Arepas – naturally gluten and dairy-free – these South American staples are so versatile for any meal!
Being gluten-intolerant I am always on the lookout for bread-type recipes that don’t use specialised gluten-free flour (which is expensive). We were watching one of the cooking/travel shows on TV one day and they made these arepas. After looking up what they actually were, I wanted to try them, and have many times since.
Be warned that the cornmeal used to make arepas is a special, precooked type that usually goes by the name masarepa, or masa precocida. Don’t just try to make these with polenta, or normal cornmeal because they’ll just fall apart on you!
You can make less, thicker ones, for hollowing out the middle and adding the filling, or more, thinner ones and use two for your filling. Either way, all tasty!
And suggestions for fillings? Well, give any type of stew or curry a go. Or pulled pork. Or chili. Or ham and cheese. It’s entirely up to you! Just try them and let me know what you think!
Arepas
(Gluten-free, dairy-free)
Ingredients
- 2 cups masa-repa pre-cooked cornmeal
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 cups boiling water
- 3 tbs oil
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 220C. In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal and salt. Pour in 2 1/2 cups of the boiling water and mix with a wooden spoon to form a mass. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and set aside to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
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Using wetted hands, form balls of dough out of about 1/4 cup of dough and press to form a cake about 3 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick. If the dough cracks at the edges, mix in a little more water and then form the cakes.
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Heat the oil in a sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the patties, a few at a time, to form a light brown crust on one side, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and brown on the other side.
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When all the patties have been browned, transfer them to a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they sound lightly hollow when tapped. Serve immediately.
