Samoosa toastie

Woolworths is committed to sustainability via our good business journey. Seasonal (and other) products might not always be in stock.

Today I’m trying this sandwich that’s been in my head for a while now – a samoosa grilled cheese! There was a shop close to Braamfontein called Fateema’s that made some of the tastiest slap chips and samoosas I’ve ever in my life. And they weren’t those frozen ones, either. They were hand-rolled fresh each day and always sold out by lunchtime. They closed down a few years ago, but I never stopped thinking about them… This is an ode to Fateema and her commitment to serving what was possibly Joburg’s best samoosa.  I’ve added a riot of a crunch in this grilled cheese with paaper bites, which I learned about here in Cape Town and instantly became addicted to. They’re torn, deep-fried pieces of samoosa pastry – utter rebel behaviour. You can find them at almost any self-respecting corner store. Fateema also used to do a cheese-and-corn samoosa that was my second favourite and also had its moments. I’ve used salty, creamy Boerenkaas from my hometown in the Eastern Cape, with some mozzarella. So, get some paaper bites today and make this sandwich on the double!

Ingredients

4 T canola oil
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 x 10 cm celery stick, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1  T mild curry powder
1 T Woolworths spicy seasoning
250 g lean beef mince
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 slices white bread
150 g Woolworths Ayrshire mozzarella cheese, grated
150 g Woolworths boerenkaas full fat hard cheese, thinly sliced 
40 g paaper bites (or 2 handfuls)
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 T ground turmeric
30 g ghee

Cooking Instructions

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Woolworths TASTE Magazine (@wwtaste)

1. Heat the canola oil in a pan. Add the carrot, onion and celery. Fry until translucent, then add the garlic. Fry for a further minute, then add the curry powder and spicy seasoning. Add the mince and fry until browned, then season.

2. To assemble the sandwiches, place 2 slices of white bread on a board and pile each slice with half the mozzarella and half the Boerenkaas. Spoon over some mince and add a pile of paaper bites. Top with the remaining cheese and close the sandwiches with the remaining bread. Place the curry leaves on top of the sandwiches and dust the outside of the sandwiches with turmeric.

3. Heat the ghee in a pan. Once melted, add the sandwiches and fry until golden on both sides. For the last few minutes of cooking, place a lid over the pan and reduce the heat so that the cheese melts. Once done, remove the sandwiches from the pan and slice in half. Serve immediately

Find more cheese recipes here.

Videography: Romy Wilson
Photography: Shavan Rahim