Making Colombian Empanadas
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you’ve heard that I grew up in Colombia, South America. I really enjoy Colombian cuisine and Mr Chiots has grown to love it as well. One of our favorites is Empanadas. Empanadas are eaten in many Latin American countries, and each country has their specialty, as does each region within each country. I grew up in the prairie region of Colombia so I make mine the way they do there. I use areparina for the crust which is pre-cooked corn flour, I can’t find it locally so my dad brings it to me when he travels back from Colombia. In many other countries empanadas are made with a pie crust type dough, or a potato dough.
Traditionally the empanadas in the prairie region of Colombia are filled with ground beef and rice or chicken and rice. Typically they’re not super seasoned, but they’re eaten with a spicy aji which is a blend of cilantro, green onion, vinegar, salt, pepper and hot peppers. I generally make mine with beef and it’s fairly spicy with toasted cumin seeds, coriander and a lot of red pepper. They’re usually fried or baked, I prefer to bake mine. I mix some shortening in the dough which makes them nice and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Since I can’t get the crust mix often, these are a real treat for us. They grace our table a few times a year. Last week I made a big batch with some of Mr Chiot’s venison. These are the ultimate Colombian comfort food, definitely one of my favorites.
What’s your favorite ethnic dish?
Filed under About Me, Miscellaneus | Comments (26)
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Do you have a recipe for the spicy aji? That sounds fantastic!
pam´s last blog ..Garden Tuesday
to pam's comment
Everyone makes it slightly differently but here’s the general recipe, change to suit your tastes:
2 hot peppers
1/4 cup vinegar
2 green onions
1 yellow onion
1 tomato (optional, not always added)
2 Tablespoons of cilantro
salt to taste
Dice all ingredients finely and mix together, let sit at room temperature for a few hours before serving.
to Susy's comment
i ran across an empanada recipe in “serious eats” last week and cooked the recipe up using her suggestions, then tweaked it a little. they were astoundingly delicious. so nice i talked my local cafe to make them from scratch for her customers. since they can be frozen, she’ll also offer them to the shoppers.!! it’s wonderful that you can use practically anything to fill them. the recipe i made used a combination of raisins, green olives, beef, hot sauce, zucchini, leeks, among other things. yummy yummy!!
to annie's comment
oh those look delicious!
C Aultman´s last blog ..Coupons…………
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Those look delicious! Would you share your recipe for the filling and aji? I’d love to try them.
I think my favourite ethnic dish right now is yellow dal. I’ve been trying out indian foods (all at home since there’s nothing ethnic where I live) and it’s so easy and so comforting and delicious, I just love it!
Kelly´s last blog ..Bread
to Kelly's comment
Yum. That looks amazing!
Christine´s last blog ..Try again?
to Christine's comment
I think I’d eat those for breakfast!
Jennifer´s last blog ..Looking up
to Jennifer's comment
Those are lovely! I actually managed to get aji peppers shipped to me in the UK and I am going to try and grow those and mulatto peppers in my growhouse; I miss proper mexican food here.
I am not Creole (though there are claims to a placee being in my family tree somewhere), but I love making gumbo and etouffee; I do a lot of “soul food” when I’m feeling the mood, and most people here have never had it, so once they get over their squeamishness, they’re hooked. My buffalo wings are now the hallmark of summer for many of my mates.
Rose´s last blog ..1am – may as well do some sewing….
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My husband is from Uruguay and I think he’s been craving empanadas since he arrived. This just might be my inspiration to make some.
Janine at Rustic Kitchen´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday: duvet cover by Roberta
to Janine at Rustic Kitchen's comment
They’re probably my most favorite food. Funny thing is I’ve made them for some of our friends and they get super excited when I make them now too. Everyone loves a good empanada.
to Susy's comment
my husband is a global studies teacher and loves to do a different ethinic food for the kids. We have tried lots of different things and some of them have made it to our regular menu. These look delicious!
Rachel´s last blog ..help in the kitchen
to Rachel's comment
We like almost anything in pastry, really. I did have Vietnamese spring rolls on the menu this week, but it’s looking a little chilly for them. Maybe hot and sour soup instead.
stefaneener´s last blog ..Bees and tomatoes and beauty
to stefaneener's comment
Sausage rolls (Scotland). Similar to empanadas. I’m hungry.
