw, unpeeled (389g) 

2 carrots, orange, raw (307 g) 

3 pieces ginger, fresh, (34 g) 

3 cups (363 g) garden peas, green, raw 

3 ¾ cups (825 g) water 

4 ¼ cups (608 g) wheat flour, refined 

1 ½ tsp. (7 g) salt, iodized 

1 ½ tsp. (2 g) green chilli, fresh 

4 1/3 cups (857 g) cooking oil

Preparation 1 hour | Cooking 1 hour 30 minutes Makes 23 

Samosa filling preparation: 

• Wash and finely chop the cabbage. 

• Peel the carrots, wash and grate. 

• Peel the onion and chop. 

• Peel garlic and ginger, then wash and crush with a mortar and pestle. 

• Wash peas and boil in 2 cups of water for 15 minutes.

Vegetable filling cooking: 

• In a pot, heat 4 tablespoons of oil for 2 minutes. 

• Add onions to cook for 12 minutes. 

• Add garlic, ginger and the green chilli. Cook for 3 minutes. 

• Add carrots, stir and cover to cook for 2 minutes. 

• Add cabbage, and stir. Cook for 1 minute. 

• Add salt, stir and cook for 1 minute. 

• Add peas and cook for 1 minute. 

• Remove from heat and let this cool before filling the pockets. 

Samosa pocket preparation: 

• Put 3 ½ cups of wheat flour in a bowl and add 1 cup of cold water. 

• Mix the ingredients and knead to a soft dough. 

• Divide the dough and roll into medium-sized balls. 

• Lightly dust the rolling surface to prevent the dough from sticking onto the working surface. Flatten the balls and apply a little oil onto the surface of each of the spread dough and stack three pieces together (the oil will help the layers to separate later). 

• Roll out each stack into thin discs. 

• Place a circular plate on the rolled-out dough and trim the edges to form a circle the size of the plate. 

• Place a pan on the fire on high heat for 1 minute. 

• Place the rolled-out dough onto the hot pan and lightly cook each side for 1 minute. 

• Separate each lightly cooked layer (previously placed on top of each other), place into a widebowl or plate and cover to prevent them from drying. 

• Spread the next batch of stacked discs and cook for 1 minute on each side. 

To make the paste: 

• The paste is used to seal the envelopes as a bonding agent. 

• Mix ¾ cup of wheat flour and ¾ cup of water to make a paste. 

• Make the casings using the paste to bond and seal the edges. 

• Fold the layers previously covered into 2, cut into half and then into quarters. 

• Take a quarter and fold it into a samosa case and apply the paste to hold the edges together. 

• Repeat this for the rest of the batches. 

Filling the Samosa: 

• Take each piece and fill in the pocket in the previously prepared vegetables. 

• Use the wheat flour water paste to seal the samosa case. 

Cooking: 

• Put the remaining oil onto a pan and heat for 17 minutes or until the oil bubbles when a pinch of dough is dropped in the oil. 

• Drop the samosa gently into the oil and cook each side for 2 minutes until golden brown. 

• Remove from the oil and place over kitchen towels to drain any excess oil.

Meat Samosa Recipe (sambusa ya nyama)

 

Nothing more delicious like the Kenyan meaty samosa! Mainly an urban dish, the meaty samosa serves as a breakfast item and a whole day snack. It is enjoyed by the entire family.

Ingredients 

½ kg minced beef 

30 g coriander, fresh 

1 stem (356 g) leek, unpeeled, raw 

1 clove (5 g) garlic, unpeeled, raw 

¼ tsp. (1 g) chilli pepper, fresh, raw 

3 cups (475 g) wheat flour, refined 

½ tsp. (2 g) salt, iodized 

1¼ cups (264 g) water 

3 cups (572 g) cooking oil 

Preparation 1 hour | Cooking Time 1 hour 

Makes 28 Meat Filling: 

• Put the meat in a pan over a fire. Stir continuously. 

• When the juices start oozing out from the meat, cover to cook. 

• Finely chop the leek, coriander and crash the garlic. Mix them together in a bowl. 

• Add salt and chilli to the meat after about 10 minutes. 

• Continue stirring and crushing the meat to prevent it from forming balls. 

• Cook the meat until it dries. 

• Add the leek, garlic and coriander after 4 minutes and stir. 

• Remove from the fire after 1 minute. 

