Pupusas con Curtido

Four taco Tuesdays into our weekly family tradition, I already became bored making similar dishes. I browsed the internet for recipes using masa harina (ground corn flour used for tortillas) and stumbled upon the national dish of El Salvador: pupusas. The thick, griddled flatbreads are stuffed with delicious fillings, so I decided to fill these with refried black beans and shredded mozzarella cheese. Needless to say, my family was very happy with this taco Tuesday alternative.

Pupusas con Curtido
Prep Time: 45 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Yield: 12 pupusas (serves 4)

Ingredients
For pupusas:

• 120 g masa harina
• 360-480 g hot water
• 1-455 g can black beans, drained
• 1 jalapeño pepper, diced
• ½ white onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 6 tbsp finely shredded mozarella
• Kosher salt
• 2-3 tsp cooking oil (more if needed)

For curtido:

• 1/2 head cabbage, shredded or julienned
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, shredded or julienned
• 120 g apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp dried oregano
  
  

Directions
For curtido:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to thoroughly combine. Transfer to the refrigerator and let marinate for at least 2 hours.

For pupusas:

1. Combine masa flour with ½–1 tsp salt in a medium bowl. Slowly pour in hot water to form a stiff dough that is not sticky nor dry. Cover bowl with a damp towel and set aside to continue rehydrating the flour.
2. Create your bean filling by heating up 1 tsp oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeño, sautéing for 2-3 minutes or until onions turn translucent. Add cumin and oregano followed by the black beans.
3. Sauté the mixture to evaporate off most of the excess water.
4. Transfer the bean mixture to a blender (or a bowl and use an immersion blender) and blend into a paste.
5. Return beans to the saucepan over medium heat for 5-10 minutes to evaporate off more liquid until the mixture is not runny.
6. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
7. Meanwhile, return to your masa dough and knead a few times. Divide into 12 equal balls and flatten into a thin disk around 4-5 inches in diameter.
8. Add around 2 tbsp bean mixture and ½ tbsp of shredded mozzarella to the center of the disk. Carefully pinch the seams of the disk around the filling and slightly flatten the ball so the diameter reaches approximately 4 inches. Repeat with all of the dough and filling.
9. Heat 1-2 tsp cooking oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Place pupusas in the pan, frying on each side for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a plate and serve with salsa and curtido.

Per pupusa (not including frying oil): 111 calories; 16.1 g carbs; 5.9 g fat; 6.2 g protein

Per serving curtido: 35 calories: 8.5 g carbs; 0 g fat; 0.8 g protein

Adapted from The Kitchn.