Mexican Pumpkin Empanada Recipe, Whats Cooking America (2024)

FAQs

What are pumpkin empanadas made of? ›

Make filling: Mix together pumpkin, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and cloves in a large bowl until smooth. Roll each dough ball out on a floured surface into a thin, 6-inch circle. Spoon about 1/3 cup filling into the center of each dough circle.

Similar to an American turnover but far more versatile, an empanada is a fried or baked pastry shaped like a crescent moon. Once the bread has been made with flour dough or corn flour dough, it's then stuffed with myriad fillings depending on the occasion and your taste.

Empanadas have their origin in the Spanish action Empanar connoting “wrap in bread.” Traditional empanadas hence are simply beef stuffing wrapped in pastry dough. Beef empanadas are small palm-sized meat pockets. They resemble the Arabian Samosas and Italian calzones.

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. Empanadas have their origins in Galicia (Spain) and Portugal. They first appeared in Medieval Iberia during the time of the Moorish invasions.

Both cooking methods produce delicious empanadas. If you want a healthier merienda, bake them in the oven. If you're working with less time, frying them is the way to go. Try both and ask your loved ones to vote on their favorite.

Place pumpkin cubes on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper (add any other spices you'd like!) Roast at 375 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until pumpkin cubes are fork-tender, flipping halfway through.

The best way to keep fried foods crispy? Just place them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. If you're frying multiple batches, throw the whole setup into a low oven to keep everything warm as you keep frying and adding to the rack.

Oil that is too cool will make your fried empanadas greasy and sad. I normally use canola oil for fried empanadas because it's flavorless and has a high smoke point. Lard tastes better, but you end up frying very close to lard's smoke point, which is tricky; when oil gets too hot it will taste acrid.

Empanadas are a rich source of proteins. They are a perfect combination of carbs and proteins, which makes them ideal for muscle gain and tissue repair. Empanadas are also a rich source of vitamins. They have a moderate amount of Vitamin B-6, which is essential for immunity and reducing stress.

The Spanish recipe was made with bread dough, the Mexican recipe with corn masa dough. This is where Mexican empanada history takes over. Each region in Mexico has their own version of the empanada.

What is an empanada in Mexico? ›

These delicious little pastries are made by wrapping a round dough pastry in half over a filling of meat, seafood, vegetables or fruit, forming a semicircle. They are baked or fried. Empanadas are a delicious holiday tradition in many New Mexican homes.

Argentina has become world-famous for their empanadas which are widely available in Buenos Aires and across the country as fast-food options and restaurant staples. As with many recipes, that of empanadas was shared through generations and carried to many other nations.

Although they are traditional throughout Latin America, Mexican empanadas are differentiated by their different varieties. Depending on the region, you can try fish and seafood empanadas, potatoes, meat, and sweet empanadas. This dish from Mexico, we know in the rest of the world as nachos.

noun. pasty [noun] a small pie made by wrapping pastry around meat, vegetables, or cheese and baking it. pie [noun] food baked in a covering of pastry. (Translation of empanada from the PASSWORD Spanish–English Dictionary © 2014 K Dictionaries Ltd)

While it's quite tasty, it isn't the healthiest meal you can consume. The great news is you can still get your empanada fix with all the flavor, but less calories, fat, and more nutrition with healthier versions.

Empanadas in Colombia most commonly use a ground-beef picadillo-type filling with potatoes and onions. In Venezuela, fresh farmers' cheeses are often stuffed inside, which makes a great snack or appetizer, but hungrier people should look to the pabellón filling.

Like the Venezuelan and Argentine empanada, the Colombian one has a half-moon shape. Its thickness is thinner, which helps make its texture crispier. They are also made with corn and some of the most popular are: Pipián: potato, hogao, egg, toasted peanuts and annatto.