Recipe: Homemade Empanadas

I recently made empanadas for one of my projects. They turned out really well, so I thought I would share the recipe with you!

Ingredients:

Dough:
  • 4 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter , room temperature
  • 1 egg , beaten
  • 2 Tablespoons oil
  • ¾ – 1 cup warm water
Filling:
  • mozzarella
  • cherry tomatoes cut in half
  • pesto

Recipe:

Dough:
  1. Add the salt and flour to a bowl and combine.
  2. Add the butter and egg and stir well.
  3. Add the oil and water and stir until it starts to come together.
  4. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover.
  5. Let it rest at room temperature for an hour or put it in the fridge, taking it out 20 minutes before using.

Assembly:

  1. Divide the dough into a few pieces. Roll each piece into a circle.
  2. Use a round template to cut the dough into circles.
  3. Place about 2 tomato slices, a dollop of pesto, and a sliver of mozzarella on one side of the empanada.
  4. Fold the empanada over, so that it’s a semi circle
  5. Pinch the edges together or pinch them, then seal the ends by crimping them with a fork .
  6. Place empanadas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with egg wash and bake at 375° for about 30-35 minutes.

How to make a Quick and Easy Payasam

This Diwali, I learned how to make a simple and quick payasam. It was delicious and I really enjoyed the making of it, so I decided to share the recipe with you! By the way, this is a shortcut payasam which takes only about 15-20 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp warm milk
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom seeds
  • pinch of saffron
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • 3 tbsp chopped nuts (you can also add raisins)
  • 1/2 cup roasted seemiya
  • 2 1/2 cup warm whole milk
  • 1/2 cup condensed milk

Directions

  1. Soak the saffron and cardamom in the 3 tbsp warm milk and set to side.
  2. In a non-stick pan, heat ghee, and fry nuts.
  3. Once the nuts are golden brown, remove and put on a plate.
  4. In the same pan, add the seemiya.
  5. Add the 2 1/2 cup whole milk to the seemiya.
  6. Let it cook for 7 minutes.
  7. Now add the condensed milk.
  8. Add the nuts and the saffron/cardamom/milk mixture.
  9. Let it simmer for 3 minutes.
  10. Enjoy!

Oreo Fudge: A Recipe

Recently I made oreo fudge. This recipe was so good and absolutely delicious. It’s very sweet and very tasty. The best part is that you only need three ingredients! It was really fun to make and I definitely enjoyed the process.

Ingredients

  • 18 oz white chocolate
  • 14 oz condensed milk
  • 2.5 cups coarsely crushed oreos

Directions

  1. Line a pan with parchment paper
  2. Prepare a double boiler and melt the white chocolate and condensed milk with the boiler, stirring often.
  3. Remove the bowl with the chocolate and condensed milk and add in the crushed oreos. Stir gently.
  4. Pour the fudge into the prepared pan. Spread evenly.
  5. Let the fudge set by cooling it for at least 45 minutes
  6. Cut the fudge as you wish and enjoy!

Mav Urundai

I roll the ball between my palms, wincing a bit from the heat. As I take in my family mingling around the kitchen, I smile. I am right where I want to be, in my kitchen making mav urundai.

Mav urundai is so easy to make! I can make at least 6 delicious roasted bengal gram balls in less than 10 minutes. They taste really good and I always have to stop myself from eating more. Each urundai is small, but it fills you up perfectly. It’s a great time to be with family. Sitting around our table, we crack jokes and play games, all while having a small mav urundai snack.

I bite into the little ball and a flood of memories come rushing through my mind. Mav urundai reminds me of so many things. I take a small bite and vividly remember days with my grandparents, having fun in the sun, and so many more wonderful things. Happiness washes over me as I finish the urundai and reach for another one.

I love mav urundai. It reminds me of home and is a great and easy snack. I totally recommend making this for a light and easy treat!

Mint Girl’s Mav Urundai Recipe

Ingredients:

  • half cup roasted bengal grams (porikadalai)
  • .37 cup of powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons ghee

Steps:

  1. Finely grind the bengal grams
  2. Add the powdered sugar and mix well
  3. Melt the ghee in a saucepan.
  4. Turn off the heat and add the powdered mix
  5. Mix well and start shaping balls
  6. Enjoy!