Arepas
Naturally gluten free homemade Arepas are simple to make and can be stuffed or topped with sweet or savory meat, cheese, jams, veggies and beans to make the whole family happy.
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Servings: 4 thick arepas
Calories: 189kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup masarepa/pre-cooked cornmeal - PAN brand, white, yellow or a combination of both
- 1 ¼ cup warm tap water
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder - *optional for lighter/fluffier centes
- oil for cooking - olive, vegetable, avocado oil all work well
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees if you are making arepas that will be thicker than ¼ inch.
- Combine the masarepa, water and salt (and optional baking powder) in a small mixing bowl. It will appear watery at first. As you stir the mixture, it will quickly absorb the water and become a soft dough. If it appears dry, crumbly or cracks when rolled into a ball, add a tablespoon or two of water until it becomes a soft dough.
- Let the dough rest for 5 minutes in the bowl covered with a towel. Then divide the dough into eight (or four) portions. Roll each portion into a ball, then flatten into a disk about ¼ inch thick (or almost ½ inch for thick).
- Heat a non-stick frying pan to medium heat with just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Cook each arepa for about 7 minutes on each side. Cook longer if needed, to create a nicely browned crust on both sides.
- Tear off a small piece of one of the thin arepas to check to see if the middle is gummy or sticky. If so, place them on a sheet pan and bake for another 5 minutes. Thick arepas will almost always need to be baked in the oven for another 10 minutes to cook the middle thoroughly after pan frying them. They should sound hollow when tapped and will be slightly puffed in the center.
Notes
*Note: Baking powder is not traditionally used in arepas, but it does help with creating a less dense middle if you prefer that.
Nutrition
Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 147mg | Potassium: 176mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 2mg