Some say “samosa”, some say “samoosa”; either way, it’s a delicious snack every South African thoroughly enjoys. The thing about samoosas is that they’re ultimately versatile. They can be a snack, a meal, or even a dessert; it all depends on what you stuff them with! That being said, we would love to share our favourite kind of samosa recipe with you: bobotie samosa! Nothing quite beats a homemade samosa recipe with a South African twist, so get your sleeves rolled up and your friends gathered round – this is a fun recipe to do alone or as a group. What could be better than sharing a deliciously South African samosas with your family and friends?!
Homemade samosa recipe
A Brief History of Samosas in South Africa
You might have already guessed it, but samosas aren’t originally a South African dish, even though they are extremely popular across the country. The samosa was first introduced to India in the 13th Century by Arab traders and was actually called a “sambosa” at the time. It was quite some time before they first appeared in South Africa. Samosas only made their way to South Africa when the Dutch settlers brought Indians, Malaysians, and Indonesians into the country to work as slaves. History shows us that these cultures converged to form what is known as Cape Malays. Cape Malays created South African and Dutch fusion cuisine, perfected with Indian and Malay flavours. These flavours are enjoyed across the country now, not just in the Cape. And of course, out of this fusion of food flavours came meals such as samosas; bobotie samosas too. What a delicious outcome from our country’s dark history.
Here’s another take on the South African classic:
Bobotie Samosa
The Bobotie Samosa recipe is certainly a crowd-pleaser and one that makes for a great main meal or side dish. Whip up an extra large batch because who-ever sinks their teeth into one is going to want one (or two or three) more. This recipe should make about 30 samoosas to savour and enjoy, depending on how big you cut the samosa sheets to make up each individual samosa. Make them big or small – the choice is yours.
What You Need:
- 1kg of beef mince (or plant based mince for a vegan-friendly option)
- 2 diced red peppers
- 1 cup of cubed carrots
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 white onion
- 1 red onion
- 4 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons of paprika powder
- 3 tablespoons of turmeric powder
- 3 tablespoons of curry powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Spring roll pastry sheets
What To Do:
Making the bobotie samosa stuffing is actually a lot quicker and easier to make than you might think. Here’s what you have to do…
- First, dice your onions finely and either mince or grate your garlic cloves.
- In a pot, saute the diced onions, minced garlic, carrot cubes, red onions and the beef/plant mince until golden.
- When the mince is cooked through, you can stir the spices, vinegar, sugar, and tomato paste.
- Season the mince fry-up and allow it to cool.
- Follow the instructions on your spring roll pastry to form samosas. There is an easy-to-follow instructional video on how to roll samosa pastries at this link.
- Stuff the pastry with your bobotie filling.
- Refrigerate your pastry sheets until you are ready to use them. Keeping them refrigerated keeps them easy to work with.
- Deep fry the samosas until they are golden brown. If you want to air fry them, simply brush the outside of the pastry in some oil and pop them into the air fryer. Cook them first at low heat (around 160 degrees Celsius) for 10 minutes and then increase the temperature to 180 degrees Celsius for a further 8 minutes to crisp them up.
- Lastly, let them cool off a bit and then sink your teeth right in! No one will know if you nick the first one for yourself!
What To Serve Bobotie Samosas With
Now that you know how to whip up a batch of some of the tastiest samosas around, you might want to know how and what to serve them with. If you’re hosting a pub night, you can serve these in a pile with some dipping sauce – mayonnaise or sweet chilli sauce are great options. You could also serve these as a main meal with a side salad and some rough cut chips fried to perfection in an air fryer. Many people like to serve bobotie samosas with a coleslaw or some rice and veggies on the side. However you decide to serve you bobotie samosas, prepare for everyone who tastes them to absolutely love them.
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