Life of emPi-nadas

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This Oscar Sunday, make these flavorful empanadas Life of Pi style.  In the book, the character talks about some of his favorite foods, one of them being Korma.  Korma is a very flavorful vegetable dish made with curry and heavy cream.  For this recipe, we’ve added shrimp considering the main character was at sea.

Makes about 40 emPi-nadas

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1 small potato, diced
• 1 small carrot, diced
• 1 tablespoon jalapeño, diced
• 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup green peas, frozen
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shrimp, diced
• 1 teaspoon ground curry
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1-14 ounce package dumpling or wonton wrappers
• Oil for frying

Directions

1. Chop all ingredients
2. In a large deep skillet, heat olive oil
3. Add onions and sauté for about 5 minutes.
4. Then add garlic and ginger and sauté for an additional minute.
5. Add potato, carrot, jalapeño and tomato sauce.
6. Season with salt and curry powder and continue to stir for a couple of minutes.
7. Add shrimp, peas and heavy cream and simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender.  If cram begins to dry out, add chicken stock 1/4 cup at a time.
8. Scoop out vegetable and shrimp mixture and place in another bowl to let cool (leaving some of the curry sauce for dipping).
9. Heat oil in a medium sauce pan.
10. On a work surface, place about 1 teaspoon of veggie and shrimp in the middle of the wrappers.
11. Wet edges of wrapper with water and seal.  Press with edge of fork.
12. Fry for about 1 minute or until golden.  Turning halfway.  Drain on paper towels.
13. Serve immediately with curry dipping sauce.