Filled pastries are found all over the Arab world, and sambousek – Sambusek on our menu – is one of the oldest: filled pastries with similar names already appear in medieval Arabic cookbooks, related to the samosa further east. In Lebanon and Syria, they’re filled with cheese, meat or spinach and turn up at every big mezze spread – and on many families’ iftar tables during Ramadan.
How we serve sambousek
At Dunya in Mannheim we fry the pastries until golden and the thin case is crisp. Inside is a soft, melting cheese filling that oozes out warm and creamy at the first bite. Black sesame seeds on top add a delicate crunch.
You get four per portion, served on fresh greens. They’re best eaten while they’re hot – with your fingers, as they should be.
To share or as a snack
Sambousek bil jibne is a hot starter that’s easy to share. Next to cold dips like hummus or moutabal, it adds a crispy contrast. If you want to try two fillings, order sambousek sabanekh with spinach as well.
Children especially love the cheese sambousek because it’s mild. And if you just want something small, have them as a savoury snack with a small tabbouleh.
Any main course works afterwards, from shish taouk to the falafel plate.
For receptions and buffets
Pastries can be eaten without cutlery – ideal for standing receptions, birthdays and company parties. For occasions like these, we deliver hot and cold starters as catering within about 70 km of Mannheim.
