How to Cook Arepas

Many people in the United States think that food south of the border is just Mexican or Tex-Mex, but South American countries have their own culture which is vastly different from that of Mexico. Arepas are a traditional Venezuelan/Colombian snack you can cook using ingredients that are probably already in your kitchen.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Flat griddle or frying pan
• Mixing bowl
• Corn flour
• Salt
• Cooking oil
• Eggs (optional)
• Cheese (optional)
• Pepper (optional)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Mix pre-cooked corn flour, a small amount of salt and water in a bowl.

3. Scoop out 1 cup of flour for each person and add 1cup of water for each cup of flour.

4. Add some salt and mix with the flour and water until it becomes soft and doughy. Knead the dough until ingredients are uniform and the dough looks good. Shape the dough into a ball and let it rest for approximately five minutes. Some recipes call for pepper as well as salt.

5. Heat a flat griddle or frying pan and put a little bit of oil on it so that the arepa will have a little bit of a crust once it is put in the oven.

6. Take some of the dough (about the size of a baseball) and make it in to the roundest ball you can make.

7. Press the dough together so that it becomes almost flat.

8. Put the flattened pieces of dough on to the griddle and form a crust on both sides of the dough with the oil. Once they all have thin crusts on both sides, put them in the oven.

9. Put the pieces of dough in the oven for 20 minutes. To test them, tap them softly. If it sound like they are hollow inside, then they are ready. If not, put them back in the oven for a few more minutes.

Tips & Warnings

• Arepas are best served as a side to a meal, perhaps with a salad or a cup of soup.
• Harina Pan is the recommended brand of flour for use when making arepas.
• Some recipes call for egg and cheese in the dough. This is a matter of taste and should be decided by whoever is cooking the arepas. Know who you're cooking for and make the decision based on the tastes of the diners.
• The flattened dough should be about 1cm in thickness.
• Make sure the dough isn't too dry before placing it on the griddle. If it is, wet your hands as you knead and press it. If there's too much water, put more flour into the mix.
• Arepas can be eaten like a sandwich. Cut them in half and put anything you want inside.

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