Preparation time: 40 minutes
Try these delicious Filipino empanadas filled with tuna and vegetables. Eat them hot, right out the oven (even though they can also be eaten cold)!
INGREDIENTS
- Pastry blender
 
Filling:
- 45g Mama Sita’s Caldereta Mix
 - 226g tuna, flaked and drained
 - 60g carrot
 - 1 Tbsp garlic
 - 1 onion
 - 1 tsp white sugar
 - 1½ tsp cornstarch
 - 60g frozen green peas (optional)
 - 2 Tbsp oil
 
Shortcrust pastry:
- 275g all-purpose flour
 - 130g shortening
 - 1 Tbsp sugar
 - 1 tsp salt
 - 120 ml water, ice cold
 
Egg wash:
- 60 ml milk
 - 1 egg yolk
 
PREPARATION
Dissolve the cornstarch in 1½ teaspoon of water. Finely chop the carrot. Mince the garlic. Dice the onion.
For the filling:
Sauté the garlic and onion in oil. Add in the tuna and simmer for a minute. Add the carrots and pour in the dissolved caldereta mix. Add the sugar and simmer for 3 minutes. Thicken the mixture with cornstarch. Lastly, add the green peas. Let it cool before filling.
For the crust:
In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and sugar. Add the shortening to the flour mixture and cut it with a pastry blender until sandy. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time to form it into a ball. Roll out the dough and cut into 4-cm round pieces.
Folding the empanadas:
Place 1 teaspoon of the prepared filling at the center of each piece of crust. Fold it forming half moon-shaped pieces. Twist the edges to seal completely. Arrange them on a cookie sheet and brush the top with egg wash.
Bake at 175°C for about 30 minutes. If an oven is not available, you may opt to fry the empanadas until golden (drain before serving).