Colombian Empanadas
Turkish people living abroad will understand me. The fact that we are staying at home like any other night while everyone is celebrating Christmas annoy our friends who celebrate Christmas. They think as if we were buried in pillows at home and crying because of loneliness. So they compete to invite us to Christmas dinner. At least that's what has happened to us since we moved to Spain. Two years ago, our Colombian next-door neighbors invited us to Christmas dinner. We had empanadas for dinner. I've had empanadas before, but they were Argentinian empanadas and I wasn't impressed.
So when the empanadas arrived at the table, I wasn't excited. But I fell in love with the Colombian empanada from my first bite. It is such a delicious flavor, so suitable for the Turkish palate, that if someone had said that these are empanacoş (see galacoş) Bayburt cuisine was, I would not have found it strange at that moment. The meat inside is like tandır meat, the potatoes added to the filling for extra carbohydrates, and the outside is crispy like çiğ börek. The hot and sour sauces that come with it are amazing. From that evening on, we became empanada lovers. After eating out a few times, I started making them myself at home. I even took it to the neighbors once. They loved it. They still praise the empanadas I made when we meet from time to time. Of course, it's nice to be praised for the food you cook, but there is no way to describe the happiness you feel when a meal you cook for the first time in your life is praised by people who have been eating that meal for years.
I can't make them as plump as they are in restaurants, but I watched a lot of homemade empanada videos and they can't make them either. I don't know why they can't do it, but I try not to force it in case it cracks and falls apart. I think I will improve myself in that regard over time.
Colombian empanadas, like arepas, are made with pre-cooked corn flour. You can find detailed information about pre-cooked corn flour in the arepas recipe.
I actually want to talk about the stuffing. Like many recipes, empanadas have many different preparation methods. But in the most traditional way, meat and potatoes are boiled separately. Meanwhile, onion and garlic (sometimes red pepper is also added) are roasted and then meat and potatoes are added. I changed the method and adapted it a little to Turkish cuisine. I prepare the meat by roasting it rather than boiling it as in kavurma recipe. Not only does a separate bowl not get dirty, but the onion and garlic are cooked to the point of disappearing, leaving only their aroma. In terms of taste, it is even more delicious than some restaurant empanadas.
Empanada can be served with different sauces, but the most commonly used sauce is aji sauce.
Empanada becomes crispy when fried, but becomes soft if left to rest for a long time. For this reason, it is beneficial to serve it immediately after cooking. However, if it has to be kept waiting, it would be better to heat it in a preheated oven.
Enjoy your meal...
Colombian Empanadas with Video
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups yellow pre-cooked corn flour (Masarepa/PAN),
- 2 cups of warm water,
- 1 teaspoon of butter,
- Salt to taste,
- Powdered saffron or orange food coloring with the tip of a teaspoon,
- Oil for frying.
For the filling;
- 750 g cubed veal meat,
- 250 g potatoes,
- 1 onion,
- 2 cloves of garlic,
- 1 red pepper
- 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil,
- Salt,
- 2 cups of boiling water.
Preparation
- For the stuffing, put the meat in the pressure cooker you heated on the stove,
- Stirring and cook until the water is released and absorbed,
- Add olive oil, chopped onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onions soften,
- Add water and salt, close the lid and cook until the meat falls apart,
- Peel the potatoes, cut them into gammon-sized pieces and place them in a sauce pan.
- Add enough water to cover them, boil them until they become soft, and drain them.
- Open the pressure cooker lid,
- If there is any water remaining, boil it over high heat until the water is completely absorbed.
- Shred the meat with a fork,
- Add the meat and the red pepper you chopped into small pieces to the potatoes and mix.
- For the crust, put water, saffron, salt and butter in a bowl,
- Add corn flour little by little and knead,
- Cover it and let it sit for 10 minutes. rest,
- Open a ziplock refrigerator bag by cutting all around except the bottom,
- Take a small piece of dough and roll it,
- Put the circle between the two parts of the bag and press it with all your strength using a flat-bottomed container,
- Put a tablespoon of stuffing on one half of the circle you opened and cover it with the other half,
- Cut it into a neat half-moon shape with a bowl,
- Prepare all the dough and filling in the same way,
- Heat plenty of oil in a sauce pan,
- Drop the empanadas into the hot oil and fry until crispy.
Enjoy your meal...