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One overhead shot of a pastel en hoja topped with hot sauce
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4.49 from 25 votes

Pasteles en Hoja (Dominican Pasteles)

Savory plantain–root veggie masa (plátano, yautía, auyama) filled with seasoned picadillo, wrapped in plantain leaves, and boiled until tender—the ultimate Dominican holiday dish.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: caribbean, Dominican, Puerto Rican
Servings: 12 pasteles
Calories: 212kcal
Author: Vanessa

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon annatto achiote seeds
  • 2 large green plantains peeled and cut in half
  • 1 pound white yautía peeled
  • 1 pound auyama kabocha squash, peeled and halved
  • 1 teaspoon adobo seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons sofrito cilantro, garlic, onion, cubanelle peppers
  • Plantain leaves sold frozen
  • Parchment paper
  • Kitchen twine cooking string
  • 3 cups cooked beef picadillo or pork picadillo for the filling

Instructions

  • Make achiote oil: In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the vegetable oil with the annatto seeds for 3–4 minutes until the oil is deep orange. Remove from heat; cool (strain seeds if desired).
  • Make the mix: Finely grate the plantains, yautía, and auyama into a large bowl. Add adobo, sofrito, and 2 tablespoons achiote oil; mix until evenly colored and well combined.
  • Prep wrappers: Cut parchment into 10×10-inch squares and plantain leaves into ~6×6-inch squares. On each parchment square, place a leaf square and brush 1 teaspoon achiote oil in the center.
  • Assemble: Add about 3 tablespoons mix to the center (leave a border), top with about 2 tablespoons picadillo. Fold the bottom up and over, roll tightly, fold in the sides to seal, and tie with kitchen twine.
  • Boil: In a large pot of salted water, boil the wrapped pasteles 30–45 minutes until firm (from frozen, about 1 hour).
  • Serve: Drain, unwrap carefully, and serve warm with ketchup, mayo-ketchup, or hot sauce.

Video

Notes

  • Keep the mix covered while assembling to prevent drying.
  • Roll and tie tightly to hold the shape.
  • Leave a border of leaf visible so the mix has room to expand.
  • Freeze up to 4 weeks; cook straight from frozen as directed.

Nutrition

Calories: 212kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 54mg | Potassium: 447mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 527IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 2mg