Empanaditas Recipe

Empanaditas

Empanaditas are pastry turnovers popular in Spanish and Latin American cooking.

This recipe for Empanaditas serves 4 people.

Time required: 1 hour and 40 minutes
(90 minutes to prepare, then cook for 10 minutes)

Ingredients you'll need:

• 75 g ricotta cheese, (or Goats Cheese) crumbed
• 1 green chilli, may added in 2 deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
• 125 g canned sweetcorn kernels, drained
• 3 spring onions, chopped
• 2 medium potatoes, diced into 5mm cubes
• 1 L vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 2 ½ tbsp water
• 100 g butter, Melted
• 1 tbsp marjoram
• ½ tsp paprika
• 250 g plain flour
• ½ tsp salt

How to make Empanaditas:

1. Parboil the potatoes in a saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for about 2-3 minutes, drain well and let cool. Mix the remaining filling ingredients in a bowl, stir in the cooled potatoes, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Sieve the flour and salt into a large bowl, stir in the butter and add enough water toform a soft but firm dough. Knead briefly, wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 2.5mm thick, then cut out 16 rounds, 12 cm in diameter, using a small saucer. Knead and reroll any trimmings. Put 1 tablespoon filling on each round, a little off-centre.
4. Dampen the edges of the pastry with a little water and fold in half over the filling. Using the prongs of a fork, press the edges together to seal them. Place the empanaditas on a tray and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
5. Heat the oil in a deep pan to 190 degrees celcius or until a cube of bread browns in 40 seconds. Fry the empanaditas in batches, turning once, for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper and serve.

Recipe Notes:

Serve on their own or with salsa.

See other vegetarian recipes.