MAYBELLINE´s last blog ..Hummingbirds
to MAYBELLINE's comment
Empañadas! Delicious. I am a sucker for Pad Thai Je…or maybe just rice noodles…eggs, peanuts, sprouts, onion and lime!
Morgan G´s last blog ..Guest-bloggin’ at Inspired Design Daily: Healthy Home, Happy Home
to Morgan G's comment
oooh must make these! My favourite is dahl!
Frugal Trenches´s last blog ..Fair Trade Fortnight
to Frugal Trenches's comment
I to love Dahl, love love love it. Must make soon!
to Susy's comment
Those look absolutely divine!!! I’ve never had empanadas before. I must give those a try soon. Cumin and cilantro and jalepeno… does it get any better? Nope. :) Melissa
Melissa´s last blog ..Melissa’s (Made from Scratch) Pumpkin Pie
to Melissa's comment
Curry~the spicier the better!
to Amy's comment
I’ve been dying to try and make those but of course now we can’t all get that magical crust ingredient. I bet you treasure those bags when your dad brings them!
Sustainable Eats´s last blog ..Organic Vermont Maple Syrup Buy
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You might be able to find the arepa mix at your local market if you have a Hispanic population in your area. I have a friend that lives in NY that is able to get Masarepa a Goya brand corn flour to make these at his local walmart.
to Susy's comment
Empanadas are great! I have never tried them this way (the ones I remember from Venezuela were more like a pastry I guess) but anything that is close to an arepa has got to be great! (Those are a favorite food in our home!)
As for your question… I introduced my family to the Venezuelan national dish (pabellón) and they LOVE it :-) I’d say that’s one of (if not our most) favorite ethnic foods. (Unless you count Skyline chili….) ;-) In fact, I’m getting hungry for it right now… :-) Will have to make it this weekend!
I just noticed that I had not posted it on my food site yet?! Crazy. So, the first part is now posted! (More to come… black beans recipe, and some ideas for arepas…)
AND… I can’t wait to make these empanadas! :)
Greg´s last blog ..(Over) Ambitious Reading List
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PS… :-) We were out shopping last night and I visited the latin foods isle in our local Wegmans (fantastic grocery store here in Western NY) and they not only had Goya Masarepa (white and yellow) but they also had the P.A.N. brand of the harina de maiz precocido. That’s the one I remember from Venezuela! (Though, it says it’s a product of Colombia…) So that was super fun! :-)
Greg´s last blog ..Pabellón Criollo (Carne Mechada)
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Yes, I remember that brand, doesn’t it have a little ear of corn cartoony mascot kind of guy?
to Susy's comment
Close… :-) Here‘s an image I found.
OK… It’s settled. DEFINITELY having latin food for dinner tonight :) (At least arepas … maybe empanadas!)
Greg´s last blog ..Pabellón Criollo (Carne Mechada)
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Tajine, it is a Moroccan dish, usually with chicken or lamb and vegetables. It is served with couscous. I use to eat it all the time when I was younger and lived in Spain. My mother made it with lamb, olives, carrots, preserved lemons, dried stone fruit and Ras el hanout (a blend of spices.) Makes me crave it just to think about it. I have a particular weakness for quite a bit of ethnic foods, moving around as much as I did growing up it feels homier to me then traditional American comfort foods. Of course, now I want to try my hand at empanadas…
Jaspenelle´s last blog ..Feline Friday: Aos & Swish
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Eastern European Peasant Food
Holopchi [Cabbage Rolls] are my fave but a huge pain in the butt to make. The filling is easy, rice with a sprinkle of scramble-fried ground meat (beef, venison, moose), a handful or more of crisp bacon bits, salt, pepper. But the boiling of the Cabbage, trimming the cores, separating the leaves and then the fiddly rolling of the filling into the leaves. Tightly packing the bundles into a roaster and the long slow cook in a tomato juice. Keep them moist enough so the cabbage cooks but not swimming.
Takes 5 times longer to make than to eat.
When we were both working, with a toddler, plus night school I came up with a concoction that gave the same taste with one tenth the work.
Two bags of coleslaw mix, 2 litres of V8 juice, 2 cups of rice and to heck with the bacon. I’ve thrown it all in a roaster in the oven for an afternoon of catchin’ up on laundry, done it stove-top with a lot of stirring on a higher heat when I’ve been in a hurry. A friend who has a huge slow cooker does it that way.
Peasant food Ukrainian Canadian style :)
to Sue: Farm-Woman-In-Training's comment