WPM
Associates are diverse in many ways, including country of origin.
Each month the IDEA Council will feature a WPM Associate who hails
from a different country.
Our latest submission includes a recipe from El Salvador for
Papusas. Enjoy!
Pupusas – Beans and
cheese
Curtido (slaw)
Ingredients:
- 1 small green
cabbage
- ½ red onion
- 1 carrot
- 2 tbsp of
salt
- 1 tbsp of dried
oregano
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar or
white vinegar
- Jalapeno as
desired
Directions:
- Using a knife finely shred the
cabbage and onion. Using a cheese grater, shred the carrot. Cut
jalapenos in juliennes or slices. Put the previous ingredients in a
large bowl with hot water and leave for 3 minutes. Then drain and
put back in bowl. Add salt, dried oregano, and vinegar. Mix mixture
and let it rest for one hour. You can let rest in the fridge or
just in a room temperature space.
Red
beans (can purchase canned beans or make your
own)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of whole red
beans
- 3 quarts of water
- ¼ white onion
- One small piece of green
pepper
- 1 clove of
garlic
- 4 tbsp of oil
Directions:
- In a high-powered blender add
the water, beans, onion, green pepper, and garlic. Blend until they
are very smooth. In a frying pan, heat up the oil then pour the
blended beans. Add salt and chicken bouillon to taste. Stir over
medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Stir constantly until they thicken.
Then set aside and let cool completely. The beans will get very
thick as they cool.
Salsa Ingredients:
- 6 tomatoes
- 1/4 white
onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 jalapeno (if
desired)
- 4.5 cups of water
- 2 tbsp of oil
- Salt and chicken
bouillon
Directions:
- Add the 4 cups of water to a
pot and boil. Leave the other half cup of water for later use. Once
water is boiling add the tomatoes and let continue to boil for 4-5
minutes. Remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and let cool a
little bit. Once the tomatoes have cooled a bit, add to a blender
with the ½ cup of water, onion, garlic, and jalapeno (if desired).
Pour mixture into a small pot and add the oil. Add salt and chicken
bouillon to taste. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Masa Ingredients:
- 4 cups of corn
flour
- 3-5 cups of lukewarm
water
½ tbsp of salt
Directions:
- Mix the corn flour, salt, and
water together to form a thick masa. It should not be sticky, but
it should also be very soft. To begin, only add 3 cups of water
then continue to add as you feel is needed to soften the masa. Set
aside until ready to use, do not put in the fridge.
Cheese Ingredients:
- 2lbs Shredded mozzarella
cheese
- One pinch of salt
Directions:
- Place the mozzarella cheese in
a bowl, and place in microwave for one minute. Add the salt and use
your hands to mush the cheese until it is
malleable.
Assemble and cook pupusas:
- In a small container or bowl
mix 2 cups of water and 3 spoons of oil. Set aside as this will be
used while assembling the pupusas.
- Heat a large skillet or
griddle over medium-high heat.
- Wet hands with the water and
oil mixture so that the masa does not stick into
hands.
- Take about 2 ounces of the
masa and form into a ball, then flatten the ball into a thick
disk.
- Add cheese then the beans (as
desired) to the center of the disk.
- Fold the edges of the masa up
and around the cheese and beans to form a ball and grab some more
of the water and oil mixture.
- Pat and shape the ball into a
flat disk (medium thickness), evenly spreading the beans and cheese
out along with the masa. This process is called palmear, as it is
done using the palm of your hands.
- After forming the pupusa add a
small amount more of the water and oil mixture then put into the
hot pan/griddle. Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes until browned.
If the cheese is melting out of the sides, no worries, that’s what
it is all about!
P.s. there is a wide variety of
fillings for the pupusas. They can be filled with pork
(chicharron), zucchinis, chicken, shrimp, vegetables, etc. In El
Salvador pupusas are a breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can eat
them whenever you are hungry. Enjoy with coffee, hot chocolate,
Horchata (typical Salvadorean drink), or a nice cold
soda.
