Colombian recipe
How to make Arepa
All over Colombia, since pre-Columbian times
A round, flat cake of corn dough, grilled or fried, eaten at any meal. It can be plain, topped with butter and cheese, or split and filled. Colombia has dozens of regional kinds, from the Paisa arepa of Antioquia to sweet corn arepas.
Ingredients
- 250 g pre-cooked white corn flour (masarepa or harina precocida)
- About 350 ml warm water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened, plus a little oil for the pan
- 100 g grated mozzarella or other mild cheese (optional)
Method
- Mix the corn flour and salt in a bowl. Add the warm water little by little and knead with your hands for 2 minutes, until you have a soft dough that does not crack. Add the butter and the cheese, if using.
- Leave the dough to rest for 5 minutes, then divide it into 8 balls.
- Flatten each ball between your palms into a round about 1 cm thick. Smooth any cracks around the edge with a wet finger.
- Heat a lightly oiled frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the arepas for about 5 to 6 minutes on each side, until they have golden spots and sound hollow when tapped.
- Serve hot, with butter and fresh cheese, or split them open and fill them with eggs, beans or meat.
Made it at home? Tick it off and it goes into your kitchen passport.
In 2006 the arepa was chosen as Colombia's cultural symbol in a national competition run by Semana magazine. Arepas were already being made about 3,000 years ago by the Muisca.
Take the trip to Colombia
