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A close-up of a golden-brown Kenyan Samosa, one cut open to reveal a savory filling of minced meat, diced vegetables, and spices, served on a white plate.
Angi Schneider

Kenyan Samosas Recipe

4.53 from 17 votes
Kenyan samosas are fun to make and freeze well. My Kenyan friends showed me an easy way to make them by using raw tortillas instead of making pastry. It's such a time saver.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 20
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Kenyan
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground beef You can also use ground turkey or lamb
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 grated carrot
  • 1 cup finely chopped cabbage
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion
  • 5 cloves garlic we love garlic, feel free to use less
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric (optional, but traditional)
  • 1 jalapeno or other green pepper (optional- for spicy heat)
  • ½ cup frozen peas (optional, but traditional)
  • ½ cup of flour and water - mixed
  • Oil for frying my friend used canola, I used coconut
  • Uncooked tortillas or make your own pastry

Method
 

  1. Cut tortillas in half and set aside.
  2. Brown meat.
  3. Chop all vegetables and add to meat.
  4. Add salt and pepper and other spices and cook until the vegetables are soft and the meat is cooked.
  5. Fold tortillas into a triangle so that they make a pocket.
  6. Use the flour and water mixture as a paste to seal the seams.
  7. Put a heaping teaspoon of the meat/vegetable mixture in the pocket.
  8. Again, use the flour and water mixture to seal the top seam and fold it over. At first I used quite a bit of the flour and water but as I got more comfortable with sealing the seams I didn't need as much.
  9. After you have a few made, heat the oil to fry them.
  10. Heat oil to 350°F (175°C) before adding samosas. Don't crowd the pan — fry in batches of 4–6.
  11. Remove from pan when both sides are brown and put them on a plate with a towel to absorb the oil or on a rack with a platter underneath.
  12. Makes about 20

Notes

Samosas are one of those cultural recipes where it's really more of a process than an exact recipe. For the most part, people just use what they have to fill it. So feel free to experiment.
  • To freeze: Shape the samosas but do not fry. Place on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Fry straight from frozen, adding 2-3 minutes to the cook time. They keep well for up to 1 month.
  • To bake: Brush with oil and bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes, flipping once halfway through. The result is less crispy than fried but still delicious.
  • Serving suggestion: A squeeze of fresh lime over hot samosas is the classic Kenyan finish. They're also traditionally served alongside kachumbari - a simple fresh salsa of diced tomato, onion, chilli, and cilantro.

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