Colombia — corn empanadas are specifically Colombian and Ecuadorian; the dough distinguishes them from Argentine, Chilean, and Bolivian wheat-pastry empanadas; Cali and the Pacific coast are associated with the finest version
Colombia's empanadas differ from Argentina's in almost every dimension — they are made from a masa de maíz (corn dough) not wheat pastry, deep-fried not baked, and filled with a sofrito of diced potato, shredded chicken or beef, and peas seasoned with hogao (tomato-onion sauce). The corn dough is made from masarepa flour hydrated with hot water, formed into a disc, filled, folded, and the edge crimped with a fork or pressed firmly by hand. When deep-fried, the corn dough becomes the defining texture: a crisp, golden shell that shatters into granular crumbs, completely different from the flaky wheat pastry of Argentine empanadas. Colombian empanadas are street food, sold from vendors' oil drums on every corner, served with ají (fresh chilli sauce) for dipping.
Street food eaten hot from the vendor; ají (fresh chilli-and-herb sauce) for dipping is mandatory; cold guarapo (sugarcane juice) or tinto (black coffee) alongside; the combination of crisp corn shell, savoury filling, and bright acid ají is the definitive Colombian street food experience
{"The masarepa dough must be warm and pliable, not cold — cold dough cracks when folded; work with freshly mixed, just-cooled dough","Roll between two sheets of plastic — the corn dough lacks gluten and tears easily; plastic prevents adhesion and allows clean disc formation","Crimp the edge very firmly — corn dough empanadas crack and open in the oil if not perfectly sealed; press the edge with a fork and run your finger along it","Fry at 175°C until the exterior is deep golden and sounds hollow when tapped — the hollow sound indicates the steam has evaporated and the crust is set"}
Add a teaspoon of annatto (achiote) oil to the masarepa dough water — the colour that develops during frying deepens to a rich orange-gold that is visually more appealing than the pale yellow of plain masarepa. The hogao filling should be quite thick — liquid filling produces steam that prevents even crisping and can burst the seal during frying; cook the filling until very little liquid remains before using.
{"Under-sealing the edge — even a small gap allows hot oil to enter and the filling to boil out; corn dough has no elasticity to self-seal during frying","Thick dough disc — corn dough is denser than wheat pastry; thick walls produce a heavy, bready empanada; the disc should be 3–4mm","Cold dough — cold masarepa dough is brittle and cracks when folded; hydrate with hot water and form while warm","Pre-filling cold dough — fill immediately after forming each disc; corn dough dries and becomes brittle quickly if left unfilled"}