Nadiya Hussain shares Perfect Samsa Recipe for Ramadan

Ramadan has begun and TV chef Nadiya Hussain has shared her samsa recipe that is perfect for the occasion.

Samsas are similar to samosas but one big difference is that samsas are baked in the oven whereas samosas are fried.

But while it is traditionally savoury, the TV chef‘s recipe has a sweet twist.

Nadiya’s recipe is part of her cookbook, Rooza, which is dedicated to Ramadan and has traditional and modern recipes for the whole family.

Speaking about samsa, Nadiya Hussain said:

“Samsa is a traditional dish often made during Ramadan.

“They are not like the samosas you frequently find, filled with spiced savoury meat.

“These are stuffed with a mixture of ground down nuts, sweet potato, orange and cinnamon.

“Doused in sweet syrup, they are then coated again with nuts. I like to serve mine with a simple strawberry coulis.”

Ingredients (makes 7)

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 Orange, zest only (reserving the juice for later)
• 100g walnuts, finely chopped

For the Pastry

• 150g butter
• 270g pack of filo pastry, ready-rolled (7 sheets)
• 100g pistachios, finely chopped

For the syrup

• Juice of 1 orange
• 100ml water
  150g caster sugar

For the strawberry coulis

• 227g punnet of strawberries
• 100g icing sugar
• Squeeze of lemon juice

Method

1. Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork and microwave for 10 minutes until soft. Alternatively, roast them in the oven. Let them cool slightly, then scoop out the flesh into a bowl.
2. Mash with cinnamon, orange zest, and walnuts until smooth. Set aside.
3. For the pastry, melt the butter in a pan until it turns brown and nutty. Remove from heat.
4. Preheat the oven to 190°C and prepare a baking tray. Cut the filo sheets lengthwise into 14 strips, keeping unused sheets under a damp towel.
5. Brush two strips with butter, then place a spoonful of filling at one end.
6. Fold into a triangle, continuing until fully enclosed. Repeat to make seven triangles. Brush with remaining butter, place on the tray, and bake for 20 minutes.
7. To make the syrup, heat orange juice, water, and sugar in a pan. Boil, then simmer until thick and golden.
8. Remove the samsas from the oven and dip them into the syrup until coated. Sprinkle with pistachios and set aside.
9. For the coulis, blend strawberries, icing sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. Serve alongside the samsas for dipping or drizzling.

Nadiya Hussain explained that her cookbook takes readers on an “explanatory journey”.

She added:

“What I learned from writing this book is that there should be more books like it.”

“There aren’t enough books that celebrate faith and food, which so often go hand in hand.”