A simple Recipe For Arepas

Have you been to a street fair or a festival and tried arepas? If not, do it right away, you will wonder where these delicious treats have been all of your life. Arepas are made from ground maize and originated in northern regions of South America about 1500 years ago. Today they are key components in Columbian and Venezuelan cuisines. This recipe is basic and can be done easily on an electric griddle.
This recipe is a create and assemble recipe. There are a few more ingredients than you would expect to find in a street food but the end results are fabulous. There are 4 parts to this recipe: mixing the arepa dough, preparing the filling, making the arepas and then assembling the final product. It sounds more complicated than it really is!

Is It A Taco?

No, absolutely not! This is a filled sandwich, with the breading being an interesting combination of corn flour and ricotta cheese. While the fillings can be similar to taco fillings, that is where any comparisons end.

Ingredients

 

Arepas

• 2 cups Corn flour for arepas (Masarepa or Harina P.A.N.)
• 2 cups Warm Water
• ½ cup Ricotta Cheese

Chicken Filling

• 2 tbsps. Vegetable Oil
• 4 ounces Onion, diced
• 1½ cups Chicken, cooked and shredded
• 1 tsp. Paprika
• 1 tsp. Ground Turmeric
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• ½ tsp. Oregano
• ½ tsp. Kosher Salt
• Cilantro, chopped

Instructions

Arepas

• Mix the corn flour, water and ricotta cheese. Stir well and knead with your hands to form cohesive dough.
• Heat a griddle to medium heat.
• Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and then pat into think round cakes.
• Place the cakes on the electric griddle and cook for about 7 minutes on each side, until they are golden and crisp on the outer surface.
• Remove the cakes from the griddle and keep them on warming tray.

   

 

Chicken Filling

• Drizzle a bit of oil on the griddle and add the onions.
• Sauté the onions until translucent and then add shredded chicken and spices.
• Stir well and cook about 3 minutes until chicken is thoroughly heated.

• Split the arepa with sharp knife and fill with the chicken filling.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro.

While we are using chicken here you can substitute just about anything for the filling. Shredded pork, shredded or sliced beef and fish work well. If you want a vegetarian option you can use falafel or rice.