Pastechi is the fried savoury pastry of the ABC islands, a cousin of the Iberian empanada carried over in the colonial era. The classic filling is Dutch Gouda or Edam — a neat trace of the islands' Netherlands ties — eaten hot for breakfast or a snack.
Bite a hot pastechi and the slightly sweet pastry shatters around a molten, salty Gouda filling. Bite: the dough is crisp, golden, and faintly sweet (the ABC-islands touch), the cheese gooey and savory — a sweet-savory contrast in a hand pie. Eaten hot for breakfast with coffee or as an all-day snack; the everyday fried treat of the Dutch Caribbean.
A slightly sweet, enriched dough (with sugar and egg) is the ABC-islands signature, contrasting with the salty cheese; sealing the edges keeps the cheese in while it melts, and deep-frying crisps the pastry fast. The sweet-savory play is what sets it apart from a plain empanada.
Variations
With beef picadillo. With fish. With ham and cheese. Baked instead of fried. Spicier. Smaller for parties.
On the Palate
Where Pastechi sits in the Aruban flavor cloud
The dough is faintly sweet — with sugar and egg — to play against the salty cheese, so crimp the edges tight and fry hot and fast; a loose seal leaks melted cheese and cool oil makes the pastry greasy instead of crisp.
Ingredients
Serves 6How it's made
8 steps · 45 min active + 30 min waiting
- 132 min
Make a dough from 400 g flour, 60 g butter, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 egg, and a little milk; rest 30 min.
- 26 min
Grate 250 g Gouda or Edam for the filling (or make a spiced beef picadillo).
- 35 min
Roll the dough thin and cut into rounds.
- 48 min
Place filling on each round; fold into a half-moon and crimp the edges sealed with a fork.
Watch outCrimp until the fork marks bite right through both layers — a firm ridge is what holds the cheese under heat.
- 55 min
Heat oil in a deep pan to 180°C.
- 64 min
Fry the pastechi 3-4 min, turning, until golden and crisp.
Watch outTurn as they color; pull them at even golden and crisp, before the edges darken.
- 72 min
Drain on paper.
- 82 min
Serve hot for breakfast or as a snack.
