Time: 1 hour.
Complexity: easily
Servings: 8

These traditional Venezuelan cornmeal flatbreads, like PAN, are served as an appetizer with spicy black beans, mango, and avocado slices, which are stuffed into the arepas like pockets. The chipotle peppers in the adobo sauce give the beans a slightly smoky flavor that perfectly complements the sweetness of the fruit. The filled arepas can be wrapped in plastic wrap and taken on the go or on a picnic.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup + 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (425 g) canned black beans, rinsed
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 1 small red onion, cut into thin half rings
• Juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 cups semi-cooked white cornmeal
• 0.5 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 crumbled cotija cheese
• 1 small mango, thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, halved and thinly sliced

Substituting ingredients
Measuring containers used

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.

Recipes with similar ingredients

corn flour, black beans, Cotija cheese, lime juice, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, red onion, mango, Avocado, arepas flatbread, cilantro

We recommend

Preparation:

Step 1
• In a small saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until light golden brown, about 1 minute.
Step 2
• Add the beans, chipotle cauliflower in adobo sauce, 1/2 cup water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and set aside. Combine the onion, lime juice, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 3
• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 175°C.
Step 4
• In a large bowl, combine 2.5 cups of warm water with 1.5 teaspoons of salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal, stirring with your fingers until a soft, moist dough forms. Divide the dough into 8 balls, each approximately 5 cm in size. Flatten each ball to form even, 1 cm thick patties.
  
  Culinary adviceTo make neat and uniform tortillas, sandwich the corn balls between the lids of two plastic containers.
Step 5
• In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup vegetable oil over medium-low heat. Fry the corn tortillas, a few at a time, until golden brown, about 7 minutes per side (reheat the oil for each new batch).
Step 6
• Transfer to a wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the edges are crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the cilantro and cotija cheese to the onions and toss.
Step 7
• When the arepas are cool enough, use a serrated knife to cut each one down the side, about a third of the way. Then, using the tip of the knife, cut and open the center of each tortilla to create a pocket (be careful not to tear the sides). After each cut, wipe off any sticky cornmeal from the knife.
Step 8
• Generously fill arepas with mango slices, avocado, onion mixture and beans.

Votes: 1