Think about strolling round on the busy streets of NYC—just a few stuff you would possibly spot among the many sea of persons are dozens of yellow taxi cabs and a scorching canine stand (or just a few hundred of them, TBH). Identical to scorching canines have develop into ubiquitous in American consolation meals, arepas are one of the vital fashionable meals to nosh on in locations like Colombia and Venezuela.
The gluten-free dish is crunchy, flavorful, and full of considered one of our favourite components… corn! And, after all, like TikTok-famous corn-bassador Tariq, we can also’t think about a extra lovely factor than the starchy veggie except it’s a recipe full of it, like arepas. The traditional Latin American dish is made with just a few easy components like cornmeal and water and could be filled with cheese, candy plantains, or protein-packed beans, simply to call just a few.
On the most recent episode of Alt-Baking Bootcamp, diet coach and baker Sashah Handal shares her model of an excellent simple gluten-free, vegan arepa recipe. Though there are alternative ways to make and eat arepas like these three-ingredient Venezuelan-style arepas, one factor that we are able to all agree on is that they’re completely scrumptious with a heaping pile of freshly grated cheese or creamy avocado.
Why will we love arepas a lot?
For starters, this crunchy, crispy dish is made utilizing cornmeal, which is a naturally gluten-free and vegan ingredient filled with protein and fiber. In every serving of the cornmeal—which is roughly one arepa—you will discover nearly six % of your each day worth of dietary fiber and about two grams of protein. And, like your favourite burrito or sandwich, the true magic is in the way you select to stuff or prime your arepas.
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Within the episode, Handal makes her interpretation of an arepa with simply 5 components and some easy steps. “That is simply the standard approach that my household would make and revel in them,” she explains. Although most arepa recipes name for solely corn flour, water, and salt, Handal provides softened vegan cultured butter, baking soda, and cornstarch for added taste and texture. (FYI: Don’t fret when you don’t have these components available, an arepa could be made with out them as nicely.)
After making the dough, shaping the arepas, and cooking them on the stovetop till golden brown and crispy, Handal tops them off with quite a lot of components like creamy diced avocado, pineapple-mango salsa, and pico de gallo. If that’s not your cup of tea, you may as well slice them down the center and stuff them with a Venezuelan-style avocado rooster salad (reina pepiada) or scrambled eggs with onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes (perico).
Handal’s gluten-free, vegan arepa recipe
Yields 5-6 servings
Components
1 cup masa harina (precooked corn flour)
1/2 cup corn starch
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups scorching water
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp vegan cultured butter, softened
1. In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, starch, and baking powder.
2. In the meantime, in a small saucepan, warmth the water. Take away from the warmth as soon as scorching, and add salt. Let it cool barely.
3. Slowly add half of the recent, salted water into the dry components till the dough is shaggy. You could not want the entire water for this step.
4. Subsequent, add the butter to the dough in small items. Utilizing your palms, work the components collectively till the dough is absolutely integrated and never moist or too dry. Cowl with a kitchen towel and let it relaxation for 10 minutes on the counter.
5. Form the dough into small, spherical disks. In a big pan over medium-high warmth, add the remaining butter. Cook dinner on one aspect till golden brown for about 10 minutes, flip, and repeat.
6. Serve scorching and end with the toppings of your selection, like avocado, pico de gallo, or salsa.