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SIMPLE CHICKEN EMPANADA RECIPE | PERFECT FOR KIDS LUNCH BOX


My daughter was very picky when it comes to foods and she doesn't eat a lot of vegetables despite of encouragement. I guess sometimes kids has that stage that they are more visual more than anything else, they just won't take it in even without tasting it yet. So I say, ok I will try this empanada, since it uses meat and vegetables as stuffings. At least she will have a complete mix of carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and minerals in one recipe. Normally, Empanada has many vegetable ingredients, since my daughter eat only certain vegetables I only use carrots and potatoes in which she is fine to eat. 

What is really an Empanada?

According to Wikipedia, an empanda is a type of baked or fried turnover consisting of pastry and filling, common in Latin American and Filipino cultures. The name comes from the Spanish verb empanar, and literally translates as "enbreaded" that is, wrapped or coated in bread. They are made by folding dough over a filling, which may consist of meat, cheese, corn or other ingredients, and then cooking the resulting turnover, either by baking or frying. 

Empandas trace back their origins to the northwest region of Spain, Galicia. A cookbook published in Catalan in 1520 Libre del Coch by Robert de Nola, mentions empanadas filled with seafood in the recipe for Catalan, Italian, French, and Arabia food.

Now that you have an idea of what we are going to cook about, let's go straight to our ingredients and steps how to make it. I am pretty sure you are excited to do it. 


INGREDIENTS:

For Pastry
  • 3 cups of flour
  • 4 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt - for pastry 
  • 1 cup butter - cold
  • 6 tablespoon water - cold 

For Fillings
  • 1 medium size onion - minced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic - minced
  • 650 gms boneless chicken breast -  cut into cubes
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup carrot - diced
  • 1 cup potatoe - diced
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

For Glazing
  • Egg white 
  • 1 tablespoon water

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Prep time :  15 mins
Cook time: 40 mins
Total         : 55 mins

For Pastry:
  1. First combine all dry ingredients: the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix thoroughly.
  2. Then add cold butter to the dry ingredients. You can cut the butter into a thin strips to make it easily dissolve and blend well with all the ingredients.
  3. Slowly add the water. Mix well.
  4. Starts kneading the mixture once it is lumpy. You will know that the mixture is in right consistency if they form like a dough.
  5.  Divide into several equal pieces according to the desired size. And roll them to shape like a ball.
  6. Once all done, cover with cling plastic and put in the fridge to cool down for 20 mins.
For Fillings:
  1. Now lets make our fillings by sauteing garlic and onion in a sauce pan under medium fire.
  2. Add chicken once the onion is transparent. Mix and cover to simmer for few minutes.
  3.  When the chicken turned to light brown and moist, add fish sauce and salt. Simmer for few minutes and don't forget to stir from time to time to prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan.
  4. Put water once the chicken is drying up and turn to golden light brown. Simmer again for few minutes.
  5. Then add the carrots and potatoes once little water left. Cover and simmer again for few minutes.
  6. Add raisins if the two veges are half cook. Stir very well, simmer and cover again for few minutes.
  7. Check and stir from time to time. Once the fluids are fully absorb, your fillings are cooked and set aside.

Stuffing the dough:
  1. Now pre-heat the oven at 205 degree Celsius for at least 10 mins.
  2. At this time we need to get the dough that we store on the fridge.
  3. On a flat surface, using the rolling pin flattened the dough and make sure you made it with a round shape.You can use a round cutter if you have one, otherwise, you can just shape it directly using you hands and rolling pin.
  4. Then just  get a tablespoon or anything you think is right amount of chicken fillings and stuff it in the dough. 
  5. Fold the dough so that the opposite end meets and seal as shown on the video. Do the same on the rest.
  6. Once the wrapping is done, it's time to prepare for our egg wash. Simply mix the egg white to 1 tablespoon of water and beat well. 
  7. Brush the stuffed dough with the egg wash on both side. And finally put it in a tin tray lined with wax paper. Do the same on the rest.
  8. Put in the oven and baked for 25 minutes or depending on the type of the oven you have. Simply check from time to time to ensure that the outside of dough turned to light brown and not over cooked.
  9. Now time to rest and enjoy the fruit of your labour, well done!

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