Empanadas were introduced to Chile by Spanish settlers in the 16th century. In Chile, empanadas are usually cooked in the oven, and typically filled with pino (minced meat and onions), egg, olives and raisins. The dough is easy to make, so you can also play around with what you put in the filling with something simple like cheese and mushroom to make them your own! Otherwise, have a go at the traditional and incredibly tasty recipe below.
Filling
- 1 tbs butter
- 1 diced large onion
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 450 grams beef or pork mince
- 1 tbs paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ cup beef stock
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 3 diced hard-boiled eggs
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¼ cup diced olives
Dough
- 1 cup lukewarm milk
- 1 cup melted shortening
- 5 cups plain flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 beaten eggs
Method
Filling
Melt butter in large fry pan over medium heat and add onion, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes until onion is golden.
Add mince and cook for 7 to 10 minutes until brown.
Whisk broth and flour together and add to pan, along with eggs, raisins and olives. Cook until liquid thickens and remove from heat.
Dough
Whisk milk, shortening and salt together in a bowl. Slowly add to flour and whisk until mixed into a dough. Knead the dough with your hands for 2 to 3 minutes.
Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Preparation
Preheat oven to 200C
Roll dough into a long snake and cut into 12 sections.
Roll each ball into a 6 inch diameter circle. Place 1/3 of a cup of filling into the upper half of each dough circle. Moisten the edge of the pastry with a little water and fold over, pressing the edge firmly and crimping to seal.
Place on an ungreased baking sheet and brush with beaten egg.
Bake in oven for 25 minutes until golden brown.
