Salvadoran Pupusas
This week, the Culinary Medicine team has a recipe for Salvadoran Pupusas!
Salvadoran Pupusas Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 1 1⁄2 Tbsp. plus 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
- 1⁄4 medium white onion, diced small
- 5 oz. or 1⁄3 (15 oz.) can Central American red beans or red kidney beans, no salt added, drained and rinsed
- 1⁄4 tsp. Kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 cup instant corn masa flour
- 1 – 1 1⁄4 cups warm water
- 1 1⁄3 oz. grated queso Oaxaca or salted mozzarella (about 1⁄3 cup)
- Cabbage relish (optional for serving)
- Salvadoran salsa roja (optional for serving)
Preparation
- Mash beans with a fork in a small bowl until mostly smooth.
- Heat 1 1⁄2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook onion until pieces are well caramelized and brown.
- Transfer mashed beans to skillet with the onion and cook, stirring and scraping bottom of pan occasionally, until mixture is thick like Greek yogurt, 5–10 minutes; season with salt.
- Let cool to thicken; set aside.
- In a large bowl mix together masa flour, salt, and 1 cup warm water using your hands or a wooden spoon until incorporated. Add extra water 1 Tbsp. at a time until dough resembles a very soft Play-Doh®.
- Meanwhile, add the cheese to the cooled bean mixture and combine well.
- Divide dough into 4 balls (about 1⁄4 cup each), keep them covered with a damp towel to prevent drying out.
- Starting with 1 dough ball at a time, use your palms to flatten the ball to a disc about 1⁄2 inch thick.
- Fill the center with 2Tbsp. bean mixture.Using cupped hands, work dough over the filling to enclose, then gently flatten to a 41⁄2–5″ disk, dipping your hands in oil-water as needed. Repeat with remaining dough and bean mixture.
- Cook pupusas on a well-oiled large cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat until center slightly puffs up and pupusa is browned in spots, 5-6 minutes per side. If filling leaks out, simply scrape off pan after pupusa has cooked.
- Serve with cabbage relish and salsa roja if desired.
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