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Pupusas are a salvadoran street food eaten with curtido and salsa roja. They are thick tortillas, also described as griddle cakes, filled with refried beans, cheese, and/or meat. They are made from masa harina, a special type of corn flour that can be found in stores that sell Hispanic foods. These are crunchy on the outside, and gooey  from the melted cheese on the inside. They are a savory and satisfying snack or meal.

 

Ingredients


Masa_Harina - 2 cups (what is masa harina? See "notes" below) Salt - 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt (¾ teaspoon table salt) Water - 1 ½ cups, room temperature Refried_beans - ¼ cup Cheese - ¼ cup, shredded or 2 slices mozzarella or your favorite cheese Oil - roughly 1 Tablespoon, divided (canola, peanut, sesame, avocado or other high heat oil)

Instructions

Step 1
Combine masa harina, salt, and water in a large bowl.
Step 2
Make a golf ball sized ball with the dough by pinching off a piece and rolling it between your palms. If it sticks to your hands, brush the dough with oil before rolling it. Repeat to form 10, evenly sized balls.
Step 3
Press into the dough with your finger to form a small pocket. Add 1 teaspoon of beans and 1 teaspoon/a small piece of cheese. Pinch the dough pack together so the beans and cheese are tucked inside the dough ball. Repeat with all 10 dough balls.
Step 4
Heat a skillet to medium high and pour in about 1 teaspoon of oil. Cook 3-4 pupusas at a time, depending on the size of your skillet, flipping once the bottom is golden brown (if the pupusas are burning, add a bit more oil). Then cook until the other side is golden brown. Add more oil and repeat until all pupusas are cooked.

Notes

Masa harina is a flour made of corn, use to make pupusas, tortillas, tamales and other foods common in Latin America. It is different than cornmeal, because the corn is soaked and cooked in an alkali solution before being made into flour. This makes the vitamin, niacin, more bio-available, and also makes the flour easier to cook with. You can find masa harina at markets that specialize in Latin American foods.

If you want to substitute cornmeal for masa harina, feel free to do that. Just know that the texture and flavor will be different from the traditional version, and it will not be as easy to mold into a dough ball or patty. Use finely ground cornmeal, and fry on a lower heat so that the cornmeal is cooked all the way through without burning on the outside.

Nutrition Information

Dietary Restrictions

Vegetarian