How to make arepas

      An easy and simple recipe to prepare the delicious arepas at home. Arepas are traditional from Venezuela and Colombia, they are prepared with precooked corn flour, water, salt, and a little oil. They are served with a variety of different fillings. This recipe is shared by our collaborator Jani Díaz from Venezuela.

     Arepas are a food of pre-Columbian origin; long before the arrival of the settlers, the date is not specifically known, since the aborigines consumed the arepas. The name of the arepa and its origin are disputed with Colombia, but the same food is consumed throughout America with different names, for example, in Mexico they are known as "Gorditas".

     The original preparation of the arepa was with chopped corn, a process that involves cooking boiled corn with ashes or lime, then washing and peeling it. Finally, it was ground and this dough was diluted with water to form the arepas and cook them on the grill. This was a very laborious process that forced the housewives to get up early to offer this food in their breakfasts.

     In the seventies, the Venezuelan engineer, Luis Caballero Mejías invented precooked corn flour and its consumption became massive. To the point, arepas are the Venezuelan breakfast par excellence, they can be fried or cooked on the grill. The variety of fillings is very wide, ranging from cheese (any variety) to stewed meat or leg. However, one of the most traditional fillings is known as “Reina Pepiada”, it is a tasty combination of shredded chicken with avocado and mayonnaise. Also, the so-called Creole breakfast is nothing more than arepas stuffed with: parakeet eggs, shredded meat and black beans.

     The preparation of the arepa is very simple, which is why it is even consumed at lunch or dinner. I remember from a very young age my grandmother preparing the arepas, her hands with the force of a stove resisted the high temperatures of the freshly made arepas. She took them from the budare (a kind of plate used to cook the arepas), gave them a soft and loud pat to know that they were ready before placing them on the plate.

Ingredients

2 cups of precooked cornmeal

4 cups of warm water

a pinch of salt

1 tablespoon of oil

For the filling (Perico Eggs)

¼ cup onion finely chopped

¼ cup diced tomato

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons oil

a pinch of salt

Creole filling

½ cup of prepared black beans

½ cup of shredded meat

Preparation

     Spread the oil in a large skillet and put it on the stove over medium high heat.

     Place the water and a pinch of salt in a bowl; add the flour little by little and stir with a spoon. Wait about three minutes until the dough takes a little consistency. Then knead it vigorously until it doesn't stick to the edges of the container. There should be no lumps left.

     Form spheres the size of an orange and then squash them with the palms of your hands until you obtain circular arepas of about four inches in diameter.

     Place them in the skillet and cook covered for about 5 minutes; uncover and back to the arepas. If you want the arepas very crunchy, you can put them in the oven for about 10 minutes over medium heat 180 ° C. The arepas will bulge slightly and if you tap them gently, they will make a hollow sound.

For the filling:

     In a skillet over medium high heat, add the oil and sauté the onion, then add the tomato and stir for about five more minutes. Add a pinch of salt and the beaten eggs.

     Cook covered for three minutes and then stir, peeling the parakeet off the edges. Remove the heat.

     Open the arepas with a sharp knife from the side and fill one with beans, another with shredded meat and finally the parakeet eggs.