Samboosa belongs to a very old family of filled pastries: medieval Arab cookbooks already knew the sanbusaj, and the same idea traveled to India to become the samosa. The Gulf version is folded from thin wheat pastry strips rather than a thick dough. In Bahrain it is the snack of Ramadan above all: trays of freshly fried triangles appear on iftar tables across the island, and many cooks fold and freeze batches before the month even begins. Fillings range from cheese to potato to vegetables, but minced meat with onion and warm spices is the classic.

The folding looks fiddly but becomes rhythmic within three or four, and spring roll pastry from the freezer aisle makes it easy. They can be folded and frozen days ahead and fried straight from frozen, which is exactly the sort of preparation a race weekend rewards.

The filling

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
• 1 large onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 green chili
• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef or lamb
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baharat
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 green onions

Folding and frying

Ingredients

• about 30 strips samboosa pastry strips
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water
• 6 cups (1.4 liters) vegetable oil
• 1 lemon

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