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south american - empanadas de verde con queso -

Recipe by
Baby Kato
Beautiful Shore Country, NB

Green Plantain Empanadas with Cheese posted by Marian Blazes. Is posted here for play in Culinary Quest - South America. Plantains are a major food staple in West & Central Africa(Cameroon & DR Congo), Central America, Caribbean Islands & northern, coastal parts of South America (Colombia & Venezula). The "dough" for these empanadas de verde are made with green (unripe) plantains, which are starchy enough to hold their shape when stuffed with cheese. Green plantains are less sweet than ripe ones and have a unique, savory flavor that can only be appreciated when cooked.

yield 8 - 10 medium empanadas
prep time 25 Min
cook time 15 Min
method Deep Fry

Ingredients For south american - empanadas de verde con queso -

  • 4
    green (unripe) plantains
  • 1
    onion
  • 2 Tbsp
    vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp
    cumin
  • 1 tsp
    garlic salt
  • 1
    egg yolk
  • 2 Tbsp
    lard or butter
  • 1 1/2 c
    grated queijo de brasilia cheese ( or monterey jack, cheddar)
  • 2 Tbsp
    requeijao or cream cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • oil for frying

How To Make south american - empanadas de verde con queso -

  • 1
    Peel two of the plantains and cut them into 1 inch pieces.
  • 2
    Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook plantains until tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes.
  • 3
    While plantains are cooking, sauté onions in vegetable oil with one teaspoon cumin and garlic salt until translucent and fragrant. Set aside and let cool.
  • 4
    When plantains are tender, drain and place hot plantains in a bowl with the butter (or lard). Mash plantains thoroughly. Add the egg yolk and mix well.
  • 5
    Peel the remaining two plantains and grate with a cheese grater. Mix the grated plantain into the cooked plantains and knead them together to make a smooth dough.
  • 6
    Add a 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a bit of ground pepper to season the dough. If mixture is too dry to come together in a dough, add a little more butter or a tablespoon of water. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
  • 7
    Mix grated cheese with onions and cream cheese to make the filling.
  • 8
    Take a piece of plantain dough slightly larger than a golf ball and flatten it into a rough circle between to pieces of plastic wrap.
  • 9
    Place some of the filling in the middle, then fold the plantain dough over the filling to make a semi-circle.
  • 10
    It helps to wet the edges of the circle with water before pressing them together. Shape the dough into a neat semicircle, sealing the edges as much as possible.
  • 11
    Heat several inches of oil in a deep pan to 360 degrees.
  • 12
    Fry empanadas in batches until dark golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with coarse salt if desired. Serve warm.

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