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closeup of homemade Ethiopian Sambusas made with einkorn wrappers

Ethiopian Sambusas

Kristin
Kids Cooking Ethiopian Sambusas in Montessori Homeschool. Use along with the FREE Recipe with pictures for making East African food with your family. Encourages confidence and independence in practical life skills such as cooking. Great for preschool and up.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Ethiopian
Servings 5 people
Calories 240 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

  • ½ cup Green Onion
  • ¼ cup Cilantro
  • 1 Jalapeño
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Cardamom
  • ¼ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 lb Ground Beef
  • ¼ cup Water
  • 1 pkg Egg Roll Wrappers
  • Avocado Oil
  • Dipping Sauce of Choice

Instructions 

  • Wash your hands with soap and water. Chop the green onion using a kid-friendly knife and cutting board. You may find that a demonstration or hands-on assistance is helpful if this is a new skill the child is working on.
  • Again, if this is a new skill for the child, you may want to demonstrate how to cut off the stems and then chop up the cilantro. Kids may also want to use their hands to tear the cilantro and that works great too. Place the chopped veggies into a prep bowl.
  • Turn on the stove to medium heat. Place a pan on the stove and let it heat up for a few minutes. Use a Learning Tower or other assistive device as needed for a child working at the stove. Add the ground beef to the preheated pan and wash your hands. Cook over medium heat until brown. Our kids used a large metal spoon to break up the beef as it cooked. Afterwards, drain the fat. You may need to assist with that part, depending on your tools and setup.
  • Add the vegetables to the ground beef. Have the child measure the correct amount of cardamom and ground cinnamon (assist as needed) and then add them to the pan. If you're making a spicy and mild version like us, hold off on adding the jalapeño.
  • Stir everything together and then wait 2-3 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl. For kids cooking two versions, they can transfer the desired amount of mildly seasoned beef to a bowl and add the jalapeño to the remaining meat in the pan. Wait 1 minute and then transfer to a separate bowl. Turn off the stove.
  • Transfer some beef onto an egg roll wrapper and get ready to fold. Our kids had no issues making and handling the Sambusas with the jalapeño in them, but you may choose to make those separate from your child's dish.
  • Wet the edges of the egg roll wrapper with water. This can be done using a basting brush or with fingers.
  • Fold the top left corner of the egg roll wrapper down as if you were making a paper airplane.
  • Do the same on the right side and make sure the edges overlap. Use your fingers to press along the edges and seal them together.
  • Fold the bottom of the egg roll wrapper up towards the top so that there is no empty space inside the wrapper.
  • Tuck the bottom corners around the back to create the final triangle shape. Then, set it aside for frying.
  • Head back to the stove and reheat the pan on medium. Coat the bottom of the pan with oil and cook Sambusas until golden brown.
  • Flip over and cook the other side until it is also golden brown.
  • Transfer the cooked Sambusas to a tea towel or paper towel to remove excess oil. After a few minutes, transfer to a plate. When all the Sambusas have been cooked, turn off the stove. Clean up the food prep area and prepare for a tasty treat.
  • Enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce.

Notes

  • Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
  • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
  • Wash hands after touching raw meat
  • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
  • Never leave cooking food unattended
  • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
  • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
  • See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
  • Full Recipe Info and Pictures at:  https://happyhomeschooladventures.com/kids-cooking/

Nutrition

Calories: 240kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 16gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 72mgPotassium: 290mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 184IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 2mg

Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!