Earlier this month in Costa Rica I enjoyed some unforgettable plantain empanadas.
What made the recipe so good?
The crust was a moist cornmeal dough, and the plantain filling was sweet with a bright tartness and a hint of cinnamon. Those sweet, vegan empanadas were among my favorite dishes on the trip—alongside fresh fruit, ripe avocados, and the classic gallo pinto.
Plantains and empanadas are both wonderful on their own, but combined they can be sublime when the recipe is right. After I tasted my first plantain empanada in Costa Rica, I knew I had to recreate them at home as soon as possible.
My first trip to Costa Rica was when I was in high school; I studied in San José the summer before my senior year. My señora cooked delicious meals and was a master at gallo pinto—a traditional breakfast of rice and black beans, often made with leftovers from the night before and even better the next day. I could live on gallo pinto and fresh fruit, though adding vegetables wouldn’t hurt.
I learned to make gallo pinto from my señora and brought that recipe home with me. I stocked up on Salsa Lizano—the Costa Rican condiment I love for seasoning gallo pinto—and kept making it back in Atlanta. That summer I also discovered fried plantains and, for a long time, thought frying was the only way to enjoy them. Later I found out plantains are just as delicious roasted, in stews and curries, in enchiladas, and inside empanadas.
How did I tweak this recipe?
After my recent return from Costa Rica, I set out to recreate the plantain empanadas and adapt them to be both vegan and gluten-free. For the crust I used a mixture of cornflour and cornmeal. The crust turned out a little dry with my first version, so I plan to adjust the ratio and try a blend of wheat and corn flours in a future batch to keep them tender while avoiding frying. In Venezuela, corn flour empanadas are traditionally fried, which sounds delicious, but I preferred to bake mine.
If you have tips for making cornmeal or gluten-free empanada dough that stays moist and pliable, I’d love to hear them.
Plantain Empanadas
Jenné Claiborne
8
Ingredients
- 1 cup cornflour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 tbsp coconut oil (for dough)
- 2 very ripe yellow plantains, chopped
- 1 tbsp coconut oil (for filling)
- 1 tsp coconut sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl combine the cornflour, cornmeal, and sea salt. Make a well in the center and add the warm water and 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Stir and form into a tight ball. Let it rest for 20 minutes while you prepare the filling.
- Melt 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a small saucepan. Add the chopped plantains and lightly sauté, then reduce the heat and mash with a fork or potato masher. Stir in the coconut sugar and cinnamon and continue mashing until smooth.
- To shape the empanadas: break off a piece of dough about the size of 1/2 cup and place it on one sheet of parchment. Cover with the second sheet and roll the dough flat to about 1/4 centimeter thickness.
- Remove the top sheet and cut circles using your lid or saucer. Gather excess dough and return it to the dough ball.
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons of plantain mash onto the bottom half of each dough circle, leaving a border at the edge. Fold the dough over and press the edges firmly to seal.
- Transfer each empanada to the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, until the crust is set and slightly golden.