Filipino Food: Vigan Empanada

Vigan empanada is much in keeping with the Vigan people’s love for vegetables in their cuisine. It is similar to a thin taco that is fried to a crisp, with vegetable and meat filling. Rice flour is used for making the crust or the shell. The galapong or rice flour dough is made a day before it is used. Atchuete or orange food color, salt and oil are mixed into the rice though. The dough mixture is then kneaded as thinly as possible on a banana leaf (wax paper is a good substitute).

Vigan empanada’s vegetable filling is made up of green papaya that is grated, toge or mung bean sprouts, monggo or mung bean and shredded carrots. Its meat filing consist of whole egg and skinless Vigan longganisa. The double special Vigan empanada has two servings of the meat filling. For the health buff, Vigan empanada sans the longganisa is also available.

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Ingredients

Casing

• 1 1/2 cup Mochiko Rice Flour
• Orange food coloring (optional)
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1 tbsp. Oil

Filling

• 1 Green UN-Ripe Papaya (grated)
• 4 pcs. Longganisa Sausage Chopped (remove from its casing)
• 1/2 Chopped Onion
• 1 Garlic Clove Finely Chopped
• 6 Eggs
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cooking Oil for deep frying

Procedure

Casing

1. Mix ingredients in a bowl and knead dough lightly.
2. Take about a 2-3 tablespoons of dough and flatten with rolling pin.
3. Set aside while you make your filling. Before you make your filling preheat your deep fryer by adding the cooking oil and set aside.

Filling

1. In another skillet pan saute garlic and onions in oil. Add Longganisa Sausage and season with salt and pepper to desired. When sausage is cooked pu t in a bowl and mix it a little to cool it down. Wait 2-3 minutes and mix in grated papaya.
2. Spoon out 2-3 tablespoons of filling to flattened dough and crack a piece of fresh egg. Seal the sides and deep fry in the preheated deep fryer.
3. Place Empanadas in a plate topped with plenty of paper towels to blot oil. Serve in another clean platter and with sweet chili dip or garlic vinegar on the side.

Dining places in Vigan have made variations to the traditional Vigan empanada with some mixing modern-day ingredients like minced hotdog in the filling. Whatever variety Vigan visitors and culinary adventurers might try, they will all have their Vigan empanadas served hot with pure Ilocos vinegar containing onions, ground black pepper and chili.

Source:
http://www.vigan.ph/empanada.html
http://www.egyolk.com/mt/lifestyle/2011/09/vigan-empanada-authentic-vigan-delicacy.html