Sha Phaley is one of the most popular Nepalese and Sikkimese dishes that is eaten round the year. For the cold, chilly weather that usually prevails in these areas, this semi-circle shaped delicacy is the perfect food option. Shya means meat while phaley means roti – meat wrapped in a roti! So, Sha phaley is basically minced, seasoned chicken and cabbage stuffed in crispy maida covering, that is deep fried till golden brown. A dish that is served at all Nepali food joints, it is a cause of my wonderment that sha phaley has not caught the internet’s eye like it should.
While the dish is pretty unique when it comes to India, there are international variations that are every similar to sha phaley in terms of the ingredients used and the method of preparation. It resembles the national dish of the Crimean Tatar cuisine – Chebureki very closely, with the only addition being the cabbage filling in sha phaley. A similar dish is also eaten in Brazil called Pastel, a very commonly eaten fast food item. Although it's more or less similar to sha phaley, pastel can have a sweet filling too.
Sha Phaley is similar to the Crimean dish Chebureki | Picture credit - Pexels
Let us quickly look at a recipe for sha phaley that is easy to make and delicious to eat.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup water
- 300gms minced meat
- 2 cups chopped cabbage
- 1/4 cup minced garlic
- 1/4 cup minced ginger
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp stock
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
Method
- Knead your flour into a soft dough, cover it and keep it aside for 2-3 hours.
- Meanwhile, take a frying pan. Heat oil and add minced meat, cabbage, garlic, ginger, onion and salt and cook for 5 minutes.
- Put the mixture into a bowl and add the stock and soy sauce to it. Mix properly.
- Take out your prepared dough and roll it on a rolling pin to get a thick layer.
- Cut the rolled dough into circular pieces.
- Add filling into the circles and tightly wrap them in semi-circular shape.
- Heat oil in a large pan and one by one, deep fry the sha phaley.
Your hot sha phaleys are ready to serve. Enjoy them with spicy garlic-red chilli chutney!
