Cheese-filled arepas


Votes: 14

How to Make Cheese-Filled Arepas
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Time: 50 min.
Complexity: easily
Servings: 8

Arepas, a traditional Colombian flatbread, are made from a special corn flour boiled in water and then dried before being kneaded into dough with salt and warm water. Arepas are fried in a pan with vegetable oil and served with any meal in place of regular bread. This recipe details how to make arepas stuffed with mozzarella, but you can also experiment with other cheeses, or fry plain arepas, then slit the side before serving and fill the resulting pocket with any filling of your choice, such as fried ground meat, bean puree, or vegetables.



The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:


  • 2 cups semi-prepared white corn flour
  • 100 g semi-skimmed mozzarella, cut into 8 cubes
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil, or as needed



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Recipes with similar ingredients: corn flour, mozzarella cheese

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:


  1. Position the oven rack on the middle shelf and preheat to 175°C.
  2. In a large bowl, combine 2.5 cups of lukewarm water and 1.5 teaspoons of salt. Gradually add the cornflour to the water and use your fingers to knead into a soft, moist dough.

  3. Form the dough into 8 golf ball-sized balls and flatten each one into a patty about 12 cm wide and 0.5 cm thick.
  4. Place a cube of mozzarella in the center of each flatbread. Fold the dough over the cheese, ensuring the cheese is completely covered and sealed inside. Form the flatbread again into a 7 cm wide and 1 cm thick flatbread.
  5. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Fry the corn tortillas in batches until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side (remember to reheat the oil for each new batch). Transfer the tortillas to a wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the edges are crisp and golden, about 10 minutes.

    When the arepas are cool enough to handle, cut a pocket in the side with a thin serrated knife, being careful not to damage the sides of the arepa. Wipe the knife clean between cuts to remove any sticky corn. Fill the arepas with any fillings you like, such as fried ground meat, avocado, and beans.





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