These Empanadas with Cottage Cheese are cute little hand pies or turnovers whatever you want to name it. The biscuity goodness of empanadas simply melts in your mouth. They are super versatile party appetizers that are delicious and come as a handy option. These scrumptious parcels are filled with savory capsicum and cottage cheese filling and are later baked in the oven till they are brown and crispy. You can serve these Empanadas with cheese recipe with various ranges of condiments like tomato ketchup, salsa, dip, or chutneys. This dish is one of the best of the Mexican recipes.
Empanadas, a Mexican recipe, are also known as Handpies or Turnover are originated from Latin America and later every country came up with their own variation. These are stuffed pastry with savory or sweet fillings, that can either be fried or baked. There are no limitations to the combinations of the stuffing.
“Empanadas” name was very intriguing to me for a very long time. I always wanted to try it. After a couple of my failed attempt wherein, the dough was not perfect, I gave up. Actually, I had given up the thought of baking an empanada and thought of sticking with my cooking and experimenting with flavors as I always do. Well, the ghost inside me did not allow me to forget about those 2 failures. The thought that I can’t make a proper dough was sucking big time. With all these negative thoughts and vibes, I had finally decided to give one more attempt. I was in a good mood and always was browsing through different recipe websites and reading food blogs. While doing so I came across this wonderful blog wherein there are all the details about Empanadas, a Mexican recipe. Here is the link to the original blog https://www.laylita.com/recipes/all-about-empanadas/.
After going through that blog where there are at least 100 ways to make sweet and savory empanadas, I just went through a couple of recipes, noted some of the important points, and started with the preparations. This time I was sure of nailing it and there was no room for any failure. For the stuffing, I simply opened my refrigerator and picked up all that was available there. I had some green capsicums left out and few cottage cheese pieces left, so I decided to simply add these 2 main ingredients for the stuffing. To be honest, you can actually pick up your favorite ingredients for stuffings, say for eg. Mushrooms and cheese, Corn and Cheese, Bell peppers, and cottage cheese, the choice is endless. Or you can go with what I did, simply pick up the leftover vegetables, combine them, and create a new signature dish.
Let me just tell you that these Empanadas with Cottage Cheese turned out to be very crispy, delicious, and melts in the mouth. The mayonnaise and cottage cheese added that soft texture to it gave a bang on softness and taste. You surely need to read this detailed Mexican recipe and try them out for your family or guests.
Empanadas dough is very easy to prepare at home and you can easily customize as per your taste and preferences. I am using All-purpose flour in this recipe. You can also make this with wheat flour or a combination of flours. Try to make these for your next party and experiment with some new tastes and flavors.
Here I am sharing this dough recipe that is ideal for baking. My Empanada dough recipe is eggless and can also be made in a food processor but I have not used it in my recipe. Well, you do not need to knead a lot in this recipe so kneading the dough with your hands will work just fine.
Firstly cold butter cubes are added to the dough and mixed till they look like a crumble mixture and later on cold water is used to knead the dough so that no gluten is formed. Once the dough is kneaded it is wrapped in a fresh cling wrapper and refrigerated it for 30 minutes at least. Meanwhile, you can prepare your stuffing and preheat the oven to baking.
Mix all the ingredients (except cottage cheese and mayonnaise) of stuffing, add all the herbs and cook for 5-7 minutes. Cook on a medium flame and add cottage cheese and mayonnaise just a minute before the vegetables are about to get cooked.
Pinch small balls from the empanadas dough and roll them into small rounds and keep it ready.
Place cottage cheese and capsicum stuffing in the center of the rolled disc and seal it with the remaining dough. Use Fork edges to seal them.
Repeat the process with all the discs and seal them and keep it ready on a plate.
You can store these Empanadas dough with stuffing in the deep freezer for a month. Seal them in a nice airtight container and place a butter paper in between them. When you want to consume remove the box an hour before and thaw it. Then preheat the oven for 10 minutes at 180 C and bake it for 15-20 minutes till they become brown and crispy. Serve these hot along with condiments of your choice.
Recipe of Empanadas
Ingredients:
FOR DOUGH:
2 Cups All-purpose flour
50 Grams Cold Butter
1 Cup Cold Water
1 tbsp Extra flour for dusting
Salt as per taste
FOR FILLING:
2 Medium Green Capsicums
1 Big Onion
A handful of Greens FreshCoriander and Basil leaves
100 Grams Cottage cheese (Paneer)
1 tsp Dry Oregano
8-10 Minced Garlic
1 tbsp Eggless Mayonnaise
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt to taste
Method:
HOW TO PREPARE DOUGH OF EMPANADAS:
1. Take a big bowl and add 2 cups of all-purpose flour (Maida), Cold butter (Cut into small cubes), and salt.
2. Now mix the dough with your fingertips and try to melt the butter in the dough till it forms like a crumbly mixture.
3. Now add cold water very little at a time and try to knead the dough gently.
4. Now cover the dough with fresh cling and refrigerate it for half an hour.
5. Meanwhile, you can do the preparation for the stuffing.
HOW TO PREPARE THE STUFFING:
1. Chop onions and capsicums into small pieces, mince Garlic very finely and keep it aside in a bowl.
2. Also, make small cubes of Cottage cheese and keep it in a bowl.
3. Now heat a pan and add Olive Oil in it, once its hot add minced garlic in the oil and saute it for few seconds till garlic leaves its aroma.
