Arepa is a typical Colombian recipe from the region Antioquia, my home state. We serve them warm for breakfast, spread with butter and cheese on top, with a good cup of hot chocolate. These arepas are an essential part of the Colombian daily diet.
You can serve them as a main course or appetizer with any topping you like.
INGREDIENTS
(4 AREPAS)
1 cup pre-cooked white or yellow arepa flour or cornmeal
1 cup warm water
1/3 cup white or mozzarella cheese, grated
2 tbsp butter
Pinch salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine the cornmeal, warm water, cheese, 1 tbsp butter and salt, mixing thoroughly. Let mixture stand for five minutes.
2. Knead with your hands for about 3 minutes moistening your hands with water as you work.
3. Form 4 small balls with the dough. Place each ball between 2 plastic bags and with a flat pot cover flatten to ¼ inch.
4. Add the butter to a nonstick pan over medium heat. Place the arepas in the pan, and cook about 3 minutes on each side, until a crust forms or they are golden brown.
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kayatthekeyboard
on Apr 8th, 2009
@ 3:06 PM:
What do you mean when you say “precooked” cornmeal? Cooked as in like polenta? That’s the only way I could figured to do it.
Erica
on Apr 21st, 2009
@ 10:32 AM:
Precooked cornmeal is called masarepa,if you do not find this kind yo can use the one you use for polenta.
koshercamembert
on Apr 27th, 2009
@ 10:01 PM:
Erica — Looking forward to getting your help with these the next time my sister visits so I can surprise her with these that she loved so much after her trip to Medellin. Thanks for the offer.
Best, Zahavah
Diana
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 2:23 PM:
These look great. I’m going to give these a try. Thank you for sharing
Diana
El Paramedico
on Jan 1st, 2010
@ 4:59 PM:
Erica,
I have done this with Grits ( I know no the same, but, the best I can do in my area)..I use less water so that the grits can be formed easier (trial and error as too how much water to use).. After the grits have cooled a little, I add mozzarella shredded, fold in the cheeze and grits.FYI-WET HANDS really does make it easier to handle… Form into balls and flatten..Then I bake them on a greased cookie sheet….I’m still trying to get the temp and timing down..but After trial and error I end up taking them out when they look like what my mom’s used to look like..They never taste the same as hers,but, I’m gettng closer!!! lol
Pedro
on Jan 23rd, 2010
@ 10:39 AM:
Erica:
In the US, the best ingredient to make the paisa arepas is “White Hominy”. You can get it from Goya foods, but there are also other sources. It is very much like mazamorra. The label on the can also calls it “Mote Blanco” and “Pozole”. It is exactly like the cooked white corn we use for the arepas in Antioquia. It comes in slightly salted water, so I drain it, rinse it, and drain it well before grinding it (on a food processor) to the consistency of the arepa dough. The result is the real thing, perfects arepas. Like you, I am a paisa, married to a gringa. But I am not the cook. She makes the most delicious Colombian foods, and she was thrilled to find your website. Thank you for doing it.
Erica
on Jan 23rd, 2010
@ 10:57 AM:
Pedro- thank you so much for the wonderful comment. I am going to try mote soon.
Stacey Viera
on Feb 27th, 2010
@ 9:17 AM:
Erica,
Thanks for sharing. I’m going to try making arepa at home. We loved eating arepa and calentado when we visited Bogota. Colombia is a beautiful country; can’t wait to go for another visit!
Buen provecho,
Stacey
Laura
on Mar 9th, 2010
@ 4:49 PM:
Wow, your website was such a find! I was born in Medellin and came to the US with my family when I was very young so I never learned how to cook our traditional dishes. Looking through your blog has brought a smile to my face! My gringo boyfriend and I want to try to make arepas this weekend, and he’s super excited to try some of your other recipes, especially that Colombian pizza! Mmmm!
Leah
on Apr 19th, 2010
@ 7:46 PM:
Thank you so much for this website! I love cooking Colombian food for my Caleño husband, and these recipes are so authentic and easy to follow! He was delighted with the arepitas we had with dinner tonight!
Stephanie
on Apr 21st, 2010
@ 3:29 PM:
The package directions state 2 cups of areapa flour to 1 cup of water. Is your masa real thin.
Marta S.
on May 16th, 2010
@ 10:37 PM:
Hello Erica,
I see everyone is as excited as I am about your blog. Great way for you to make new friends. You have a new one here in Houston, Tx. I am from Bta and my mother used to cook something that she called ‘entero’. do you have ‘entero’ in Medellin?
Gracias pues, Erica!!
Erica
on May 16th, 2010
@ 11:15 PM:
Marta- What is entero? What kind of dish?
This Month’s Healthy Bite: What is your Favorite Recipe for the Grill? | FaveDietsBlog
on Jun 30th, 2010
@ 12:29 PM:
[...] in an asadero or barbecue restaurant in Colombia eating a beef, pork or chicken skewer with arepa and papa salada is like heaven to me. Street vendors set up outside the clubs and bars in [...]
Mariel
on Aug 25th, 2010
@ 1:27 PM:
Hi, I went to Colombia 2yrs ago with my friend to visit her family and absolutely loved the food. So recently I found your blog and started making many of these recipes….which turned out delicious! (especially arroz con coca-cola…so simple. The town I stayed at was Santa Marta, and I gotta say the chuzos were amazing too. but I have a question… On the chuzos, they were spreading some sauce over them…it was kind of greenish…I was wondering if you might now what sauce that is and how to make it. Well thanks for posting up all these recipes they are great…and keep doing what you do. Best wishes
Erica
on Aug 25th, 2010
@ 3:36 PM:
Mariel- Every city has different recipes. In Medellin it is popular to marinade the meat for 24 hours with herbs and beer and spread beer with oil when you are grilling the chuzos.Maybe one of my readers can help you.