• Let the meat cool before using it to fill the casings

Samosa pocket preparation: 

• Put 2 ½ cups flour in a bowl and add 1 cup cold water. Mix into a medium soft dough. 

• Turn dough onto a flat surface and knead thoroughly until smooth. 

• Make a thick long roll, cut into 9 pieces and make the pieces into small balls. 

• Roll out the balls, one at a time into desired thickness. 

• Flour the surface, slightly oil the top of each rolled-out ball and stack them on top of each other. Continue until all the pieces are placed. 

• Stitch the edges by poking light holes. 

• Roll them out together to one large round piece. 

• Heat a shallow pan and toast the rolled dough for 2 minutes per side. If the shallow pan is too small, cut the rolled-out dough to fit. 

• Toast each side lightly, peeling off each layer after toasting until all the 9 pieces are separated. 

• Cut triangular shapes on each separated piece; fold each of the triangular pieces into an envelope and seal the edges with a preparation of wheat flour paste. 

To make the paste: 

• The paste is used to seal the envelopes. 

• Mix ¼ cup of water and ½ cup of flour to make a thick paste. 

• Make the casings using the paste to bond and seal the edges. 

Filling the Samosa: 

• Spoon the cooled meat filling into the casings and seal off the edges using the paste. 

• Do not overfill the casings to prevent it any tears or rips on them. 

Cooking: 

• Heat the remaining oil in a deep pan up to 170°C or about 6 minutes or until the oil bubbles when a pinch of dough is dropped in the oil. 

• Carefully, deep each samosa into the hot oil and cook while turning until golden brown on both sides. • Remove from the hot oil making sure to let any excess oil drain back into the pan. 

• Place onto paper towels to drain any excess oil. 

• Repeat the process until all the samosas are cooked. 

• Serve.

Basic Mandazi Recipe

 

You will find this recipe in any home across Kenya. Preferred for its simplicity, it serves the entire family and a choice item for breakfast.

Ingredients 

7 ¼ cups (953 g) all-purpose wheat flour 

3 tbsp. (48 g) baking powder 

2/3 cup (128 g) sugar 

6 1/3 cups (1235 g) cooking oil 

3 1/3 cups (723 g) water

Preparation 1 hour | Cooking 30 minutes | Serves 4 

• Put the wheat flour into a bowl, add baking powder and sugar. 

• Add 3 1/3 of cups water and mix properly to make soft dough. 

• Add 4 tablespoons of cooking oil and continue kneading. 

• Cover and leave to stand for 40 minutes. 

• Roll out the dough and cut into desired shapes 

• Add the rest of the cooking oil into the pot/ deep frying pan and heat for 10 minutes (use a piece of dough to test). 

• Carefully drop the cut-out pieces into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. 

• Repeat the process for all the pieces. 

• Remove from oil, place on paper towel to drain any excess oil. 

• Repeat the process with the rest of the pieces. 

• Serve with a hot beverage.

Enriched Mandazi Recipe (east african doughnut)

 

A popular snack among urban dwellers across the country, enriched mandazi is a doughnut made with eggs plus fresh milk and conditioned with margarine; it is a favourite breakfast item for the entire family.

Ingredients 

7 cups (1063 g) self-raising wheat flour 

3 eggs (179 g) 

9 tbsp. (118 g) margarine 

Rind from 2 lemons (15 g) 

¾ cup (144 g) sugar 

½ tsp. (2 g) salt, iodized 

7 cups (1039 g) cooking fat 

11/3 cups (289 g) cow milk 

1¼ cups (282 g) water

Preparation 45 minutes | Cooking 30 minutes | Serves 4 

• Put flour, salt, sugar and lemon rind into a bowl and mix. 

• Mix all the water with the milk and warm. 

• Add margarine into the dry ingredients and rub in. 

• Add eggs onto the dry ingredients and mix. 

• Add the warm diluted milk into the bowl and knead the mixture into a soft dough. 

• Cover the dough with a dump cloth for 40 minutes. 

• Heat all the cooking fat in a pot for 10 minutes or until the oil bubbles when a pinch of dough is dropped in the oil. 

• Roll out the dough into the desired thickness; about a ¼ of an inch thick. 

• Cut the dough into preferred shapes. 

• Gently drop the cut-out pieces into the hot oil. 

• Fry one side until golden brown and turn. 

