Beginning every month, I eagerly wait for the Daring Baker’s challenge to be announced soon on their portal. Some new exciting recipe, which is to be tried and published. But ironically, there’s already so much to be picked up before I can start thinking about it.

And then the procrastination starts, hoping to finish the challenge as early as possible. Though that early moment never comes. Sometime I feel, that this delaying of things kind of gives me a real challenge in disguise. Finishing the challenge on a busy weekday a midst long maddening working days in office, prioritizing the mundane chores at home makes it a bit more daring. And I feel I have started liking it this way.

Patri of the blog, Asi Son Los Cosas, was our September 2012 Daring Bakers’ hostess and she decided to tempt us with one of her family’s favorite recipes for Empanadas! We were given two dough recipes to choose from and encouraged to fill our Empanadas as creatively as we wished!

I was feeling a bit relieved that this time I will be doing a savory recipe. It is not often that you see a savory recipe here.  I went for the the filling of a humble mix of vegetables, chickpeas and some fresh homemade ricotta. The creamy ricotta gave a body to the humble vegetables like eggplants, red peppers and shallots which I put in to them. For ricotta, I used David Lebovitz recipe.

Ingredients

Empanada Dough

3 cups plain flour
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
200ml water
1 tsp white vinegar
1 egg
60g margerine, corsley grated

Filling

2 medium eggplant, cut into 2cm chunks
4 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, peeled & finely diced
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 cup chickpeas, boiled and coarsly mashed
1 tsp cayenne
1 cup fresh ricotta
1 small handful coriander leaves, chopped
milk, for glazing

Instructions

For dough:

1. Place flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a dam in the centre and add the remaining ingredients.
2. Stir until well combined and then turn onto a lightly floured bench top.
3. Knead for 3-5 minutes until the dough looks like a nice smooth ball or until you get sick of it.
4. Cover tightly with cling wrap and allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour but preferably 2.
5. Divide the dough in half and roll out on a lightly floured surface until it is large enough to cut out 6 circles approx 14cm diameter.
6. Using a saucer or small plate as a guide, cut out 6 circles.
7. Repeat with the remaining dough.
8. Preheat oven to 250C. Take empanada circles and place 2-3 tbsp filling {recipe follows} in the centre of each.
9. Using a pastry brush (or your fingers) brush a little milk around the edge of half the circle.
10. Fold dough over to form a half moon and roll the edges together to form a good seal.
11. Brush milk over the surface of each and transfer to 2 trays lined with baking paper and generously sprinkled with flour.
12. Reduce oven to 230C (450F) and bake for 20minutes or until golden. Serve hot with mint and coriander yogurt dip.

For filling:

1. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add oil and allow to warm up then add eggplant cubes and stir fry until golden and starting to soften.
2. Add onion and peppers and continue to cook until they are soft. Stir through chickpeas and cayenne and season to taste.
3. Allow to cool. Stir though crumbled ricotta and coriander.