In Venezuela they are known as pastelitos to a mass of wheat flour filled with cheese, meat or chicken. In general, Venezuelan pastelitos are deep fried, although some prefer them baked. However, it is in the Andean zone of the country where this preparation acquires a deep-rooted and cultural character. It is for this reason that they are called Andean cupcakes. In these mountainous areas, women prepare this dish on the stove, which gives it a delicious smoky flavor.
By sharing with you the traditional preparation of this dish, we invite you to an incredible gastronomic tour through the friendly Venezuelan Andes. Keep reading and discover with us how to make Andean meat and rice cakes.
Ingredients to make Venezuelan Andean Pastelitos:
For the filling:
- 250 grams of ground beef
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 2 stalks of chives
- 1 large onion
- 1 paprika (red pepper)
- 75 grams of sweet pepper
- 4 sprigs of coriander
- 1 tablespoon of onto or achiote powder
- Enough oil to fry
- ½ cup of water (120 milliliters)
- 1 dessert spoon of salt
- 3 eggs boiled and sliced
- 1 cup of cooked white rice
For the mass:
- 500 grams of wheat flour
- 265 milliliters of water
- 3 grams of salt
- 4 grams of baking powder (Royal type yeast)
- 25 milliliters of oil
How to make Venezuelan Andean Pastelitos:
For the meat to acquire better flavor during cooking, grate or crush the garlic cloves beforehand and add them to the meat along with the salt. Mix very well and let the meat marinate. Separately, prepare a simple white rice and boil the eggs. Booking.
Tip: The amount of salt is to taste, so you can adjust it.
Gather all the vegetables and chop them into small pieces, but not so tiny that, at the end of cooking, the ingredients can still be seen. Sauté the meat with enough oil. Let it brown and the garlic flavor integrate. Thus, your Andean cupcakes will be much tastier.
Trick: You can also make your Venezuelan chicken cupcakes. To do this, at the end we explain how to do it.
When it is cooked, add all the vegetables and the powdered onto. Stir well until all the vegetables are cooked and the onoto colors the preparation. Add about a cup of water and cover the pan so that the filling of the Venezuelan Andean pastelitos is finished cooking over medium heat. When the water evaporates almost completely, correct the salt of the preparation and add the previously cooked rice. Reserve the stew for the moment of the filling.
For the Andean pastelitos dough, place the flour with all the dry ingredients in a large container. Add the water and oil or margarine. Mix very well with a spatula for approximately 3 minutes. Let stand another 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the table and knead for about 4 minutes to mix all the ingredients well. When the mixture looks shiny and springy, set it aside for 30 minutes to let the gluten settle and make it easier to stretch and work with. Divide the mixture into 2-4 parts, it all depends on the size of your table, and stretch each part until they are about 3-4 millimeters thick. In one of the already stretched dough’s, place large spoonfuls of the filling, separated from each other by about 5 centimeters. Garnish the Venezuelan cupcake with a slice of egg. Then, use a brush dipped in water to moisten the edges around each tablespoon of filling.
Carefully cover each filling with the other stretched dough and, using your fingers, press the dough’s into the moistened areas. Cut to form cupcakes, which can be round or square. Seal the edges tightly with the tines of a fork, and stick the fork into the cupcake twice to make small holes.
Trick: You can also cut circles of dough to join them or shape them into empanadas.
Heat enough oil over medium heat to fry the Andean pastelitos and brown them on both sides. Remember that you can also cook the Venezuelan cupcakes in the oven at 180ºC until they are golden, about 15 minutes. It is tradition to serve the recipe for Andean pastelitos accompanied with guasacaca and a pineapple guarapo, a traditional Andean drink.
Venezuelan Andean Pastelitos – Recommendations and accompaniments
If your budget is low, always choose chives and coriander over onion and garlic. In the Andes, chives are much more appreciated and are known as “on branch onions”. Likewise, if you wish, you can use spices such as pepper or cumin, but the most traditional Andean women do not use it for their stews.
On the other hand, you can fill the Andean pastelitos with chicken. You just need to boil it, shred it and cook it following the steps of this same recipe. Just remember that the cooked chicken is added after the vegetables are done, not before.
Finally, if you are a vegetarian but still want to know how to make Andean cupcakes, you have several options: dehydrated soy, a stew with potatoes and eggplants and, not to stray from Andean cuisine, chickpea stew.
As for the accompaniments of this delicious recipe for Venezuelan cupcakes, in addition to those already mentioned, we recommend these:
- Cheese tequeños
- Ripe plantain slices
- Sour cream
- Pink sauce
