I have heard a lot about arepas from my Venezuelan friend Indira – she has promised for years to make them for me. She finally made them recently and they have fascinated me ever since.

Arepas originated in Venezuela, and are used prominently in modern day cuisine of Venezuela, Colombia, and in other Latin American countries. They look somewhat like pita bread, but are typically made of precooked corn flour and fried on a skillet instead of baked in the oven. They are served very hot and you can fill them with a little butter and grated cheese, which is the simple and traditional way of serving them. Arepas are also great if you are on a gluten free/heart healthy diet. If you are on a low sodium diet then don’t add the salt to the dough and of course adjust your stuffing to your diet.

Arepas should be easy to make, as they consist only of 4 simple ingredients. However, the truth is that to make truly great arepas, you need to know a few tricks that you probably won’t pick up from a YouTube video. I was able to finally learn how to make them when Indira’s mother recently visited from Venezuela and I invited myself over.

Arepas are actually incredibly easy to make, once you understand how to deal with the dough. Please note that the corn flour dough does not respond in the same way as regular white flour dough. The best corn flours to make arepas are labeled P.A.N., and are available in most supermarkets in New York and elsewhere. It is important that the dough is not too dry or it will crack around the edges when you shape the arepas. It is also important to know that corn meal absorbs water slower than regular wheat flour.

Arepas are pretty filling depending on your stuffing, so 2 arepas per person should be enough.

Recipe: Homemade Arepas

Recipe by Indira – Tina’s friend Course: BakingCuisine: Venezuela

Servings

arepas

Ingredients

250g 250g (just over 1 cup) of warm water
1 teaspoon 1 salt
1 teaspoon 1 sunflower oil for the dough
1 teaspoon 1 sunflower oil for the skillet
Approximately 135 grams (0.3 lbs/ a little under a cup) Harina P.A.N. pre-cooked corn flour (save a little of the flour after for later)

Directions

Fill a bowl with hot water, salt and oil.
Add the corn flour to the water little by little. Make sure to save a little of the flour for later. Gather and mix the dough with your fingers. The dough should be soft and on the moist side.
Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes to give it time to absorb the water. If the dough is too wet and difficult to shape, add a little more flour to the dough.
Heat the skillet on a medium-high heat. Meanwhile, divide the dough into 4 portions and shape one portion of the dough at a time. Roll the dough in your palms so it almost shapes into a ball. Press the dough slightly flat between your two palms and then use both your palms to rotate, and shape the dough into a pita bread shape. Pat the sides while shaping a bit and continue until the dough is about ½ inch thick.
Add a little oil to your skillet and spread it evenly across the skillet using a piece of paper towel. Place the shaped dough portions on the hot skillet and allow them to cook until they become golden, about 10 minutes – then flip your arepas and cook the other side. Once both sides are cooked, they are ready to serve.
Arepas should be served hot (you can fold them into a clean dishcloth to keep the heat) and can be sliced like pita bread or burger buns. Fill your arepas with a little butter and grated cheese or the ingredients of your choosing. The possibilities are endless. I personally like a little avocado/guacamole and chicken in my arepas or for a breakfast version serve them with scramble eggs.