Vegan empanadas • filled with jackfruit (gluten-free!) • RECIPE

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Empanadas (in the Antilles we call them empaná) are small patties made from cornmeal. They are usually filled with chicken or ground beef. This version is completely vegan. A nice extra is that the empanadas are also gluten-free. Because the dough is made from corn, they are not only plant-based, but also suitable for people who do not want or are not allowed to eat gluten.

For the filling of these empanadas we use young jackfruit in salt water. This fruit falls apart into threads after preparation and therefore looks very much like meat. It has the structure of pulled pork and with the special sauce it tastes like that too. Unbelievable, but really true!

Colombian empanadas

Empanadas are eaten in many different countries. Usually they are made from wheat flour and baked in the oven. In Colombia and Venezuela they do it differently. There they make them from corn flour and fry them. We also know this version in the Antilles. And as far as I'm concerned, it's also the tastiest way to make empanadas!

You can make about 15-20 empanadas from this recipe.

We prefer to fry them, but you can also prepare them in the oven. In the latter case it is best to brush them with some beaten egg and then bake for about 15-20 minutes at 180°C.

vegan empanadas empana recipe antillean colombian venezuelan

Ingredients:

For the dough

500 gr maize flour from Harina PAN*
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tsp salt
about (!) 850 ml of water
optional: some ground aniseed, for extra flavor

*Really only use cornmeal from this brand, because it is pre-steamed. You cannot make dough from another (Italian) brand of cornmeal!

For the filling

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
½ red bell pepper, diced
½ green bell pepper, diced
500 gr (2 cans) young jackfruit in water*
70 gr (1 can) tomato puree
1 el soy sauce
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tl cumin
½ tsp coriander
salt + hot pepper to taste

*make sure you buy young jackfruit in water or “brine” (so no ripe jackfruit in syrup, it tastes sweet!). These can be found in the toko or supermarket. I use the fair trade cans that you can find at Albert Heijn.

And further…

oil, for frying

Preparation of vegan empanadas

Start making the filling. To do this, drain the cans of jackfruit well and cut the pieces of jackfruit into strips. Then heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onion and bell pepper until the onion is translucent. Then add the jackfruit pieces.

Then add the tomato paste, soy sauce and spices. Let the jackfruit simmer for 10 minutes and season the filling with salt and hot pepper. Then remove the pan from the heat and let the jackfruit cool slightly. Now you can mash the jackfruit very finely with a potato masher or spoon, so that you have a filling that resembles fluffed chicken or bakkeljauw† Let the filling cool to room temperature while you make the dough for the empanadas.

Making dough for empanadas

To make the dough for the empanadas, mix the cornmeal with the sugar, sunflower oil, salt and water. Add some aniseed for extra flavour. The goal is to get a soft dough that won't tear when you roll it out.

Is the dough too sticky? Then add some extra cornmeal. And is the dough too dry? Then add some water.

Tip: Cornmeal dough will continue to 'suck' water while you're working on it. It is therefore possible that your dough seems perfect at first and then becomes a bit dry. That is normal. You can always add some water during the process to keep it smooth!

Roll out the dough after kneading into a sheet of about 5 mm thick. This is best done on a layer of sturdy plastic, for example a ziplock bag.

Now cut circles out of the dough that you fill with a tablespoon of the filling. Wet the edges of the dough circles and fold them in half. Folding is easier when the dough is on plastic. You can then fold the plastic over so that the dough does not break.

Then press the edges of the empanadas well with your hands. Continue until the dough or filling is used up.

Now heat the oil in a pan or deep fryer to 170°C. Fry the vegan empanadas for about 7-8 minutes, until they are cooked and golden brown. Finally, let them cool on kitchen paper before serving – Enjoy your meal!

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