Basic Cheese Pupusas

Description

A popular food in El Salvador. A thick corn tortilla filled with cheese and easy to customize. Serve topped with curtido (picked cabbage) or eat plain. My ex-boyfriend’s Salvadorean mother’s recipe!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups shredded green cabbage
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup water, or more as needed
  • ½ onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • ¼ teaspoon ground oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • salt to taste
  • 3 cups masa harina flour (Mexican corn masa mix)
  • 1 ½ cups water, or more as needed
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, or more to taste
  • 1 scallion, finely chopped, or more to taste
  • cooking spray

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add cabbage and cook uncovered until slightly softened
  2. about 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes to stop the cooking process. Drain.
  3. Mix cabbage
  4. apple cider vinegar
  5. water
  6. onion
  7. carrot
  8. oregano
  9. red pepper flakes
  10. and 1 pinch salt together in a large bowl. Refrigerate until flavors combine
  11. 8 hours to overnight.
  12. Combine masa harina
  13. water
  14. and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a large bowl; knead until a smooth
  15. moist dough forms. Add water if dough cracks when you press down on it. Let dough rest
  16. 5 to 10 minutes.
  17. Stir ricotta cheese
  18. mozzarella cheese
  19. heavy cream
  20. and scallion together in a bowl to make a paste.
  21. Divide dough into 8 balls. Press your thumb into the center of each ball to form an indentation. Fill indentations with ricotta cheese paste. Pinch edges together around the filling; flatten and smooth into round 1/4 inch-thick patties between your palms.
  22. Grease a skillet with cooking spray; preheat over medium heat. Cook pupusas in batches until browned
  23. 2 to 3 minutes per side.
  24. Drain cabbage mixture and serve alongside pupusas.

Prep Time: 40 mins

Cook Time: 12 mins

Total Time: 8 hrs 57 mins

Servings: 8

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