Uzbek Samsa

Method

1. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl, add the cold water gradually and bring it together. Knead on the worktop for 8 min into a smooth, elastic dough. It feels stiff at first but softens as you knead, so don't add more water. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.

   Add in this stepall-purpose flour 150 gcold water 80 mlsalt (for the dough) ½ tsp

2. While the dough rests, make the filling. Pat the meat dry and chop it with a knife into 5 mm pieces (mince works, but knife-chopped is traditional and juicier). Dice the onion to 5 mm too. Put the meat, onion, cumin, pepper and salt in a bowl, squeeze together with your hand for about a minute and refrigerate. The onion's moisture becomes the juice inside.

   Add in this steplamb or beef shoulder (with a little fat) 180 gonion 1cumin (seeds or ground) ½ tspblack pepper ¼ tspsalt (for the filling) ½ tsp

3. Dust the worktop lightly with flour and roll the dough into a 40×30 cm rectangle, so thin (about 1 mm) you can almost see through it. Spread the soft butter thinly and evenly over it, then roll it up tightly from a long side into a log. Wrap and chill for 15 min so the butter firms up; this is what creates the flaky layers.

   Add in this stepbutter (softened at room temperature) 25 g

4. Cut the log into 3 cm pieces, 2 per serving. Stand each piece spiral side up, press flat with your palm and roll into a 12 cm circle. Put a heaped spoonful of filling in the centre, bring three points of the edge up to the middle and pinch the seams together to make a triangle. Place seam side down on a baking tray lined with baking paper, 3 cm apart.

5. Preheat the oven (oven) to 220 °C. Mix the egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of water, brush it over the tops and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

   Add in this stepegg yolk 1sesame seeds 1 tsp

   oven

6. Bake on the middle shelf (oven) at 220 °C for 22 min, until deep golden on top and crisp underneath. Check one: cut it open and make sure the meat shows no pink and the juices run clear.

   oven

7. Let them cool for 5 minutes before eating; the juices inside are very hot, so take the first bite carefully. In Uzbekistan samsa is eaten with hot green tea.