Doña Hilaria's Empanadas con Chaya Recipe
Homestay mom and feeder (not that you’ll ever hear us complaining), Doña Hilaria, took the time to share with us her amazing recipe for empanadas con chaya. Trust us - you’ll love them!
Ingredients:
A kilo of corn dough (used to make tortillas - our Mexican-Maya families always have some of this ready-made and to hand but
here's a handy recipe if you want to make it from scratch
)
250g of plain flour
Salt
Chaya (or spinach) leaves, finely chopped
Vegetable oil for frying
The filling:
Refried beans
Mushrooms sliced
Cheese of your choice - Doña Hilaria used an amazing Oaxaca cheese
Or other fillings of your choice
Accompaniments:
Romaine lettuce
Avocado
Cilantro
Salt to season
Salsa of your choice
Method:
Fill a saucepan about half way with oil and turn on the heat, or alternatively use a deep fat fryer
Knead the plain flour into your already made corn tortilla dough in a bowl until well combined
Add in the chopped leaves and knead again until your chaya is evenly distributed, seasoning with a little salt as you go
Once the dough is smooth take a handful of the dough (or more if you want larger empanadas) and place on a smooth dry surface - Doña Hilaria suggests using some clingfilm to make sure it doesn't stick and is easy to remove without tearing the dough
Flatten out the dough into a circle with a rolling pin or a tortilla press, or if you're a pro like Doña Hilaria just by using one hand to press as the other hand shapes the edges
Spread the beans over one half, making sure you leave around 1cm to seal, and place your mushrooms and cheese (of other fillings) on top of your beans
Fold it over and press down the edges - there should be no need to crimp or pinch but press quite firmly to make sure it's sealed. Place on a tea towel while you make the rest of your empanadas
Once the oil is boiling it should be hot enough. Place your prepared empanadas into the hot oil two at a time (depending on the size) and fry until golden brown
Remove with tongs and leave to cool
Serve with a chopped romaine lettuce, avocado and cilantro salad and salsa of your choice...or pasta if you're a feeder like Doña Hilaria
We hope you'll love this empanada recipe as much as we do! Let us know if you try it out.Doña Hilaria is one of our homestay moms, working with us to provide a fully immersive experience when you learn Spanish or Maya at Na'atik.
If you would like to read more about Mexican culture, history, cuisine and language, check out our blog page for our latest monthly articles. You can also sign up to our newsletter to receive these straight to your inbox along with the latest news about our non-profit school for local and Indigenous students in Felipe Carrillo Puerto.
The best way to experience the Mexican lifestyle is in person, with a Na’atik Immersion experience. Not only do you live with a local Mexican-Maya family, sharing home-cooked meals and free time, but also receive expert instruction in your chosen language at our school. Best of all, every immersion experience helps fund our subsidized and free local education program, helping local students to access opportunities and make their own futures.