Venezuelan Arepas
About this recipe
Venezuelan arepas are a delicious and versatile dish that are both crispy on the outside and buttery on the inside. This recipe from The Frugal Chef makes it easy to whip up a batch at home, using just a few simple ingredients. Perfect for filling with your favorite ingredients, arepas are a gluten-free treat that can be customized to suit any taste.
The key to making great arepas is using warm water, which helps the precooked corn flour (like PAN) to work better. This recipe guides you through the process of mixing, shaping, and cooking the arepas for a delightful outcome.
Ingredient notes
- Use 2.5 cups of warm water for better dough consistency.
- Precooked corn flour (like PAN) can be found in the Hispanic aisle of the grocery store, not with regular flours.
Tips from The Frugal Chef's video
- Knead the dough until it's non-sticky for the best texture.
- Wet your hands with a mixture of oil and water to prevent the dough from sticking while shaping the arepas.
- Cover the formed arepas with a damp kitchen rag to keep them from drying out before cooking.
No life story here — the video and the recipe are the whole point. All credit to The Frugal Chef: watch the original on YouTube.
The recipe
Ingredients
Steps
- 1
Place the warm water in a bowl and add the salt. Mix well.
- 2
Gradually add the precooked corn flour to the water, mixing with a spoon until combined.
- 3
Knead the dough with your hands until it is non-sticky. Let it rest for a few minutes.
- 4
Prepare a bowl with oil and water to wet your hands. This will prevent the dough from sticking.
- 5
Take a portion of the dough and form it into a ball, then flatten it into a disk shape while spinning it in your palms.
- 6
Cover the formed arepas with a damp kitchen rag to keep them from drying out.
- 7
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (176 C).
- 8
Melt some butter in a skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium heat.
- 9
Place the arepas in the skillet and brown them, flipping occasionally until golden.
- 10
Transfer the browned arepas to the oven and bake for about 10 minutes until fully cooked through.
- 11
Carefully cut the arepas open, leaving one edge intact to form a pocket. Add a little butter inside and fill with your favorite filling.
Heads up — we had to guess a little:
- The amount of butter is inferred as it is not specified in the caption or transcript.
Credit where it's due: this recipe was transcribed from The Frugal Chef's original video on YouTube. Follow them there — it's their dish.
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