Panada Recipe (Manado Tuna Stuffed Bread/Pastry)

Panada is very similar to Spanish/Portuguese empanada and Jamaican patty. I believe this dish was first introduced by either Portuguese or Spanish traders who came to Indonesia for spices around the 15th century. Since the East Indonesians love their fish and spices, they fill their pastry with fish and many other spices to suit their palate.

If you follow my previous post, cakalang pampis – skipjack tuna floss is the filling for this pastry. However, a friend of mine, Ellen loves to add shredded green papaya to her panada to make the filling not too dry. My first made of panada, I stuffed only with cakalang pampis and found a bit drier the inside. Then, I added with shredded green papaya to cakalang pampis and found that she is right; the filling is moister.

One of my readers thought it was pastel when he saw this picture for the first time on the Indonesia Eats Facebook Fan Page. I explained that pastel has flakier skin and different fillings. Pastel is the same as the Makasarese (South Sulawesi) jalakote or Malaysian curry puff.

Panada
-Manadonese Tuna Stuffed Bread/Pastry-
recipe by Yasa Boga and Ellen, modified by me

Ingredients:

• 250 g bread flour
• 25 mL lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 80 – 90 mL coconut milk
• 1 tbsp margarine/butter, melted
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• a pinch of salt

Filling:
Cakalang Pampis/Spicy Tuna Floss

I bought a box of pastry makers long time ago at a dollar store

Methods:
1. Add sugar into 25 mL luke warm water and sprinkle the yeast over. Let stand for 5 minutes or until its foamy.

2. In a bowl mix flour and make hole in the centre. Add egg, butter and yeast mixture, knead while pouring in coconut milk a little at a time until the dough elastic and not sticking to the bowl and hand.

3. Shape batter into large balls and put into a bowl covered with a damp napkin or a piece of plastic. Leave for 1-2 hours in a warm place until the dough rises.

4. Punch the dough and start to stir with hand again, divide by 10 – 15 and make balls. Let stand for 15 minutes.

5. Roll each piece 1/2 cm thick. Put over the pastry maker. Make sure that the pastry dough is slightly larger than the pastry maker.

6. Put a tablespoonful of filling on the center. Slowly fold the pastry maker and then press a bit firmly to seal the edges. Open carefully halfway and take out your panada. Repeat until you finished all. Let stand for 15 minutes and pinch the edge one more time with a fork, so the filling will not be popping out before deep fry.

7. Fry them. Do not use very hot oil but medium heat to deep fry so the skin still smooth without bubbles.