Empanada !!!! Melt in mouth version!!!!

Empanada !!!! Melt in mouth version!!!!

The very first time I saw and had Empanada , I was quite amused to see the shape as they pretty much resembles to our very own jhaal samosa . 🙂
It is a stuffed pastry folded in some particular pattern .The origin of the Empanada trace back to Portugal . There is a Filipino version of empnada too , believed to be carried to south America and South- East Asia by Portuguese during the time of colonization!! But besides, i think ,similar type of stuffed pastry is found in almost every part of the world . May be with slight changes in ingredients and process . Like in central Asia , the similar type of pastry is called “shakerbura” , a sweet stuffed pastry , traditionally prepared in “Nowrose” or Persian new year . The Arabic version is sambosa , “Bolani” is in Afganistan . And the examples can go on .

Empanada can be deep fried or can be baked !!!! I’m always in love with those melt in mouth type baked Latino empanadas!!!! The filling or stuffing can be of chicken or beef or even cheese .

Ingredients:

For the dough :

1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 rd cup of very cold butter , cut in cubes
Half of a beaten egg ( save the rest for the egg wash)
Half a teaspoon sugar
White vinegar 1 tea spoon
2 tbl spoon of Chilled regular liquid milk
salt to taste

For the filling:

Heat butter or oil , and add the shredded chicken with thinly sliced onions , bell peppers, salt and green chilies . Fry until the onions are half done . You may add the cheese in the filling when cools down . You can use the filling just like this or if you don’t want your filling dry , just a few minutes before you r turning of the stove , mix cornstarch in milk and add in the fillings , keep cooking until got thick .

Procedure :

1. Beat an egg with 2 tbl spoon of milk .

2. Mix flour with salt and sugar . Add the cubed butter and mix well using your hand until you get the breadcrumb like texture . now add the half of the egg ( save remaining half for the egg wash)and vinegar . Mix until forms a dough . It will be soft dough . You don’t have to knead . Just mix until everything comes together .

3. Now make a ball out of the dough and wrap the ball with a plastic or clingfilm and put it in the refrigerator for an hour .

4. Roll the ball on a lightly surfaced counter top into a medium thick sheet . Must not ne too thin or too thick . Now Cut the sheet into small round disks with biscuit cutter anything round like glass , small plates , molds .

5. Place the filling on each disk and seal the edges . Bake immediately or keep them in the refrigerator until you bake them . It’s better to keep them in the fridge before baking . Plz keep them in the deep chamber for the better result .

There are some shapes of Empanadas.

6. Before baking brush them with remaining beaten egg for a nice color . Bake them at 375 FH in a preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown .