Colombian Cheese and Spinach Empanadas

Colombian Cheese and Spinach Empanadas are a vegetarian and gluten-free deepfried treat that you can eat at any moment of the day.

📝 Ingredients

• vegetable oil for frying
• 2 cups precooked yellow cornmeal (for example from the brand P.A.N.)
• 2 cups hot water
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• salt
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 300 grams spinach
• 150 grams queso costeño, grated (if not available, replace with feta cheese)
• 150 grams grated mozarella cheese
• 4 tbsp hogao (see link for recipe in blog post)
• 1 small handful of cilantro, finely chopped
• salt and pepper

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Start by preparing the dough. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl using a fork. Leave the mixture for 20-30 minutes
2. 2In the meantime, prepare the filling. Sautée the garlic and onion until soft. Add spinach in batches and cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper
3. 3Let the spinach cool off and squeeze out any excess liquid. Place spinach in a mixing bowl and add the grated queso costeño, grated mozarella cheese, hogao and cilantro. Mix and season well
4. 4Return to your dough and mix again, now with your hands. If the dough is too wet, add a little bit of cornmeal. If it's too dry and falls apart, add some water. Divide the dough in 12 balls, about the size of a golf ball
5. 5When using a patacon press: place one ball of dough between non-stick paper in the patacon press. Flatten it evenly into a discWhen using a rolling pin: place one ball of dough between non-stick paper and use a rolling pin to flatten it evenly into a disc
6. 6Leave the dough on one sheet of the non-stick paper and place filling on half of the dough, leaving the edges clear
7. 7Fold the other half over the filling, using the non-stick paper. Use your hands to carefully close the edges. You could also use a fork. It is important that the empanada has no little holes in it, as to prevent oil getting in
8. 8Repeat this process with the other balls of dough until you have 12 empanadas
9. 9Heat up the vegetable oil in a frying pan. You will need a layer of about 2 cm of oil in the pan
10. 10Fry the empanadas in batches for about 2 minutes per side, until golden. Drain excess oil by putting them on paper towels
11. 11Serve with ají picante