Cheese sambusak

2 eggs

½ tsp onion powder (optional) ¼ tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

For assembly:

Flour, for dusting

Egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water Sesame seeds, for topping (optional)

INGREDIENTS

Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, 120 ml water, egg, and salt until well combined and foamy. Stir in the flour, a little at a time, until a soft dough forms (you might not use the full 350g. Form the dough into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap (cling film), and let sit at room temperature while making the filling.

Make the filling: In a food processor, combine the feta, parmesan, eggs, onion powder (if using), salt, and pepper and pulse until a thick paste forms.

Assemble the turnovers: Pinch off a walnut-size piece of dough and roll it into a ball. Working on a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a 10cm round.

Place a heaped tablespoon of the filling into the middle of the round. Fold one side of the round over to the other to make a half-moon, pinching it tightly to seal the filling inside. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

To bake the sambusak, preheat the oven to 180°C. Line 2 large baking sheets with baking parchment and dived the turnovers between them. Brush the tops of the turnovers with a little egg wash (you might not use all of it) and sprinkle with sesame seeds (if using).

Bake until golden brown, 30–35 minutes. Set the baking sheets on wire racks to cool.

Alternatively, to fry them, line a large plate with two layers of paper towel. In a large saucepan, heat 5cm vegetable oil over medium heat. Gently slip the turnovers into the hot oil in batches of 4 or 5 and fry until golden brown, flipping once halfway through, 4–5 minutes. Transfer the fried sambusak to the paper towels to drain. Adapted from: The Jewish Cookbook (Phaidon)