Vegetable Samosa
Topic: Appetizers
Samosa or sambosa in arabic is a common snack in South Asia and as usual very common here Kuwait. It generally consists of a fried triangular-/pyramid-shaped pastry shell with a savory potato, onion and pea stuffing, but other stuffings like minced meat and fish are often used. There are many variations nowadays to the stuffings and wrapping, some add cheese to the stuffings and other used spring roll wrappers instead of making a dough (like me) to minimized the preparation time.



Ingredients:
1 cup cooked potato, sliced in very small cubed (as in very small)
1/3 cup ground beef
2/3 cup mixed vegetables (carrots, peas and corn)
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 onion, minced
1 tsp. ginger powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. melted butter
spring roll wrapper or dough (see below for dough's recipe)
Oil for deep frying

Directions:
1. Saute onions in heated butter until translucent then add ground beef and stir until brown.
2. Add potatoes and mixed vegetables. Stir in the ginger powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix well and saute just until heated through, then remove from heat and let cool.
3. Stir in the grated cheese.
4. Separate the wrappers and place enough amount from the mixture to the center and fold to make like a triangular shape, seal the edges with a little amount of water.
5. Deep fry until lightly brown, drain on paper towels and serve.

If you want to used dough as your wrapper, then here's how:
Ingredients:
1 cup white flour
1 1/4 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. rice flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until Add water gradually (about 1/8 cup) until the dough holds together, and knead well. Roll into a ball and cover with a moist cloth. Let rest about 20 minutes.
2. Break off 1 1/2"-2" pieces of the dough, and roll out into 6"-8" diameter circles. Cut each circle in half. Fold each half-circle in thirds to make a pie-wedge shape. Seal the point by pressing or pinching. Pick up the dough, and seal the outside edge by pinching to form a cone.
3. Fill the cone two-thirds with potato mixture. Moisten the lip of the cone with a little milk or water, and pinch to seal. Press the samosa between your palms to remove air pockets. Flute the top edge and cover with a moist cloth until ready to fry.

Vegetables Mini Spring Rolls
Topic: Appetizers
I always like mini spring rolls compared to the regular one because it is very easy to bite and more crispy also. I always made this recipe and my friends really liked it. Even my 2-year old son Azhfaar like it also, the tiny hand in the pic was his hand.

Ingredients:
30-40 small spring roll wrappers
1/2 cup ground beef
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/4 head of medium cabbage, shredded
2/3 cup baguio beans, sliced very thinly
1 small bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ginger powder
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. black pepper powder
2 tbsp. melted butter
salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Directions:
1. Heat butter in a pan, saute garlic and onions until the onions are transparent.
2. Add beef, stir and make sure to separate the lumps. Stir in the soy sauce.
3. Add in the vegetables, ginger powder and black pepper. Cook until the vegetables are done.
4. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool.
5. Separate the spring roll wrappers. Place 1 tsp. of the mixture to the center of the wrappers, roll and wrap. Repeat until done.
6. Deep fry in hot oil until brown. Drain on paper towels and serve while hot with your favorite dipping sauce.

Lettuce Wraps
Topic: Appetizers
This recipe is one kind of Dim Sum meals and good as appetizers but sometimes considered as main dish. This recipe is design to be eaten as taco-style, with the lettuce/mixture folded into a package but as you see in the picture, the mixtures were not folded all since I ran out of lettuce last night, I cooked the mixture first without checking the fridge if we still have enough lettuce, only to find out that we had only few leaves left. Never mind, I still put some of the remaining mixtures to the plate. See!

Ingredients:
1 head of lettuce leaves
300 g ground beef or chicken flakes
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tsp.sugar
1 tbsp. shredded ginger
1 cloved garlic, minced
2 stalk green onions, chopped
1/2 cup mixed vegetables (carrots,green peas and corn kernels)
1 egg, beaten
2 cups shredded cabbage
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp. cooking oil

Directions:
1. Wash the lettuce, dry, and cut the leaves. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a skillet, add the garlic, ginger, and green onions and fry until the garlic and ginger are aromatic.
3. Add the beef or chicken and cook until done. Add soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar. Stir. Add the cabbage and mixed vegetable, cook for 3 minutes then add the beaten egg, stir well until the egg is cooked.
4. Season with salt and pepper. Turn of heat.
5. Lay out a lettuce leaf and scoop 1 tbsp. out of the meat/chicken mixture and place it in the middle of the leaf. Fold to cover the mixture. Continue with the remaining mixture and lettue leaves until done. Serve.