Empanadas

Last week's Bake Along #67 was Empanadas. These were the most delicious ones I have ever baked among the savoury bakes... Empanadas have a melt in mouth buttery tart base and the fillings can be made depending on one's taste. The original Empanadas have cheese added to the filling, but I skipped, not that we don't like cheese...I actually forgot that part!! *winks*

Ingredients:

For the Crust:
Butter - 75 gms, cold
All-purpose flour - 1 1/2 cups
Water - 4 tablespoons
Salt - 1/4 tsp

For the Filling:
Potato - 3 (boiled and mashed)
Frozen green peas and corn -  1/2 cups
Tofu - 200 gms
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 3 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Milk - for milk wash

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180 C. Line up a baking tray with butter paper. 
• Grate cold butter into a bowl. Add flour, salt and water into it.
• Use your fingertips to combine the butter and flour thoroughly. Do not knead. Once the butter has been incorporated completely, knead very briefly by adding a tablespoon of water at a time to make a soft dough. Do not over knead.
• Pressure cook the potatoes, green peas and corn. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds. Add chopped onions and saute until they are light brown in colour.
• Add garam masala powder, turmeric, salt and red chilli powder. 
• Add the boiled corn and green peas and saute.
• Now, add the crumbled tofu and combine everything and cook.
• Add mashed potatoes and mix everything until they are blended well with the masala mixture.
• Allow the mixture to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, roll out the dough to 1/2 cm thickness. Dust flour if it is sticky.
• Using a round cutter of any size, cut out dough into circles. 
• Add filling into each cut out dough. You could top it with grated cheddar cheese, but I skipped this part.
• Fold each of them and seal well using a fork.
• Arrange them on the baking tray space just an inch apart. Milk wash and bake for about 20-30 minutes at 180 C, until the top becomes golden brown.

And then, simply indulge!!