Fried pastry · Ramadan icon

Sambusa

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During Ramadan, sambusa is a fixture of the Somali iftar table, usually eaten right after the fast is broken with dates and water.

Sambusa are thin pastry triangles stuffed with spiced minced beef or goat, onions, and sometimes chili or tuna, then deep-fried until crackling crisp. Street vendors sell them by the piece from trays and glass cases, and demand spikes hardest in the run-up to iftar during Ramadan.

Why it's made this way: The sambusa's roots trace back to Indian Ocean and Arab trade routes that shaped Somali cooking for centuries; its handheld triangular fold and quick fry made it ideal for breaking a day's fast fast and for feeding crowds at gatherings without plates or cutlery.