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
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.
- 55 min
Heat oil in a deep pan to 180°C.
- 64 min
Fry the pastechi 3-4 min, turning, until golden and crisp.
- 72 min
Drain on paper.
- 82 min
Serve hot for breakfast or as a snack.
