makes
8
prep
30 minutes
cook
10 minutes
difficulty
Easy
makes
8
serves
preparation
30
minutes
cooking
10
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 500 g (5 cups) masa (maize) flour (see Note)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra, to shallow-fry
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 whole serrano chillies (see Note) or 1 jalapeño or long green chilli, finely chopped
- 500 g peeled, cooked prawns, finely chopped
- 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
- guacamole, to serve
Instructions
Sift flour in a bowl, make a well in centre, then slowly add 750 ml water, stirring to combine. Using your hands, work mixture for 2 minutes or until just coming together; you should be able to create a ball without any mixture sticking to your hands. If too sticky, add a little more flour.
Divide mixture into 8 balls, then roll each between two sheets of baking paper into an oval shape about 2 mm thick. If they stick to the baking paper, add a little more flour.
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and chillies, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until softened. Add prawns and tomatoes, and cook, stirring for 3 minutes or until prawns are opaque. Remove from heat.
Place a tablespoonful of prawn mixture at one end of pastry round. Fold in half to enclose the filling, pinching or pleating the edge to seal tightly. Repeat with remaining 7 pastry rounds and prawn mixture.
Fill a large frying pan 2 cm deep with oil and place over medium–high heat. Working in batches, fry empanadas for 1 minute each side or until golden. Drain on paper towel. Serve immediately with guacamole on the side.
Note
• Masa (maize) flour is a fine flour made from corn. It is from select delis and South and Central American food shops.
• Serrano chillies are long, green Mexican chillies. They are from select greengrocers and also dried from Mexican food shops.
Photography by Mark Roper.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
