Butternut Squash Empanadas by Melanie Booth
Recipe by Melanie Booth
This recipe was submitted by Melanie Booth as part of our Big Lunch Recipe Search competition.
“I invented this recipe during lockdown! During covid, as well as online teaching, I started growing veg. When the lockdowns ended, I walked to work, and (socially distanced!), got talking to a neighbour about gardening. He spoke about growing chillies, I about growing squash. We did a little trade, a homegrown squash for fresh chillies! Then, my cousin married a lovely Argentinian man. He told me about Empanadas, a national Argentinian dish, and this recipe was born!”
Ingredients
Serves 12 (Makes 34 x empanadas- 2 or 3 each)
Filling:
- 2 tbsp oil
- 800g peeled, finely diced butternut squash
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano (chopped), or 1 tsp dried
- 1 x white onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp garlic salt
- 2 x red chillies, finely chopped (keep seeds in if you like it hot! Remove them if you want it milder)
- 1 large chunk root ginger, peeled and diced
- 1/2tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp sugar
- 200ml Vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper to taste
Pastry:
- 400g plain flour
- 100g vegetable suet
- 100g butter, diced fine
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 180ml cold water (more if mix is a bit dry)
- 1 x egg (beaten, to brush on top)
Method
Step 1
In oil, fry squash, onion, ginger, garlic salt and pepper, for 10 mins, whilst stirring. Then, add oregano, chilli, garam masala and paprika, stir to coat.
Step 2
Add stock, cook for 8 minutes, whilst stirring. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Step 3
To make the pastry, rub suet, butter and flour into fine crumbs. Add water, and bring pastry together. Rest pastry in fridge for 30 minutes.
Step 4
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees. Roll the pastry out thinly and then cut into 8cm rounds.
Step 5
Put 2 teaspoons of filling in each round, wet the edges and crimp together. Bake on lined trays for 20 minutes.
