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Shabhaley
Sha phaley, xiàpàlè (夏帕勒) — Tibetan golden fried pastries filled with spiced beef
Tibetan families in Lhasa and across the plateau make these crisp, half-moon or disc-shaped pies for Losar, the Tibetan New Year, and for gatherings with friends; Tibetan cafés in exile communities sell them by the plate too. The name means meat bread, and the filling of minced beef with onion, ginger, coriander and a pinch of Sichuan pepper stays juicy inside a thin, crackly crust. They are hearty, savoury and lightly numbing, never fiery. Serve them hot with a tomato chilli sauce (sepen) and a cup of butter tea or black tea. Chef's tip: keep the oil at 170 °C; hotter and the pastry browns before the meat inside is cooked.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dough
For the filling
For frying
To serve
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour and ½ tsp salt, add ¾ cup water and 1 tbsp neutral oil and knead for 6–8 minutes into a smooth, firm dough. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
8 minStep 2: On a separate board, mix 14 oz minced beef (15–20% fat), 1 onion, 3 spring onions, 3 garlic cloves, ½ oz fresh ginger, ½ oz coriander, ½ tsp ground Sichuan pepper, 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp light soy sauce in a bowl. Add 3 tbsp water and 1 tbsp neutral oil and stir hard until the mixture is sticky and juicy.
5 minStep 3: Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll each into a 12 cm round. Keep the rest covered as you work.
Step 4: For half-moons, put 2 heaped tablespoons of filling on one side of a round, flatten it slightly, fold the dough over and press the edges. Crimp the edge with a twisting, rope-like fold so it is sealed tight. For round pies, sandwich the filling between two rounds and crimp. A leak lets in oil and makes them greasy.
15 minStep 5: Lightly press each pie flat so the filling is an even 1.5 cm thick; this helps the meat cook through in time.
Step 6: Heat 4 ¼ cups neutral oil in a deep pan or wok to 350°F; a scrap of dough should rise with steady, not furious, bubbles.
5 minStep 7: Fry 3–4 at a time for 6–7 minutes, turning once or twice, until deep golden and crisp. Frying in oil that is too hot is the usual mistake: the crust darkens before the beef cooks.
14 minStep 8: Check one: the filling must be steaming hot with no pink, and reach 160°F (160 °F). Drain on a rack and serve hot with sepen.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 56 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does shabhaley take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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