Argentinian Empanadas with Chimichurri
a long-distant cousin of Singaporean curry puffs?
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
if you're Singaporean or Malaysian, you might be used to the traditional fried curry puffs enjoyed as a teatime snack, loaded with potatoes, chicken and sometimes boiled egg.
for overland travellers Nora and Susie who explore the most remote parts of the world, they find a piece of home through finding for curry puff adjacents in the countries they travel to.
one of their favourite ‘currypuff-like’ snacks that they discovered and have a lasting memory of is Beef Empanadas during their trip around Argentina. their memory was having these by a roadside stall with a warm beef filling which was lightly spiced. we recreated this element of their memory with our version of the country’s empanadas, paired with a tangy chimichurri sauce for dipping.
empanada crust
300g all-purpose flour
100g unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup of warm milk
½ tsp salt
beef filling
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
300g minced beef
1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper
2 stalks spring onion, sliced
3 hard boiled eggs, halved
1 egg yolk + 3 tbsp milk, whisked (egg wash mixture)
chimichurri
50g flat-leaf parsley
25g fresh oregano (or 2 tsp dried)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 shallot, sliced
1 large red chilli
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
directions
in a bowl, combine flour with the cubed butter. using your fingers, rub in the butter with the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. separately, whisk egg yolk with milk and salt. gradually add to the dry mixture and mix with your hand until combine.
lightly knead the dough to bring it all together and roll into a ball. cover with cling wrap and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
to make the filling, heat olive oil and butter in a pan on medium heat. add the diced onion and sauté until translucent. add the paprika, oregano and cumin and saute for another minute.
add in the minced beef and mix well. fry the beef until slightly browned and season with salt and pepper. toss in the spring onion and turn off the stove.
transfer the filling into a bowl and let it chill in the refrigerator until for at least 20 minutes.
wrapping the empanadas
empanada pastry filled with beef picadillo and egg dust a clean work surface with flour. bring out the dough and roll it out to a thin sheet, about 1/4 inch thickness.
using a glass/mug, cut out circles. into each circle, scoop 2-3 tablespoons of beef filling onto the middle. arrange 1 half boiled onto the beef filling.
brush some egg wash mixture around the edges of the circular pastry. fold over one side to the other to encase the filling. press down the edges to seal the empanadas tight.
repeat the process with until all the dough and meat filling is used up.
heat the oven to 185 degrees Celsius.
lay the empanadas onto a tray lined with baking paper. brush over the egg wash onto the top surface of the empanadas.
bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the crust becomes crisp and golden.
take out from oven and let it cool slightly before enjoying it with chumichurri.
making the chimichurri
in a food processor/manual chopper, combine all the ingredients. process all until the mixture becomes a coarse paste. transfer to a bowl and enjoy the sauce fresh with the empanadas.
want to try making a similar beef pastry? here’s a Chinese Beef Roti recipe!:
VIRAL Chinese Beef Roti / Guo Kui (é”…ç›”)
we’ve been following the VIRALITY of this Chinese meat-stuffed pastry, from seeing the crowds at the Mon Beef Roti spots in Kuala Lumpur to its prevalence in the Ramadan bazaars in Singapore! needless to say, it’s TIME we try making our own ones in the nOm kitchen.