Keema (Beef) Samosas

Samosas are a fried delicacy in South Asia. There is not a wedding, holiday or celebration that takes place without these delicious savory meat pies. Traditionally made in a triangular shape using a pastry or dough to form the outer shell, and then stuffed with your desired choice of filling and deep fried. There are many varieties of fillings from potatoes to lentils to different types of meat. My favorite is my mom’s crispy Beef Fried Samosas. For those who know my mom know what a spectacular cook she is (Masha’Allah: by Gods will), and definitely know how amazing her Samosas are. So let’s get started as I share this childhood favorite of mine.

The key to any good Samosa is its filling. Keema is a word in the Urdu language for minced meat. Here we will be using ground beef chuck. Chuck just means its 80% meat to 20% fat. We want to cook the keema pretty dry for our filling, so the fat from the meat itself will really help keep it moist, especially since we aren’t adding any additional fat to the dish.

Blooming spices is an essential part of South Asian cuisine. No, we aren’t planting or growing our spices, blooming our spices just means we are opening up the aromatic oils in the spices. This helps enhance the flavors in our dish and makes for a great end result. Before you start the recipe you can take the optional step to just add your dry spices to a pan and allow them to dry roast just until you can smell the fragrance of them. Then just remove and keep them aside until ready to use. Again, this just helps release the oils and brings for a more depth of flavor.

So let's get started! Makes 36 for half the filling Ingredients:

2lbs Ground Beef
1 tbsp Garlic/Ginger Paste
1 tsp Red Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
Salt (to taste)
Juice of 1/2 a Lemon
1/2 Bunch Cilantro (Chopped)
1 bunch Green Onions (Chopped)
25 count Spring Roll Wrappers

Slurry:

2 tbsp Flour
3 to 4 tbsp Water

Method:

Add meat and garlic ginger paste to a pot.
Brown and cook off the liquid released from the meat.
If too much water or fat is released, strain the meat in a colander then add meat back to pot.
Now add all the spices and give it a good mix.
Cook out the remaining liquid and allow the spices to bloom and absorb into the ground meat (2 to 3 minutes).
Remove meat mixture from heat and add your squeeze of lemon juice.
Toss in the chopped cilantro and green onions and give it a good mix, allowing the herbs to wilt.
Let it cool then you’re ready to assemble.

Assembly:

Make a slurry by mixing your flour with 3 tbsp of water. It should be a smooth but sticky glue like paste. Add the additional tbsp of water, a little bit at a time if needed.
Cut your spring roll wrappers in 3 equal strips.
Fill and wrap your samosas using 2 sheets of egg roll wrappers and sealing with a flour and water slurry.
Deep fry until golden brown (5 to 7 mins) and drain on a paper towel.
Serve alongside your favorite dipping sauce or chutney.

Notes:

May be frozen once assembled in a resealable freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Just add 1 to 2 minutes cook time when frying frozen, no need to defrost.
May be shaped into egg rolls if triangle shape is too difficult.
Follow step by step tutorial here on how to assemble the traditional triangle shape and the egg roll shape.
Save left over cooked meat filling in a resealable bag in the freezer for more samosas, lasagna or potato cutlets.
May be baked by brushing or spraying liberally with oil and baking on a sheet pan for 15 to 20 minutes at 350ºF.
Get my vegetarian Potato and Pea filling here!