Middle Eastern Sambousek Egg Rolls (2024)

FAQs

Where did Sambousek come from? ›

This meat pie originated in Persia but is not often made in modern-day Iran, having lost popularity a few centuries ago. This is an ancient dish that predates samosa in India - samosa was adapted from sambousek centuries ago - and there are still similarities.

Keep Oil at 350˚F: If the temperature drops too low, the egg rolls will be soggy and oily. If it's too hot, they will burn before the filling is cooked through. Ensure the oil does not drop below 325F.

Origin: Egg rolls were created in the U.S. while spring rolls were invented in China. Wrapper: Egg rolls have a thicker skin and utilize a wonton or thick, yeast dough wrapper. Spring rolls have a more delicate, thin skin and use a spring roll wrapper. Filling: Egg rolls typically contain cabbage and meat.

Either way, no one can argue that egg rolls grew out of a Chinese culinary tradition. Their wrappers are usually rather thick and, as mentioned earlier, traditionally were made with wheat flour and egg. Spring roll wrappers on the other hand are much thinner, have no egg and are often made with rice flour.

sambousek (plural sambouseks) A Lebanese dumpling/samosa, filled with minced meat or cheese.

The English word samosa derives from the Hindustani word samosa (Urdu: سموسہ, Hindi: समोसा), traceable to the Middle Persian word sanbosag (سنبوسگ) 'triangular pastry'. Similar pastries are called sambusak in Arabic; medieval Arabic recipe books sometimes spell it sambusaj.

If you're making them from scratch, the best way to keep egg rolls crispy and delicious is to avoid unnecessary oils and remove the excess moisture in the ingredients.

You MUST use ground pork--do not use ground beef or chicken or the weird pink stuff that is ground turkey. Just trust me on this. Also, make sure not to overstuff the egg rolls with filling--this was always my problem growing up because I wanted them to be thick.

You must wait for the cooked egg rolls to completely cool down before you store them in a refrigerator or freezer. Once the cooked egg rolls have cooled down, wrap them with cling film tightly. Place the wrapped egg rolls in a plastic bag and freeze. Reheat the egg rolls in the oven or fry again without thawing.

But egg rolls are anything but healthy. They're wrapped in dough and deep-fried. The result is an appetizer that packs more than 220 calories and 10 grams of fat in each one. And that doesn't include the sweet dipping sauce.

Why do Americans call them egg rolls? ›

Many people assume egg rolls (most specifically egg roll wrappers) include egg, which is why it's named so, but it often does not contain any egg whatsoever. It's been thought egg rolls were influenced by a specific called Dan Gun or simply “egg roll” recipe from the Chinese American Cookbook.

Generally, spring rolls are healthier. In Vietnam and Thailand, spring rolls are packed with raw vegetables and fresh herbs. The rolls are also made with a thinner wrapper than egg rolls and often served fresh, rather than fried.

Chinese don't call them egg rolls. Chinese call them 春卷 (which literally means Spring Rolls). Some westerners might make it wrong.

Street name, slang, or code word for 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). MDMA is commonly referred to as ecstasy. Note: Innumerable substances–legal or illicit or combinations thereof–are used to facilitate illegal activities.

While there are many types of spring rolls native to East Asia and available in authentic Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese restaurants in the United States, American egg rolls are distinctive.

Empanadas in Latin American Culture

Empanadas were introduced to Latin America by Spanish colonists several hundred years ago; they remain very popular to this day. While their European counterparts often feature fish, Argentinian empanada fillings usually include beef, chicken, or vegetables (like greens) and cheese.

Empanadas have their origins in Galicia (Spain) and Portugal. They first appeared in Medieval Iberia during the time of the Moorish invasions.

Although many think the samosa originated in South Asia, its roots can be traced back to Central Asia & the Middle East. In Arab cookbooks dating from the 10th to 13th centuries, pastries were referred to as 'sanbusak,' derived from the Persian term 'Sanbosag.

Knish (קניש) is a Yiddish word of Slavic origin, related to the Ukrainian knysh (книш) and Polish knysz. The ancestor of the knish was a medieval fried vegetable patty or fritter called knysz; eventually it became a stuffed item.