Empadinhas (smoall powk pies)
This particular recipee is from Goa an’ originates from their colonial Portuguese past. I got loads of girlfriends an’ boyfriends in Panjim, but the lady who gave mi this dish and many others is proppa straight wiv a an husband an’ free kids. Her name is Joyce Fernandes, her cookin’ is famous frooawt Goa becawse aswell as stickin’ to traditions she ‘as awlso embraced the ‘contemporary’ in ‘er cuisine. These smoall pies can be faand awl ova the world wiv different names, such as in Chile an’ Peru they are cawled ‘empanadas’, in Brasil empada, in Argentina an’ Uraguay empadhinas oa pastel pies: but in Cawnwall they are a pasty. When the tin miners left to find work in other countries they took wiv them the ability to ‘eat on the job’ wiv dirty ‘ands. An’ so the pasty was invented. A fold of pastry envelopin’ a fillin’ of vegetables an’ meat became their lunchtime meal whilst in the dark, damp environ of the pit.
Ingredienz
Imperial (Cawnish) Metric (Goan)
One paand of fatty powk (skinless an’minced) 550grms of lean minced pork
Six onions, choppt fine 6 onions cut finely
One tablespoon of oil 15ml of vegetable oil
Foa the pastry
Eight ounzes of flowa wiv teaspoon of bakin’flowa 200grms flour, 5ml baking flour
Foa ounzes semolina wiv teaspoon bakin’ flowa 100grms semolina, 15ml baking
Free free range egg yolks 3 free range egg yolks
One an’ a arf tablespoonz of shugga 20mls of fine sugar
A pinch of sawlt A pinch of salt
One tablespoon of butta 15grms of unsalted butter
Knead awl of these ingredienz until a soft dough has been formed. Do not use any wautta.
Grind to a fine paste
Too ‘ot green chillies, fresh 2 fresh mild green chillies
One dry red chilli 1 dry red chilli
One inch of ginja a thumb of ginger
Six flakes of garlic, fresh 6 slices of garlic finely cut
One tablespoon of tamarind 15grms of tamarind
A pinch of cumin seeds a pinch of cumin seeds
A quawtta teespoon of turmeric 2ml of turmeric
Six black peppacawns 6 black peppercorns
One inch of cinnamon 15ml of cinnamon
Six cloves 6 cloves
Mix the minced pawk an’ spice paste well. Braan the onions in ‘ot oil, add the meat mixture an’ stir fry foa ten minits. Then add arf a cup of wautta, a teespoon of shugga, sawlt an’ vinigga to taste. Cook until the meat is done and dry. Dependin’ on the size of the pie that you wants to make divide the dough into equal measures an’ usin’ yoa fingas press these bawls into to the well greased moulds. Spoon in sufficient of the cooked meat, cover wiv a pastry lid an’ seal the ‘empadinha’ wiv beaten egg yolk. They can then be placed a preheated oven, gas mark foa foa foateen minits.
There can be many variations in terms of the fillin’ an’ the shape of the pasty. A vegetable alternative is acceptable foa them ‘green hippies’ usin’ a mix of potatas, carrots, onions, peas, beans an’ so on. In Chile it is common to find a folded pastry case filled wiv fish in a sawse, oa beef oa fackin’ Alpaca. In Fraance they would deny ‘avin’ anyfink as common as a ‘pie’, but they ‘ave ‘em, they just call it ‘en croute’. The feem is the same awl ova the world, it is foa the common man, it is simply a savoury filling encased in pastry.