Sausage Empadas

Whether they are called empadinhas, empadas, or empanadas these pastry pockets make a delicious and easy appetizer.  This is a great recipe as it does not have sugar which many other empada dough recipes have.  We also used salted butter instead of 4.5 tsp of salt which the recipe calls for.

Dough:

• 6 3/4 cups flour
• 1 cup chilled water
• 3 eggs
• 3 tbsps vinegar
• 1 1/2 cup amul butter (salted and cut into cubes)

Mix together the butter and flour until crumbly.  Mix together the wet ingredients.  Add wet to dry and combine.  Final dough should be shaggy.  Put on dusted flour surface and form into flat rectangle and wrap in cling wrap.  Chill in fridge for at least an hour.

Filling:

• 2 packets of Goan sausage
• 8 small onions chopped

Fry onions in the oil of the sausage, and then add chopped sausage and simmer for a little while so well mixed.  let cool. The empada dough and filling can be combined in different ways.  You can use small cup cake molds, roll out two small dough circles, with the first one folded into the mold and the second covering the top.  Another option is to put a teaspoon of filling on one circle, wet the edges with wet flour paste, then place the second dough circle on top.  Press around the edges with a fork to get a fancy edge.  A third idea?  Roll out dough, add filling, then place another piece of rolled dough on top,  Roll with rolling pin and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes of your choosing.  You can see how diamond flats and rounds with the fancy edges look from the featured image. Brush with egg yolk before baking to give a golden brown final look. Bake empadas in oven at 200 degrees centigrade until tops are golden brown.  Tap to confirm it is baked.

Notes:  You can use a wide variety of fillings, even veg if that is your fancy.  This time my cousin Preeti and I made 26 small empada cups, 6 empada rounds, 18 empada diaond shapes flats, as well as additional dough remnants that we baked to satisfy those who wanted a taste.

Chicken Lollipops

A fun chicken wing appetizer, an Indian Chinese cuisine starter.  Apparently Hakka Chinese immigrants to India settled in the Calcuta/Kolkota area and adapted Chinese seasonings and cooking techniques to Indian tastes.   For instance, in Goa it is common to see Hakka noodles, sweet corn soup, and more on menus. (Looking at Chinese cuisine fusion beyond India I found this interesting TED talk that you might enjoy.)

One can make chicken lollipops using thighs, drumsticks, or wings.  I prefer wings myself, using two of the three parts of each the wing. I do not waste the unwanted tip, simply marinating in the same marinade, dipping in rava and baking to make crispy bites, an additional dish.

A kilo of chicken wings is about 18 wings, making 36  lollipops, plus 18 crispy bites.  The following recipe is for 2 kg wings and is for those who are happy winging it.  It makes lollipops that are lightly spiced.

Butchering the chicken wings to make the lollipops:Sometimes it is easier to watch something being done, rather than explaining the steps involved, so check out video one from 1:36 to 3:15 minutes, and video two.

Lollipop marinade:  Combine 2 tbsp crushed ginger garlic, 9 tbsp of yogurt, 4 tsp of chili powder, 1 tsp of cumin powder, 1 tsp of coriander powder, 2 tsp chaat powder, 2 tsp tandoori powder, 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 2 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp lime.

Add lollipops to marinade and let marinate for a few hours.  Put in oven and bake until you observe them crisp.  Wrap the stick end in foil makes it easy for your guests to pick and nibble.  You can serve on a plate garnished with shredded green cabbage or chopped green onions to make a feast for the eyes.  Great served hot with lime wedges, and a dipping sauce of your choice.