For the beef filling – 1 tablespoon olive oil, [10g] – 1 red onion, (small-sized, minced [40 g]) – 2 cloves garlic, crushed [15g] – ½ pound minced beef, [113g] – ½ cup tomato sauce, [60g] – ½ bell pepper, (diced [76g] ) – ¾ teaspoon salt, (or more, to taste) – ½ teaspoon pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground), (or more, to taste) – 1 sprig cilantro, (optional) For the dough – 1 cup water – 1 cup cativia, (cassava flour or tapioca) – ½ teaspoon salt – 2 cups vegetable oil, (corn, peanut or soy), divided For the cheese filling – ½ cup diced cheddar
Heat water to boiling point. Leave simmering over low heat. Mix cativía, salt, and ½ tablespoon of oil. Pour ¼ cup of boiling-hot water and mix with a spatula. If the dough looks too dry, add more boiling water by the tablespoon, mixing each time until you have a coherent dough, but slightly on the dry side. Make sure not to add too much water.
Knead the dough until it is elastic but neither too sticky, nor too crumbly. It should resemble regular flour dough. If at any point it is too dry, or not elastic enough, add very small quantities of water and knead (see notes).
Divide the dough into 8 balls of equal size. On a lightly oiled surface roll out the balls forming thin disks. You may need to grease the rolling pin too if sticks too much. Put a tablespoon of the beef (or a few dices of cheese) in the center, double over in a semi-circle, and seal the border pressing it with a fork. Cut into a semicircle using a small bowl.
Heat oil in a small pan (so you have at least 2 inches [5cm] of oil) over medium-high heat. Deep fry the empanadas submerged in very hot oil until they are golden brown. Don't overcrowd the pot so the temperature remains evenly hot. Place on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Serve immediately after frying. You can store the empanadas prior to frying by placing them on greased wax paper and covering tightly with plastic film. I haven't tried freezing them, so I am not sure if they can be stored this way.