Fried cheese sambousek

Name: Fried cheese sambousek
Prep time: 56 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 86 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Levantine
Ingredients: 3 cups flour; 1/2 cup oil; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 cup warm water; 400 grams Akkawi or Mushallah cheese; 1/4 cup chopped parsley; about 2 cups frying oil

Thin dough crescents with a stretchy cheese filling, golden fried — the irresistible Ramadan crunch.

Cooking time: 1 hr 26 min
Hands-on time: 56 min
Free time: 30 min
Difficulty: Easy
Cuisine: Levantine
Calories: 610
Contains: Gluten, Dairy

Meat sambousek's fair-haired sibling: a cheese filling that melts and stretches at the first bite of the crisp crust. It takes its place beside the soup on the Ramadan table as a matter of duty — and freezes raw for surprise guests.

Before you start

Freezer friendIt is shaped and frozen raw, and fried directly from the freezer when needed.

Ingredients

6people

Amounts follow the number of people

For the dough

3 cups flour — Sifted, then spooned lightly into the cup
1/2 cup oil — At room temperature
1 teaspoon salt — Add gradually, tasting as you go
1 cup warm water — approximately

For the filling

400 grams Akkawi or Mushallah cheese — De-salted and grated
1/4 cup chopped parsley — Washed and thoroughly dried
about 2 cups frying oil — As needed

When increasing the quantity, knead in two batches and leave space between the pieces in the tray so that they rise evenly.

Equipment

Kneading bowl — The dough rests in it for half an hour before rolling.
Rolling pin — Rolling thin is what stops the pastry drinking the oil.
Deep pot for frying — Hot oil in batches, so they crisp before the cheese runs.

Method

Knead the flour and salt with the oil and water until you get a soft dough.
10 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
Smooth and does not stick to the hand.
Cover and let it rest.
30 minYou can walk away
You’ll know it’s ready when
Rested; it rolls out easily and doesn't spring back.
Tip: Without rest, the dough resists rolling and shrinks in the pan.
Drain the cheese well and mix it with the parsley.
8 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
No water collects at the bottom of the bowl.
Tip: Wet cheese splits the sambousek open in the oil.
Roll out the dough thinly and cut it into circles.
12 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
Thin, even circles.
Place the filling in, fold the circle in half, and seal the edge with a fork.
15 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
The edge is completely sealed by the fork mark and the filling is not visible.
Tip: The tight seal prevents the cheese from leaking and the oil from burning.
Fry them in medium-hot oil until golden on both sides.
8 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
Golden, puffy, and crispy.
Drain them on absorbent paper and serve hot.
3 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
Oil does not pool underneath it and it remains crispy.