• Remove from oil and place onto paper towels to drain any excess oil. 

• Repeat the process with the rest of the pieces. 

• Serve as desired.

Mahamri Recipe (swahili doughnut)

 

This is a typical traditional recipe among the Swahilis. A true delicacy enjoyed by the entire family, serves as a breakfast meal as well as a whole day snack. Mahamri has a unique taste influenced by the freshly squeezed coconut milk.

Ingredients 

3 ½ cups (525 g) wheat flour, refined 

¾ cup (181 g) coconut milk 

9 tbsp. (123 g) white sugar 

1¼ tbsp. (12 g) dry yeast 

1 tsp. (2 g) cardamom 

¾ cups (182 g) water 

8 1/8 cups (1735 g) cooking oil 

Preparation 1 hour | Cooking 5 minutes | Serves 4 

• Break the coconut shell, drain the water and grate the flesh. 

• Squeeze the coconut milk from the grated coconut flesh using a cloth. 

• Set aside the thick coconut milk. 

• Add ¼ cup of warm water to squeeze out any remaining milk. 

• In a bowl, mix a pinch of sugar with the yeast and add the ¼ cup of water used to squeeze the last batch of coconut milk. Stir and set aside for 5 minutes for the yeast to rise. 

• In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients; sugar, flour and cardamoms. 

• Add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients. 

• Add 4 tablespoons of oil and the thick coconut milk into the yeast and dry ingredients mixture. 

•Knead the dough as you add the remaining water to a firm feel. 

• Set the dough aside for 10 minutes for sugar to dissolve. Cover with a cloth. 

• Knead the dough again to mix the sugar and to improve the texture. 

• Cover with a dry cloth and allow to stand for 30 minutes. 

• Divide the dough into small-medium size balls. Set them aside and cover with a dry cloth for 15 minutes. 

• When well raised, roll out each ball into flat discs and cut each into four triangle shaped portions. 

• Heat the remaining oil for 15 minutes to 173°C. 

• Fry the mahamri and turn after 40 seconds. The mahamri will turn golden brown when ready. 

• Remove the first batch of mahamri from oil and place onto paper towels to drain the oil. 

• Continue frying the rest in batches until all are done. 

• Serve as desired.

Kaimati (Fried dumplings) Recipe

 

Kaimatis get their unique flavour from the style with which yeast is applied on wheat flour. This traditional breakfast dish or day snack is common among the Swahili and Bajuni communities and was inherited from Arab culture. It serves the whole family.

Ingredients 

2 cups (280 g) wheat flour, refined 

2 cups (447 g) water 

½ tsp. (3 g) vanilla essence, clear 

½ tsp. (1 g) cardamoms powder 

1¼ tbsp. (12 g) yeast, dry 

5 1/8 cups (1000 g) cooking oil 

4 tbsp. (56 g) sugar

Preparation 20 minutes | Cooking 30 minutes | Serves 4 

• Put yeast in a small container. 

• Add 50ml of warmed water. 

• Add 4 tbsp. of sugar and allow to stand for 3 minutes. 

• Meanwhile, warm the rest of the water in a cooking pot. 

• Mix dry ingredients together; flour, cardamoms and vanilla essence in a bowl. 

• Add ¼ cup (50 g) of oil into the mixture and rub in until finely absorbed. 

• Add the yeast preparation to the flour mixture, adding the lukewarm water gradually while mixing to a semi-solid consistency. 

• Cover with a dry towel/ cloth and allow to stand for 4 minutes until the dough rises. 

• In a pan put the rest of the oil and heat for 7 minutes or until the oil bubbles when a pinch of dough is dropped in the oil. 

• Shape the dough into round balls and put into the hot oil, keep turning to cook evenly. 

• Deep fry for 3-4 minutes. 

• Remove from oil.

Preparation of sugar syrup; 

Ingredients 

1 cup (187 g) white sugar 

½ cup (116g) water 

½ tsp. (4 g) vanilla essence, clear

Instructions; 

• Mix the sugar, water and vanilla essence in a cooking pan. 

• Put on the heat for 5 minutes. 

• Stir to prevent sugar from sticking on the sides of the pan; the mixture should be sticky. 

• Add the fried dumplings to the sugar syrup and stir to coat them in the syrup while still on the heat. 

• Swirl until the syrup covers all the dumplings. 

• Serve as desired.