Every Sunday morning we all wake up super excited because that’s our farmer’s market day and without fail the first word out of Kenya’s mouth when he wakes up is “‘pusa”?! ‘Pusa is Kenyan for papusa and Kenya doesn’t just like pupusas, he loves them, and he especially loves the ones they sell at our local market.
Here in Los Angeles there are pupusa stands all over, but until I moved here I had no idea what they were. In El Salvador, where this dish hails from, vendors everywhere sell this delicious street food which looks like a thick tortilla. Hidden inside each one is a savory filling, usually made up of cheese, chicken, beans or a combination of the three and it is served with curtido (a vinegary coleslaw, generally too spicy for most kids), guacamole and/or crema (similar to sour cream).
I decided to make my own pupusas for lunch yesterday to see how I compared to Kenya’s favorite vendor at the market. When Kenya woke up from his nap and came to the kitchen he took one whiff and said “pusa”? There was actually shock in his voice (as if he thought they only came from the Salvadorian lady at the farmer’s market). You’ll be shocked too when you see how easy these are to make in no time flat and each one costs mere pennies compared to the $2 I spend on the ones at our market.
Pupusas (6 Pupusas)
2 Cups Masa Harina (corn flour)*
1 1/2 Cups Water
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/3 Cup Cheese, shredded (I used a mexican blend of cheeses)
Oil
*Serve with guacamole, sour cream, salsa or vinegary coleslaw
1. Combine the masa, water and salt in a bowl and stir to combine into a dough.
2. Divide the mixture into 6 balls and flatten each one into a 3 inch disk.
3. Place 1 tbsp of shredded cheese in the center of the disk and carefully fold in the edges to enclose the cheese.
4. Flatten the disk, covering the cheese and form into 1/4 disks (about 5-6 inches across).
5. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large saute pan. Add 2-3 pupusas at a time and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side for a total of 8-10 minutes.
6. Serve with any of the above accompaniments.
*Make sure to buy masa harina (sold at most groceries) which is different from cornmeal
**After step 4, place on sheet tray and freeze for 30 minutes or until frozen then transfer to a ziploc bag label and freeze up to 4 months. When ready, defrost in fridge for 24 hours and follow steps 5-6.
