Traditional Argentinian Food Recipes

Argentinian food is as interesting and diverse as its culture. This cuisine is known for its rich diet that is high in proteins. The staple dish of Argentina is grilled meat. Beef ribs, pork sausages, fish, lambs, and goats are often the main ingredients.

Pizzas and pastas are devoured with great gusto out here. Argentinian food is quite similar in its preparation and flavor to Italian, Spanish, and French food. Herbs and sweet peppers are used generously in this cuisine.

For the dough:

• All-purpose Flour, 2 cups
• Eggs, 2
• Salt, 2 tsp.
• Cold Water, ⅔ cup
• White Vinegar, 2 tbsp.
• Cold Butter, ¾ cup (cut into small cubes)

For the Meat Filling:

• Beef, 1 lb. (ground)
• Hard-boiled Eggs, 4 (chopped)
• Green Olive, 1 cup (stuffed)
• Raisins, (optional)
• Onion, 1
• Garlic Cloves, 3
• Cumin Powder, 3 tbsp. (ground)
• Chili Pepper Flakes, 1 tsp.
• Sugar, 2 tbsp.
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Sift the flour and mix it with salt in a large bowl. Add cold butter to it. Mix it well so that the flour has a coarse and even texture. Beat the eggs with water and vinegar in a bowl. Add this to the flour mixture and blend it well. Place the mixture on a floured surface.

Knead the dough, cover it, and keep it aside for an hour. Roll the dough to a thickness of ⅛^th of an inch and cut it into circles. These circles should be around 6 inches in diameter. Brush these lightly with flour.

You also need to heat some oil in a large saucepan. Add onions and garlic to this pan and cook till they turn translucent. Add the ground meat and break it up into little pieces. Let it cook till it turns a light shade of brown. Also add the cumin powder along with the pepper flakes and sugar as per your requirement. Add the hard-boiled eggs and the stuffed olives to the meat mixture. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375º F and stuff the empanada dough wrappers. For this, place around 2 tbsp. of the filling in the center area of each dough wrapper. You also need to dampen the outer surface of the dough. Now, fold the dough over to form a semicircle.

Pinch a corner and then fold it. Pinch a corner again and pull out another section to fold it over and allow it to overlap. Repeat the procedure till it forms a twisted shape. Use the beaten egg yolk over the topside of the empanadas and place them on a greased cookie sheet. Bake these for 20 minutes or till it turns a shade of golden brown.

• Tomatoes, 1 cup (diced)
• Red Onion, 1 cup (diced)
• Cilantro, 1 bunch (diced)
• Oranges, 2 (squeezed)
• Limes, 8 (squeezed)
• Lemons, 8 (squeezed)
• Avocados, 2 (diced)
• Serrano Pepper, 1 (diced)
• Cucumbers, 2 (peeled and diced)
• Shrimp, 3 lbs. (peeled and deveined)

Blanch shrimp for 5 minutes in boiling water. Then place it in ice-cold water and strain when it cools down. Cut the shrimp into tiny pieces and place it in a bowl. Now, you need to add the citrus juice and marinate it for 2 hours. Add tomatoes, red onions, chilies, and cilantro and marinate it again for 2 hours. Place the avocados with cucumber and serve.

These recipes should give you a brief flavor of this cuisine. Bon Appétit!