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Arepa paisa
Thin white corn arepa
Arepa paisa: Antioquia's thin, plain white-corn arepa, cooked on a griddle and served with every meal
Antioquia eats arepas the way other places eat bread: a thin, pale disc of white corn sits beside the eggs at breakfast, the bandeja paisa at lunch and the hot chocolate at night. The paisa arepa is deliberately plain, with no salt, cheese or butter in the dough, so it frames whatever comes with it; locals spread it with butter or a slice of quesito at the table. It is chewy and soft inside with a toasted, freckled skin. Traditionally it is made from boiled, ground pilado corn; precooked white corn meal (masarepa) makes an excellent home version. The mistake is a dry dough: the edges crack and the arepas turn hard. Chef's tip: knead in warm water until the dough feels like soft play dough, and rest it 5 minutes before shaping.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz precooked white corn mealmasarepa blanca
- 2 cups warm water
- ½ tsp saltoptional in Antioquia, but helps for most palates
- 1 tsp sunflower oilfor the griddle
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz precooked white corn meal and ½ tsp salt in a bowl. Pour in 2 cups warm water gradually, mixing with your hand, then knead for 2 minutes into a smooth, soft dough.
2 minStep 2: Cover and rest for 5 minutes. If it then cracks when you press it, knead in a little more water.
5 minStep 3: Divide into 8 balls. Flatten each between two sheets of plastic into a thin 12 cm disc about 7 mm thick, smoothing any cracks at the edge with a wet finger.
Step 4: Heat a heavy griddle or cast-iron pan over a medium heat and wipe it with 1 tsp sunflower oil.
Step 5: Cook the arepas, in batches, until a pale crust forms and they release easily.
6 minStep 6: Flip and cook the second side until freckled with brown spots and they sound hollow when tapped.
6 minStep 7: For the classic toasted finish, set each arepa on a rack directly over a gas flame for a few seconds per side until lightly charred. Serve warm.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 140 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 29 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does arepa paisa take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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