Pupusas are most certainly El Salvador's national food. AND, they're delicious. Pupusas, for those who don't know are pockets of either corn or rice dough stuffed with any variety of ingredients and pan fried. We ate them everyday that we were in the country. We loved them so much we decided to learn how to make them. Our amazing hostel, Casa Mazeta, offered cooking classes for $1 per person plus the cost of ingredients, so we signed ourselves up!
Step 7: Make the dough into a little bowl and start adding your favourite ingredients, like LaRocco...
Step 9: Re-flatten out your dough so the ingredients get all smushed up and combined inside. Try not to have too much stuffing leaking out. You can add a little more dough to the rough spots, if needed.
Step 1: Gather ingredients: Corn flour and oil for the dough, cabbage and carrot for the salad, tomato and onion for the salsa, cheese, beans, squash and whatever other fillings you desire.
Secret ingredient: LaRocco! Its an herby vegetable that we've never seen anywhere else, but boy does it pair perfectly with pupusas!
Step 2: The chopping. If you're horribly impatient like me, employ a kitchen hand (like your husband) to do tedious work like chopping up the vegetables super small (J: The truth is that she got fired from chopping).
Step 3: Put small tomatoes, onions, salt and oregano into some hot water to boil and soften. Later all it will need is a few minutes in the blender and you'll have your dipping sauce (which I like to add hot sauce to).
It's always nice to have a local expert on hand! Thanks Racquel!
Step 4: The classic pupusa side salad: Shred cabbage and carrot, give it a pinch of salt and squeeze a lime over it
Step 5: The dough. This is definitely the part that Racquel made look easy, when in actual fact, I know will be hard when we're trying to make these at home. Corn flour, mixed with water, and near the end a little bit of oil. Knead until its the perfect magical consistency which I will probably never be able to duplicate.
Ingredients all lined up and ready: The big circle bowl is the dough. Left to right we have cheese, shredded squash, spinach, la rocco and refried beans! Veggie Delight!
Step 6: Work the dough into a flat circle that doesn't get skinny at the edges
Tip: Keep your hands oiled up when working with the dough. And be sure to let the oil heat up on the griddle before using it!
And beans and cheese......
Step 8: Fold the ends up around your bowl making it into a delicious little package.
Ready to cook!? I'm hungry!!!
Step 10: Drop your pupusas onto the hot oiled griddle. They may need to be flattened out a little bit with your fingertips once they're on the grill. Don't be shy- but don't get burnt! Flip them when they are nice and crispy!
Tip: Keep pupusas wrapped up in tin foil until they're all done and you're ready to eat!
Finally its Time!
Step 11: Eat your pupusas! YAY! YUM!
2 comments:
Sounds yummy! Did she give you the measurements for the flour, water, oil? Google states that LaRocco is found in Central America, but that chard is the closest tasting veg we have in North America. Maybe we can give them a try when you're back.
I'm in!! Let's make them!
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