Colombian Empanadas and “Aji”

I picked up my kids at Sunday school and my 7-year-old asks me what is for lunch. I told him I was tired and asked him how pizza or nuggets sounded. He got really upset and told me he wanted real food. My children are like that. Junk, frozen food is not something they really enjoy and I am proud of them for that. But sometimes I wish they did like this because even a Halal mama doesn’t feel like cooking sometimes.

I am still craving Colombian food. These empanadas are a bit different than the most traditional empanadas made in Argentina and Chile as they are made with Precooked Yellow Corn Meal instead of regular flour. Don’t be intimidated as these are so easy to make, even my 4-year-old can do it (see video). These empanadas are usually served with Aji, a Colombian spicy sauce usually made with jalepeno. I didn’t have any so I made a sauce I usually make to eat with steak and added some crushed red pepper flakes.

Colombian Cornmeal Cakes with Cheese (Arepas de Queso)

What I remember best about a trip to Colombia many years back was the arepas, especially those bought from street vendors. In my view, arepa is to Colombia what pão de queijo is to Brazil. Great for breakfast or for a snack, arepas are made of precooked cornmeal and can be eaten plain, with cheese or many other variety of toppings.