Abbasid Caliphate · Iraq
Sanbusaj (Medieval Meat Pies)
From Kitab al-Tabikh · Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq · 950
Verified from original source
The ancestor of the samosa — spiced lamb parcels fried until golden.
History
Sanbusaj are small fried or baked pastries filled with meat, nuts, or cheese, originating in medieval Persia and the Abbasid Caliphate (centered in Iraq). The earliest known recipe appears in Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq's 10th-century Kitab al-Tabikh, compiled in Baghdad around 950 CE. These triangular or half-moon shaped pies were enjoyed by the court and wealthy urban classes during banquets and festivities. The dish spread throughout the Islamic world with trade and conquest, evolving into samosa in South Asia, sambousek in the Levant, and sambusa in East Africa. Medieval versions used lamb, almonds, and spices like coriander in thin pastry dough fried in sesame oil.
Sources
- Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq, Kitab al-Tabikh (Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens), 10th century, translated by Nawal Nasrallah, 2007
- Nawal Nasrallah, Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens: Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq's Tenth-Century Baghdadi Cookbook, 2007
- Charles Perry, A Baghdad Cookery Book: The Book of Dishes (Kitab al-Tabikh), 2005 (translation of al-Baghdadi's 13th-century manuscript)
- Claudia Roden, A Book of Middle Eastern Food, 1968
- Maxime Rodinson, A.J. Arberry, and Charles Perry, Medieval Arab Cookery, 2001
Serves
6
Prep
30m
Cook
25m
Difficulty
Medium
Ingredients
- · 400g minced lamb
- · 1 onion, finely chopped
- · 2 tbsp pine nuts
- · 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- · 1 tsp ground cumin
- · 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- · 1 pack filo pastry
- · Oil for frying
- · Salt and pepper
Method
- 1
Fry onion until translucent. Add lamb and cook until browned.
- 2
Stir in pine nuts and spices. Season well. Cool.
- 3
Cut filo into strips 8cm wide. Place 1 tbsp filling at one end.
- 4
Fold into triangles and seal edges with a little water.
- 5
Deep-fry at 175°C for 3–4 minutes until golden.
- 6
Drain on paper. Serve hot with lemon wedges.
