FOODIE: Brazillian Pastels

Written By Sherry J. Bitting
pastel-1Growing up with a Brazilian grandmother, one of my favorite dishes was her pastels.  Usually prepared on special occasions or when she was just in the mood, they were always a welcome treat.  When she first moved to the U.S., she would often make a large batch to give to friends when she didn’t have enough money to buy fancy gifts, and everyone loved them.  As a little girl, I always loved sitting with her at the kitchen table, pressing the dough with a fork to close the small patties before she would fry them in a pan of hot oil.  Well, I made my first batch as an adult a few months ago and was so excited that I uploaded a photo of them on my Facebook page!

Today, my Parlouristas, I will share the recipe with you

Ingredients:

2 cups of all purpose flour

1/3 cup of warm water

1 teaspoon of salt

vegetable oil

Filling:  ground beef which is most common, cheese or fish (shrimp, salmon)

Preparation

1) Prepare your filling.  As mentioned above, ground beef is most common, but I enjoy making them with cheese or fish.  If making with ground beef (turkey meat or crumblers for my vegetarians), you can mix in onions or olives if you prefer. Season to your liking (seasoned salt, basil, oregano, etc..)

2) Mix the flour, water, salt and 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a mixing bowl. Work with your hands until you have a smooth (not sticky) dough

3) Oil a flat surface (we always used the kitchen counter or table) and roll the dough with a rolling pan until nice and flat

4) Place a spoonful of filling on one side of the dough. Fold over and cut to a nice round shape.  Press the corners with a fork until completely closed.

5) Place on a plate or baking sheet, separating them so they don’t touch.

6) Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan and once hot enough, fry each pastel until golden brown

7) Remove from heat and place on a plate lined with paper towel and allow to cool (10-15 minutes)

8) ENJOY!!!

My pastels!!! I was so proud of myself!!!!

My pastels!!! I was so proud of myself!!!!

Last 5 posts by Sherry J. Bitting