EL Salvador-Comida

El Salvador Food

In El Salvador, choosing what to eat is a major chore. The options are endless! With so many great restaurants to choose from, you find yourself eating out instead of cooking in your own kitchen.

Pupusas are must-try when travelling in El Salvador. They are fried corn or rice tortillas filled with beans and cheese. They can be found at any one of the many "pupusarias" around the country.

Recipe for Pupusas

• Makes 4-5 pupusas
• Masa harina -- 2 cups
• Warm water -- 1 cup
• Filling (see variations) -- 1 cup
  

Instructions
In a large bowl, mix together the masa harina and water and knead well. Knead in more water, one tablespoonful at a time if needed, to make a moist, yet firm dough. (It should not crack at the edges when you press down on it.) Cover and set aside to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
Roll the dough into a log and cut it into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball.
Press an indentation in each ball with your thumb. Put about 1 tablespoon of desired filling into each indentation and fold the dough over to completely enclose it. Press the ball out with your palms to form a disc, taking care that that the filling doesn't spill out.
Line a tortilla press with plastic and press out each ball to about 5-6 inches wide and about 1/4-inch thick. If you don't have a tortilla press, place the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap or wax paper and roll it out with a rolling pin.
Heat an ungreased skillet over medium-high flame. Cook each pupusa for about 1-2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned and blistered. Remove to a plate and hold warm until all pupusas are done.

Variations

Pupusas de Queso: With a cheese filling. Use grated quesillo, queso fresco, farmer's cheese, mozzarella, Swiss cheese or a combination. Add some minced green chile if you like.

Pupusas de Chicharrones: With a filling of fried chopped pork and a little tomato sauce. A reasonable facsimile can be made by pulsing 1 cup of cooked bacon with a little bit of tomato sauce in a food processor.

Pupusas de Frijoles Refritos: With a refried bean filling.

Pupusas Revueltas: Use a mixture of chicharrones, cheese and refried beans.
Pupusas de Queso y Loroco: With a cheese and tropical vine flower filling. Loroco can be found in jars at many Latin markets.

Pupusas de Arroz: A variety of pupusa that uses rice flour instead of corn masa.
Cooked potatoes or finely minced, sautéed jalapeño peppers are also tasty fillings. Try a mixture of different fillings.

Soups are very popular at social events in El Salvador. Sopa de pata is a soup made from patas de res (cow feet), plantain, corn, and tripe, this soup is a delicacy to many locals.