1medium Vine Ripe Tomato dicedcan use any variety of tomato
½teaspoonBlack Pepper Powder
½teaspoonCumin Seedspowdered
1 ¼teaspoonSalt
1lbGround Chicken
½teaspoonTabasco Hot Sauce
2-3tablespoonChopped Cilantro
1cupshredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1packet refrigerated Pie CrustI used Pillsbury brand and each box comes with 2 unrolled 9” crusts
Instructions
Remove the pie crust from the refrigerated and leave it on the countertop to bring to room temperature or follow instructions on the package.
Filling
Heat oil and fry ginger garlic paste for a few seconds.
Then saute onion, tomatoes, green chilies, pepper powder, salt, cumin powder a couple of minutes until tomatoes are mushy.
Add ground chicken and stir constantly to avoid lumps of ground chicken.
Cook for 5- 10 minutes until chicken is cooked and all the juices evaporate. It usually takes about 7 minutes on medium high – high flame.
Taste chicken and adjust seasoning accordingly. I found the filling a bit bland and added ½ teaspoon Tabasco Hot Sauce.
Turn off the flame, add cilantro mix properly.
Once the chicken cools or just before filling the empanadas, add cheese and mix properly.
Shaping Empanadas
Preheat the oven to 400F.
You need to bake in two batches. Prepare empanadas with one crust and while those are baking, prepare the second batch using other crust.
Unroll the pie crust onto a clean surface. Using a rolling pin, roll it out a little. The pie crust is 9” and roll it to 12” – 13″. You need not flour dust the surface but can do so if you feel the crust will stick to the surface.
Using a 3” round cookie cutter or a biscuit cutter cut the crust into small circles/discs. I was able to cut out 11 circles from each crust. Keep the crust scrapes aside for reusing.
Place about ½ tablespoon of chicken filling in the middle of the circle and wet the edges of the disc with water or beaten egg. I used water. Fold the circle to make a half circle and seal the edges.
To Curl Seal – Hold the empanada in one hand, starting from one corner, using two fingers of your other hand, press or pinch the sealed edges slightly and fold back. Right next to the folded edge / curl, repeat pinching and folding to curl empanada all around.
To Seal with Fork – After filling and sealing the edges of the empanada, using the tines of the fork, press it on the edges of the empanada to make straight line marks.
Place the empanada on a baking sheet. Repeat the above steps to fill and shape the rest.
Scrapes the crust can be reused though I did not need to for the above quantity of filling.
Bake
Egg wash the surface of the empanadas and bake for 18 minutes in a preheated oven.
While the first batch is baking, prepare the second batch.
I served the empanadas hot with some red chili sauce.
Notes
We like fully stuffed empanadas and sometimes the filling leaks.
Dough Options -Canned crescent dough and empanada covers/shells are other options to use instead of pie crust.
Pie Crust Scapes - Pie crust scapes are reusable. Scrapes from both the pie crusts is enough to prepare at least 10 empanadas. If not using the scapes right away, roll it out into an 11” – 12” circle, place it on a wax paper and roll it with wax paper and refrigerated for later use.
Filling Suggestions: Shredded chicken, seafood, beef, vegetables and fruits are other options.
Indian style sweet empanadas filling options are desiccated coconut + sugar, sesame seed powder + sugar or jaggery or sweetened cream of wheat + desiccated coconut + sugar