Pupusas are the national dish of El Salvador for good reason. Perfect for any occasion, they can be filled with cheese, pork, beans and/or anything you can think of. Pupusas are definitely a staple in my household because of their delicious nature and my father’s Salvadoran-descent. This recipe proves to be authentic, easy and most importantly, very tasty!
Ingredients for cheese pupusas:
- Maize flour (Maseca)
- Parmesan
- Mozzarella
- Milk
- Vegetable oil
- Goya Adobo
- Water
- Tomato sauce
To make the dough, add two cups of flour, two tablespoons of vegetable oil and one teaspoon of Goya Adobo into the mixture.
Next, heat up water until it is warm (be careful it is not too hot) and add enough water into the bowl slowly while mixing it until the texture is a soft, play-doh-like consistency. You will know the dough is ready when the dough does not stick to your hands.
In a blender, add one cup of mozzarella cheese, two tablespoons of milk and one tablespoon of parmesan to add more flavor. The filling needs to have a pliable paste consistency, so blend the mixture together until the texture is soft and play-doh-like. When it is done, put the filling into a separate bowl.
Roll the dough into balls the size of tennis balls and push an indent into them where the fillings will go inside of. Wetting your hands a little bit makes it easier to mold the dough.
Add the cheese filling into the balls, close them up and then flatten them.
Set the stove to medium heat and place a flat iron skillet (it is the best to cook the Pupusas on) onto the stovetop. Put the Pupusas onto the skillet and flip them after three minutes or until it is brown-colored as seen in the picture below.
After you have finished cooking all of the Pupusas, you can choose to add tomato sauce or curtido (pickled cabbage with onions and carrots) to accompany it.
Credits:
All photos by Morgan Han-Lemus '23