Vegan Curry Masala Empanadas
Made by Alessandro Cipriano
For 4 servings with a classic Ratatouille as a side dish
An empanada is a stuffed bread or pastry baked or fried in many countries of Latin America and the south of Europe. The name comes from the verb empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread. Empanada is made by folding a dough or bread patty around the stuffing. The stuffing can consist of a variety of meats, vegetables, or even fruits.
Filling (Empanadas)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large red onion peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 spring onion
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
- 1 medium carrot about, peeled and diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 200 g chopped fresh tomatoes
- 200 g kidney beans, dried or canned
- 100 g edamame beans
- 1/2 ginger grated
- 1/2 finely chopped red chilli
- 2 Tbsp curry powder mild
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp mango chutney
- Salt and pepper
- a handful of fresh coriander finely chopped
Pastry (Empanadas)
- 500 g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 150 g unsalted butter (cold)
- 2-4 Tbsp iced water
Classic ratatouille (Side Dish)
The Provencal vegetable pot is a real national dish. The basis is formed by braised vegetables from the summer months: zucchini, aubergines, peppers and tomatoes.
- 250 g zucchini
- 1 small eggplant
- 400 g tomatoes
- 2 small onions
- 1 red and yellow pepper each
- 1-2 cloves of garlic
- Herbs: 2 stems of basil, 3 stems each of thyme and oregano,
- 1–2 sprigs of rosemary
- 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- some red wine to deglaze
- 100–150 ml vegetable broth
- Salt pepper
Filling
Cut vegetables and onions into small pieces (cubes).
Fry the garlic and onions in olive oil.
Then add the remaining vegetables and ingredients and sear on medium heat for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Then let it boil gently for 8-10 minutes on medium heat until the liquid has almost completely evaporated. Set aside and let cool.
In this short video you see a short compilation of how we prepare the ingredients for a vegan empanada.Pastry
For the pastry, mix the flour, baking powder and 1 teaspoon of sea salt in a large bowl. Then cut the butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. You can also mix the whole thing in a food processor. Mix in enough cold water to bring it together. Make sure that the dough is not too moist. Then wrap in cling film and put in the fridge for 1 hour.
Form the Empanadas
Preheat the oven to 190 ° C
Divide the dough into 15 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Roll out the dough on a floured work surface 3 mm thick. For a perfectly round shape, I use a glas with a diameter of approx. 14 cm, or a biscuit cutter.
Add 2 tablespoons of the filling onto the middle of each pastry round, brush the edges with a little water, then fold them over the filling to make a semi-circle. Press the edges together with a fork to seal, then place onto a large, lightly greased baking tray, or on baking paper.
Brush the empanadas with the beaten egg and bake in the hot oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
Ratatouille
For the ratatouille, wash 250 g zucchini, 1 small aubergine and 400 g tomatoes, clean and cut into pieces (cubes or slices) separately, however you prefer. Peel and chop 1-2 cloves of garlic. Peel 2 small onions and cut them into small cubes. Halve 1 red and yellow pepper, clean, wash and cut into pieces as well.
Wash herbs and dry. Strip the needles from a sprig of rosemary and chop finely. Then pluck leaves from 2 stalks of basil, 3 stems of thyme and 3 stems of oregano and roughly chop, except for a few for garnish.
Heat 3-4 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Braise onion and bell pepper cubes in it for 4–5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, remaining vegetables, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and chopped herbs and sauté briefly. Deglaze with a little red wine. Pour in 100-150 ml of vegetable broth gradually as needed, season with salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables on medium heat for about 15 minutes.
Ready to serve, enjoy!
