Vigan Empanada

An authentic Vigan delicacy, Vigan Empanada has always been one of my family's favorites. Whenever we go to Vigan we make sure to indulge into their tasty Vigan empanadas. But here in Manila, we usually get to satisfy our empanada cravings through Ilocos Empanada.



It is very much different from the usual empanadas. The crust is made from rice flour. And for the filling, nowadays they use grated cabbage, mongo sprouts, and egg. But my dad, being a true blue Ilocano, said that authentic Vigan empanada's filling is originally made from grated unripe papaya.



Here's my daddy's recipe of the Vigan Empanada. Now we'll get to enjoy it anytime we want yipee! ;p





Ingredients:




filling:

2 large unripe papaya

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 Knorr pork cube

salt and pepper to taste

eggs crust:

1/4 kilo ground rice

30g butter

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp vegetable oil

atsuete (with water) or yellow food color


Preparation and Cooking Procedures:



Peel off the papaya's skin, remove the seeds, and wash with water. Shred the papaya or if you don't have any shredder, you may cut the papaya into thin strips.





In a pan with a little cooking oil, cook the garlic over medium heat until golden brown and add in the onions. When the onions start to caramelize, add in the pork cubes and the shredded papaya. Sauté and stir continuously until all ingredients are well incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover pan and cook for 3-5 minutes. Pour into a plate and set aside.





Pour in the ground rice in a separate bowl and add in the egg, butter, water, vegetable oil, and atsuete mixture. Using your clean hands, mix the ingredients until it becomes a dough.





You will need to lay a plastic wrap, brushed with a little oil, on the table. Ordinary sandwich bags cut in half may come in handy. :) Now we're ready to make the empanadas. :)



Get a small amount of the dough, dip it in oil, and flatten into the plastic wrap using a rolling pin until it becomes a flat circle. Put 2-3 table spoons of the sautéed papaya over the crust.





Be sure to leave some space in the middle for the raw egg.





Hold one end of the plastic wrap and fold it over the other end, making a half circle out of the dough. Using a dough cutter, or a plastic plate, trim the rough edges of the empanada.





Here is what the finished empanada should look like:





Heat pan and pour in some cooking oil just enough for the empanada to be submerged. Gently slide the empanada and then cook over high heat until crispy. You'll know that it's ready when the color changes from light yellow to bright yellow orange. Cooking time is around 2-3 minutes.





Drain, serve, and enjoy!!! This may be eaten as is or with sukang Iloco.





You may also make your own dip by mixing vinegar with soy sauce, onions, and sugar.





Aside from eggs, ground Vigan Longganisa may also be added in for a more delectable treat. :)