Cum se prepară Arepas
By Chef Venezuela (@chef_venezuela)
Ingredients
- 2 cups of pre-cooked corn flour (white or yellow, PAN brand or other)
- 2 ½ cups of warm water
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- Oil for cooking (1-2 tsp)
- 1 tablespoon of oil
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion
- ¼ cup diced tomato
- 2 large eggs (whisked)
- Salt to taste
- Venezuelan- style black beans or caraotas negras preparadas
- Venezuelan-style shredded beef or carne mechada
- Cheese
- Avocado
- Fried ripe plantains
Directions
- 1In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add 2 ½ cups of warm water and the salt. Use a spoon to slowly mix in the corn flour, adding it little by little and stirring well. Let the mix rest for about three minutes to allow it to take on some consistency.
- 2Knead the corn dough vigorously until it no longer sticks to the edges of the container. There should be no lumps left and it should have a smooth consistency.
- 3Use a brush to lightly oil a large skillet or griddle pan and heat the pan over medium-high heat.
- 4Use your hands to form the dough into balls the size of a small orange. Then, flatten them with the palms of your hands until you obtain round, thick patties about 4 inches or 10 cm in diameter. You can also make smaller-sized arepas to serve as appetizers.
- 5Place the arepas in the hot pan without overcrowding and cook for about 5 minutes, use a spatula to flip each arepa and cook for another 5 minutes.
- 6If you want the arepas extra crispy, you can put them in a pre-heated oven for another 5 minutes at 180 C or 350 F. They will puff up slightly and, if tapped gently, produce a hollow sound.
- 7Add the oil to a frying pan over medium-high heat, sauté the diced onion, then add the tomato and continue cooking for another five minutes.
- 8Add the whisked eggs and a pinch of salt.
- 9Cook and stir for about three minutes, remove from the heat.
- 10Slice and open the arepas using a sharp knife. Fill them with scrambled eggs and your choice of other fillings. Serve immediately.