4. Now add chopped Onions and Capsicums in the oil and saute it for 4-5 minutes stirring in between.
5. Once they are cooked add salt, oregano, chili flakes, cottage cheese, and Mayonnaise,
6. Stir it till all the ingredients are mixed well and finally add chopped coriander and basil leaves in it.
7. Give a quick stir and cook for a minute and switch off the flame.
8. Let the stuffing cool at room temperature.
HOW TO ROLL AND BAKE:
1. Pre-heat the oven for 10 minutes at 180 C.
2. Meanwhile, remove the dough from the refrigerator and on a flat surface roll out the dough into thin discs.
3. Pinch small balls of this and roll it into fine thin rounds.
HOW TO ASSEMBLE:
1. Place a spoonful of the cottage cheese and capsicum stuffing in the center of the empanada disc.
2. Brush the edges of the empanada disc with cornflour and water, this will act as a form of glue that will help seal the empanadas. This is optional.
3. Fold the empanada discs and seal the edges gently with your fingers, but it’s much easier to use a fork to seal the edges as shown in the picture above.
4. Repeat the same procedure with the entire dough and arrange them on a plate.
5. Bake the empanadas in a pre-heated oven at 180 C for 15-20 minutes.
6. The exact time will vary based on your oven and the size of the empanadas and how crispy you want.
7. Serve these empanadas warm with tomato salsa.
Recipe of Empanadas
Ingredients
FOR DOUGH:
- 2 Cups All-purpose flour
- 50 Grams Cold Butter
- 1 Cup Cold Water
- 1 tbsp Extra flour for dusting
- Salt as per taste
FOR FILLING:2 Medium Green Capsicums
- 1 Big Onion
- A handful of Greens FreshCoriander and Basil leaves
- 100 Grams Cottage cheese Paneer
- 1 tsp Dry Oregano
- 8-10 Minced Garlic
- 1 tbsp Eggless Mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
HOW TO PREPARE DOUGH OF EMPANADAS:
- Take a big bowl and add 2 cups of all-purpose flour (Maida), Cold butter (Cut into small cubes), and salt.
- Now mix the dough with your fingertips and try to melt the butter in the dough till it forms like a crumbly mixture.
- Now add cold water very little at a time and try to knead the dough gently.
- Now cover the dough with fresh cling and refrigerate it for half an hour.
- Meanwhile, you can do the preparation for the stuffing.
HOW TO PREPARE THE STUFFING:
- Chop onions and capsicums into small pieces, mince Garlic very finely and keep it aside in a bowl.
- Also, make small cubes of Cottage cheese and keep it in a bowl.
- Now heat a pan and add Olive Oil in it, once its hot add minced garlic in the oil and saute it for few seconds till garlic leaves its aroma.
- Now add chopped Onions and Capsicums in the oil and saute it for 4-5 minutes stirring in between.
- Once they are cooked add salt, oregano, chili flakes, cottage cheese, and Mayonnaise,
- Stir it till all the ingredients are mixed well and finally add chopped coriander and basil leaves in it.
- Give a quick stir and cook for a minute and switch off the flame.
- Let the stuffing cool at room temperature.
HOW TO ROLL AND BAKE:
- Pre-heat the oven for 10 minutes at 180 C.
- Meanwhile, remove the dough from the refrigerator and on a flat surface roll out the dough into thin discs.
- Pinch small balls of this and roll it into fine thin rounds.
HOW TO ASSEMBLE:
- Place a spoonful of the cottage cheese and capsicum stuffing in the center of the empanada disc.
- Brush the edges of the empanada disc with cornflour and water, this will act as a form of glue that will help seal the empanadas. This is optional.
- Fold the empanada discs and seal the edges gently with your fingers, but it’s much easier to use a fork to seal the edges as shown in the picture above.
- Repeat the same procedure with the entire dough and arrange them on a plate.
- Bake the empanadas in a pre-heated oven at 180 C for 15-20 minutes.
- The exact time will vary based on your oven and the size of the empanadas and how crispy you want.
- Serve these empanadas warm with tomato salsa.
Nutrition
I hope you will enjoy making this recipe of Empanadas with Cottage Cheese and relish it. It is one of the best Mexican recipes.
