Do you want to try something new for your meal? If yes, then this South American recipe will help you let you enjoy a dish that is not only easy to make but delicious to eat. Here, fried cornmeal pockets are stuffed with the fillings you want. You can add carnitas, spicy chicken, sweet potatoes, black beans, sauces, and many more fillings inside these little delicious pockets.
The name arepas came from the indigenous word Erapa, which translates to corn. Arepa is said to have a pre-Columbian origin, and were said to have originated from the indigenous tribes in Colombia and Venezuela. Both the countries make their own version of arepas using corn dough. However, the way they serve this dish distinguishes one from another.
Delicious and Effortless Recipe for Arepas!
Arepas are South American gems where pockets of fried cornmeal-like dough are stuffed with any possible good thing you can stuff in these fried pockets. The versatility of the recipe makes it one of the most adored and loved delicacies.
Now, this dish requires masarepa – which is an ingredient that can be hard to find, especially in the organic and non-GMO versions. It is dehydrated, pre-cooked cornmeal. You can sometimes find it in the Latin section of supermarkets whether white or yellow in color. In this recipe, white masarepa is preferred but you can substitute.
If you are not able to find masarepa, simply substitute the full amount of masarepa with 1 ½ cup of masa harina + ¼ cup of coconut flour + ¼ cup of gluten-free flour. It will not give you the texture of the masarepa but it will prove to be a good substitute!
We are making the Venezuelan version of arepas here. For that, you will need to simply mix warm water with little salt and oil. Then add masarepa and the dough will start to come together. So, let’s see how you can make this delicious recipe at home!
Quick Stats
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 serves
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups masarepa
- 1 ½ cups water, plus more as necessary
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons butter
- Add your favorite fillings like cheese, beans, shredded chicken, or pork
Method to Prepare
- First, preheat the oven to 325°F and adjust the oven rack to the middle.
- Now, take a medium bowl and add masarepa, cheese, 1 cup of water, and 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Knead using your hands until a dough is formed.
- Now, take out a small amount of dough and flatten it between your palms. If cracks appear on the edges, add a little more water into the dough one tablespoon at a time.
- Now, season the dough with salt and cover it. Keep it aside for five minutes.
- After five minutes, divide the dough into four even pieces and roll them into balls.
- Get a wooden cutting board and cover it with parchment paper or a sheet of plastic wrap.
- Put the dough ball on top of it and flatten each ball to make a ½-inch thick disc.
- Get a cast-iron skillet or non-stick skillet and melt butter in it over medium-low flame.
- Then, add arepas and cook them. Move the arepas around the pan and rotate them occasionally, until you see charred spots on the first side.
- Once they form a dry crust, after 5 minutes, flip them and cook the other side.
- Cook the other side until the dry crust is formed, for about 5 minutes.
- Then, transfer them to a baking sheet and slide the sheet into the oven, and bake the arepas for about 10 minutes, until they’re cooked through.
- After 10 minutes, remove it from the oven, and let the arepas rest for 5 minutes.
- Split them, fill them with your favorite filling, serve, and enjoy!
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Final Words
Whether you have never made or tried arepas, you will surely be going to fall in love with these delicious pockets of vibrant flavors. The best thing about this recipe is that you can fill it with whatever you want! So, if you want to make something that everyone will love then try these arepas!
