Bolivian Recipes: Tucumanas

Tucumanas are hearty and deep-fried Bolivian empanadas, stuffed with a mixture of minced meat, potatoes, bell peppers, and onions.
INGREDIENTS FOR TUCUMANAS
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Ingredients for the filling:
- 300 grams of ground or chopped meat
- ½ kilogram of potatoes / about 5 medium-sized potatoes
- 1 Bell Pepper
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon Aji Amarillo
- 1 ½ teaspoons of red pepper
- ½ teaspoon of oregano
- Salt and Pepper
for seasoning
- 1 spoon of sugar
- Ingredients for the dough:
- 400 grams of flour (equivalent to 3 cups)
- 25 g butter
- 1 cup of hot water
- 1 ½ sugar spoons
- 1 tablespoon
- Salt
- Frittieröl.
- Kitchen paper
PREPARATION OF TUCUMANAS
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Preparation of the filling:
- 1. Cut onion, bell pepper, and potatoes into cubes
- 2. Boil the potatoes with a little salt
- 3. Caramelize the onion with 1 tablespoon of sugar until the onion is golden yellow.
- 4. Sear the meat in a spoonful of oil and season with salt and pepper.
Add the two cloves of garlic and stir constantly.
- 5. Add chopped bell peppers
- 6. Let it cook with a little water. Add some oregano while stirring constantly and let it cook for another two minutes.
- 7. Add caramelized onions and boiled potatoes.
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Preparation of the dough:
- 1. Mix flour, sugar, and salt well together.
- 2. Add the butter and hot water. Mix with a spoon and then knead (about 15 min) until the dough no longer sticks to your hands.
- 3. Form small balls of 60-65 grams.
- 4. The remaining dough is used to check the oil.
- The Tucumanas fill:
- 1. Roll the dough into a round shape of 15-17 cm.
- 2. Add 2 spoons of Jigote to each lid.
- 3. To close the Tucumanas, the air is removed by pressing them together with your hands. They can be pressed or sealed with a fork. 4. Fry in hot oil.