The charm of pupusas, El Salvador’s national dish

The Kitchn

Posted: Tuesday, Dec. 04, 2012

Emily Ho - www.thekitchn.com

More than a decade after experiencing my first pupusa, I can still remember my wide-eyed joy as I bit into the thick, stuffed tortilla. Why had I never eaten one before, and how soon could I have another?! As I learned, the best part about El Salvador's national dish isn't just the warm, savory masa filled with melty cheese (or meat or beans), but its brilliant accompaniment called curtido. Like a sauerkraut or kimchi, this zippy cabbage relish balances the heaviness of the pupusa and makes it a simple yet satisfying meal for any time of day.

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Salvadoran Pupusas con Curtido

2 cups masa harina

Pinch of salt

1 1/3 cup warm water

1 cup grated cheese (quesillo, queso fresco, Monterey Jack or mozzarella)

Vegetable oil

Curtido (see recipe)

COMBINE masa harina, salt and water in a mixing bowl. Knead to form a smooth, moist dough with consistency like play dough. If the mixture is too dry, add water 1 teaspoon at a time. If the mixture is too sticky, add masa harina 1 teaspoon at a time. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let stand for 10 minutes.

LIGHTLY OIL your hands and form the dough into 8 balls about 2 inches in diameter. Using your thumb, make an indentation into one of the balls, forming a small cup. Fill the cup with 1 tablespoon of cheese and wrap the dough around the filling to seal it. Making sure that the filling does not leak, pat the dough back and forth between your hands to form a round disc about 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining balls.

HEAT a lightly oiled skillet over medium-high. Cook the pupusas for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Serve warm with curtido.

NOTE: The cheese filling may be combined or substituted with refried beans or cooked pork.

YIELD: 8 pupusas.
Curtido

1/2 head of cabbage, shredded

1 large carrot, grated

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon light brown sugar

1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)

1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

COMBINE the cabbage, carrot and onion in a large bowl. Combine the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and then pour over the cabbage mixture and stir.

COVER and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and preferably at least a day before serving.

YIELD: About 4 cups.

More than a decade after experiencing my first pupusa, I still remember my joy as I bit into the thick, stuffed tortilla.

Why had I never eaten one before, and how soon could I have another?

As I learned, the best part about El Salvador’s national dish isn’t just the warm, savory masa filled with melty cheese (or meat or beans), but its brilliant accompaniment called curtido. Like sauerkraut or kimchi, this zippy cabbage relish balances the heaviness of the pupusa and makes it a simple yet satisfying meal for any time of day.

Pupusas are incredibly simple and inexpensive to make, requiring little more than masa harina (a form of corn flour) and a stuffing like cheese or refried beans. Curtido, the accompanying slaw, is a combination of cabbage, carrots and onions in a vinegary, spicy brine. Traditional curtido is fermented, but the recipe here is simpler, requiring just a couple of hours to lightly pickle (although the longer you let it sit, the better it will be).

After mixing the masa harina with water to form a dough, roll it into balls, make an indentation with your thumb, and fill with cheese or other ingredients. If you can’t find traditional quesillo cheese, you can use queso fresco, Monterey Jack or even mozzarella. All taste fantastic.

Seal the ball, and then pat it into a round disk. Fry it until browned on both sides and serve warm with curtido. It’s as easy as that.