These vegetarian empanadas are such a treat. A crispy shell with this sweet & spicy filling has become one of my favorite Mexican dishes. The potato and corn with the cheese is a burst of flavor in these pockets. The jalapeño parsley dip gives it a nice spicy, earthy & tangy flavor. It pairs so well with this dip, you have to try it to believe it! These empanadas are going to be a hit even on Taco Tuesday.
You can air fry, deep fry or bake them and they are delicious in very form. You can even freeze these bad boys which is so convenient.
You can easily make this dish Vegan.
Happy Cooking!

Servings: 7-8 large empanadas (about 5 inches length)

Prep Time: 30-40 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients: 

For the filling:

• 3-4 medium potatoes boiled and chopped 

• 3/4th cup corn

• 3-4 cloves of garlic finely chopped

• 1/2 cup chopped onions

• 2 tsp ginger paste

• 2 tsp lemon juice 

• 1/4 cup water

• 3 tbsp tomato paste

• 3/4-1 cup of cheese

• 1-2 tsp chilli flakes

• 1/2 tsp pepper

• 1/4 -1/2 tsp sugar

• 1-2 tsp salt

• 1/2 -1 tbsp chopped cilantro

• Empanadas wrappers

For the jalapeño parsley dip:

• 3-4 roasted jalapeños

• 2 cloves of garlic roasted

• 1/2-3/4 cup of parsley (without the stem)

• Salt to taste

• 1/2 tsp honey

• 2 tbsp greek yogurt

Directions: 

Empanadas:

1. In a pan, heat 1 tbsp of Vegetable Oil.

2. Add onions and cook for 3-4 minutes till translucent.

3. Add the chopped garlic and ginger paste and cook for 2-3 minutes till it is fragrant.

4. Add tomato paste and cook for 3-4 minutes till the oil starts separating.

5. Add in the potatoes and mix it in.

6. Add the lemon juice, water, salt sugar, pepper & chilli flakes and stir it in

7. Mash about half the potatoes while mixing with your spatula. This helps it come together and form a filling. Do not mash up all the potatoes, some bite is good.

8. Add corn and mix it in.

9. Let the filling cool before filling the empanadas.

10. Roll the empanada wrappers out slightly on a floured surface.

11. Fill about 2-3 tbsp of filling (depends on the size of the wrapper) on one half of the wrapper, leaving the edges.

12. Sprinkle some cheese over the filling. 

13. Circle the edge of the wrapper with little water. Close the wrapper to form a semi circle.

14. Crimp the edges of the wrapper using a fork. Make sure all the edge are well sealed.

15. Repeat the process to fill all the empanadas

16. You can bake/ deep fry or air fry them. Check tips.

    Deep fry: Fry in medium hot oil for 3-4 minutes till golden brown & crispy. Take it out on paper tissue to remove excess oil.

    Air Fry: Gently brush little oil on the surface and air fry in a preheated air fryer at 375F for 7-10 minutes. Take out when golden brown & crispy.

    Bake: Gently brush little oil on the surface and air fry in a preheated oven at 370F for about 10-15 minutes. Take it out when golden brown & crispy.

17. Serve warm with jalapeño parsley dip and sour cream.

Jalapeno Parsley Dip:

1. Roast jalapeños and garlic in an oven or stove top.

2. In a food processor add the jalapeño garlic and parsley.

3. Add salt and honey.

4. Grind to a smooth paste. It doesn’t need to be very fine but ensure that the garlic is well pasted.

5. Take it out in a bowl and mix in the yogurt.

6. It is ready. You can store this in the fridge and freezer. Check tips below how to do so.

Notes/Tips:

• You can add more sugar/chilli flakes as per the flavor levels you like.

• Wait for the mixture to cool before filling.

• Mashing the potatoes helps the filling hold it’s shape. Leaving some potato chunks gives it a nice bite.

• Do NOT roll the empanada wrapper out too thin. You should roll it out so that it is not too thick and more crispy.

• Deep fry and Air fry gives a crispier crust than baking. If you are baking it is still crispy so not worry.

• You can make these in advance and freeze for upto 1-2 months. It should be in an airtight container and place parchment paper/plastic wrap between each empanada so that it does not stick to each other.

• Defrost the empanadas before cooking especially if you are deep frying them.

• Veganise it- Use Vegan cheese, Vegan Greek yogurt and maple syrup instead of the honey to make it Vegan.

• For the dip- roasting the jalapeño and garlic is a step you should not skip. Add greek yogurt or hung curd to the dip otherwise it will be too liquid.

• You can store this in the fridge for a week. It goes well on tacos, burritos and with chips.

• You can store this in the freezer for 4-5 months. Add a very thin layer of olive oil on top of the dip before freezing. This helps it last longer.