Quintessentially Colombian, the arepa is a corn pancake that’s griddled or fried to perfection. How you enjoy them — stuffed with meat or green chickpeas — depends on your region or favorite Bogota street vendor.
In Mariana Velasquez’s cookbook, “Colombiana: A Rediscovery of Recipes and Rituals from the Soul of Colombia” (HarperWave, $32.50), due out in June, the chef and food stylist offers three versions, including this one made by grinding sweet yellow corn kernels in a food processor with cornmeal, flour and ricotta. Velasquez makes it a meal with the addition of a simple avocado and tomato salad.
Sweet Corn Arepas with Tomato and Avocado Salad
Makes 6 arepas
Ingredients
1 cup sweet yellow corn kernels
1 cup pre-cooked yellow cornmeal or masa arepa
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup quesito or fresh ricotta cheese
½ cup grated manchego or Parmesan
3 tablespoons butter, melted, plus 2 more tablespoons
¾ cup low-fat milk
Tomato & Avocado Salad:
2 cups ripe cherry tomatoes, halved crosswise
2 Hass avocados, pitted, peeled and cubed
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces quesito or queso fresco, crumbled
½ cup cilantro leaves
Directions
Grind the corn in a food processor until smooth. Transfer the ground corn to a large bowl and add the cornmeal, sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, quesito or ricotta and manchego. Using a wooden spoon, mix the ingredients to combine. Add 3 tablespoons melted butter and the milk and stir until the mixture comes together.
Do not overmix. In the beginning, your mixture will look like a very loose pancake batter. Don’t fret; the cornmeal will take a few minutes to absorb the liquid and achieve a better consistency. Allow the dough to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the tomato and avocado salad: In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes and avocados. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter until bubbles form. Measure ½ cup batter and pour into the pan, pancake
style. You can fry the arepas two at a time or more, depending on the size of your skillet. Do not crowd the skillet.
Cook the arepas until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side, adjusting the heat as you go. Place the finished arepas on the prepared baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining batter.
To serve, plate each arepa and top with a spoonful of the tomato and avocado salad, the crumbled quesito and cilantro leaves.
— Mariana Velásquez, “Colombiana” (Harper Wave, $32.50)
