Pakistani Minced Beef Samosas / Keema Samosa

Keemay ke Samosay (minced beef samosas) are the quintessential Pakistani iftar (meal eaten at sunset at the end a day of fasting during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan) food item. In my humble opinion, samosay are what sets an iftar meal apart from any other meal.

In our home, samosay are synonymous with Ramadan. We don’t typically make them throughout the year, and that’s probably what makes them so special during Ramadan. Also, as my children are getting older and more regular with fasting, it’s something that they request regularly for iftar. Mama don’t have the heart to say no to fasting children 🤣

The recipe I’m sharing below is one that I’ve learned from my mother in-law. Lean meat is cooked with a handful of spices (no oil!), and once cooled, a landslide of finely diced onion and cilantro are added. Everything gets stuffed into store-bought samosa pastry sheets, and at this point they’re either sent off to the freezer to be used at a later time, or off for a quick dip in the fryer.

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Pakistani Minced Beef Samosas / Keema Samosa

Course Appetizer, Iftar, Snack, Tea Time

Cuisine Pakistani

Keyword Appetizer, Beef, Deep-fry, Iftar, Pakistani, Ramadan, Snacks, Tea Time, Traditional

Servings 30 Samosas

Ingredients

Meat Filling

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
• 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds
• Salt, to taste
• 1 cup finely diced onion
• ½ cup finely chopped cilantro

Samosa Sealing and Wrapping

• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 pound package samosa pastry sheets (30 to 40 sheets)
• Neutral flavored oil, for deep frying

Instructions

Prepare Meat Filling

1. In a large vessel, combine ground beef, ginger garlic paste, red pepper flakes, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and salt. Cook over medium high heat, stirring and sauteing until the meat has browned and large chunks have broken up, about 10 minutes. Add 1-cup water, stir, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until all moisture has completely cooked off, stirring as needed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
2. When completely cooled, stir in onion and cilantro. Set aside.

Assemble Samosas

1. In a small bowl, create a slurry by whisking together water and all-purpose flour. This mixture will be used to seal the rolls.
2. Open the samosa pastry and keep the sheets covered with a damp kitchen towel. Fill each samosa with a heaping tablespoon of filling, taking care not to overfill, and making sure the sides are properly tucked in. Seal the samosas by brushing the ends with the prepared flour slurry. Place the samosas on a tray and keep them covered to prevent them from drying out.

3. How to Fold Samosas- Place a strip of wrapper in front of you lengthwise. Fold one corner of the strip diagonally to form a triangle. Press gently to crease the fold. Continue folding the triangle over itself once more to create a cone shape. Seal the edge of the cone using a little flour slurry to hold it together. Hold the cone open and spoon about 1-tablespoon of the cooled beef filling inside. Don’t overfill, as this will make sealing difficult. Fold the open flap over to cover the filling, continuing to fold the triangle pattern until you reach the end of the strip.

4. Brush a little flour slurry on the final edge and press to seal firmly.

Cook Samosas

1. Heat a deep vessel with oil over medium heat. Gently add a few samosas at a time and fry, turning a few times to ensure even browning, until golden brown and crispy, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Recipe Notes

To freeze samosas for later use, simply freeze assembled samosas on a tray in a single layer. Once frozen, they can be placed in an airtight container and kept in the freezer. To cook, do not thaw and cook as you would freshly assembled samosas (they might need a few extra minutes in the fryer).