Nope, these are NOT the same as emapanadas! These are Belizean panades, a national treasure of my parents’ home country nestled in the heart of the Central American isthmus. Panades has always been one of my favorite foods every since I was a little girl. Maybe it’s the authentic taste of the crispy corn exterior, the flavorful fish or creamy bean filling, or the spicy, crunchy sauce piled on top. It’s probably all those things, mixed with the nostalgia of my mother frying them in the kitchen on the Sunday afternoon. Panades always felt special to me, and so I’m thrilled to share with you a recipe for delicious Belizean panades in conjunction for Islamic Heritage Month for the International Museum of Muslim Cultures. I also prepared this meal live as a part of the Museum’s celebrations, and you can watch the whole this here!

Ingredients:

Cabbage and onion sauce:

1/2 of a head of cabbage, finely shredded

1 medium onion, diced small

1 chopped hot pepper (habanero, serano, jalapeno, any you'd like)

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup vinegar

1/2 cup room temp water

Fish Filling:

16oz can of salmon or mackerel, or 2 cans tuna 1 tbs olive oil

1/2 of a small onion, diced

1 small clove garlic, minced 1 cup chopped cilantro

Black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and paprika to taste

Bean filling:

2 cans of red kidney beans or black beans

2 plugs of garlic

1/2 onion

1 tbs olive oil

1 cup chopped cilantro

I made this recipe LIVE on my Instagram! Click the image below to watch the video, with lots of chatting about me and my Belizean family history:

Black pepper and salt to taste

Masa:

4 cups masa (corn flour)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp white sugar

1 tsp black pepper

Water until combines, but not too wet

Other materials - plenty of oil for deep frying, a quart-sized ziploc bag, scissors, paper towels, a large container, clean dish towels, spatula, potato masher and a tortilla press

PROCESS

Start by preparing your sauce. Shred your cabbage thinly using a grater, or just pulse in a food processor and dice your onions. Depending on your preference, you can separate the sauces ( 1 cabbage sauce , 1 onion sauce ), or make a combination cabbage & onion sauce. If you like your onions less strong, boil some water and let the diced onions soak in the water for a few minutes first and then strain off the water and discard it before making the sauce. Mix your cabbage and/or onions with the salt, black pepper, vinegar, and room temp water as well as pepper. Cover and set aside.

Next prep your fillings.

FISH: Remove any bones that may be present in your canned fish. Heat a skillet on medium heat and add your olive oil. Add your diced onions, and once they are softened, add your minced garlic. Add your fish and spices to taste and fry for about 10-15 minutes, using a fork to stir. Add cilantro in the last 1 minute to finish. The result should be reddish fish that looks crumbled.

BEANS: Heat your skillet with your oil and start frying your onions and garlic until soft. Add your cans of beans, with liquid, to the skillet and fry on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Then, using a potato masher, mash the beans in the pan as it continues to fry. Add your spices and cilantro and use a spatula to mix the mashed mixture. Do not overcook because the beans will dry out and thicken too much. If you would like it be super smooth, add the beans to your mixer instead of mashing by hand, and use a bit of water to thin the beans mixture if it has overcooked. It should be a nice paste. Set aside.

Let's move on to the tortillas. In a large mixing bowl, add masa, salt, sugar, black pepper, and paprika and stir to combine. Add water, 1/4 cup at a time, and knead in the bowl with your hand until the masa JUST comes together as a dough. The dough should not be too wet or sticky, but definitely cannot be dry/crumbly. Start separating the masa into sections, rolling in your hand to make golf-ball sized balls. Set aside. Clear some counter space and spread a clean kitchen towel down on the countertop for your unfried panades.

You'll need the ziploc bag now. Open it up, and cut along all three sides until the back is separate from the front. Cut off the top closure as well. Open your tortilla press, and place one part of the ziploc bag at the bottom. Place one of the masa balls on the center, and then the other part of the ziploc bag. Close and press until thin, but not too thin. Fill with a teaspoon of the fish filling, only in the middle, then fold and press end-to-end to close. It will look like a half-moon. Place aside on your clean dish towel, and then repeat until all the panades are filled and ready to fry.

Heat a large skillet on medium with enough oil for deep frying, or heat your deep fryer appliance. Prepare a large container lined with paper towels for drainage. Once your oil is hot, place your panades in the oil to fry on both sides until golden brown. These should take about 5 minutes on each side to fry. If the oil is too hot, the tortilla will just burn on the outside and not cook through. Once the panades are done frying, place on their tips in the container lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.

Garnish with the cabbage/onion sauce and serve! Should be crunchy on the outside, savory on the inside, and a bit of spice/sour/crunch on top!

Makes approximately 12-18 panades