Pupusas
Ingredients
For salsa roja
Spicy Curtido (Pickled Cabbage Slaw)
Curtido is a lightly fermented cabbage slaw common in Central America.
Servings: 1pint
Ingredients
1.Thinly slice the cabbage, onion and jalapeno. Grate the carrots.
2.Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl.
3.Add the liquid mixture to the veggies and combine well. Crush the cabbage a bit so that it will fit into the jars.
4.Fill one pint-sized Mason jars with the veggies and top with the brine.
5.Seal well and let ferment overnight in the fridge.
Recipe Notes
Kosher or pure sea salt are most commonly used for pickling. The additives in iodized salt will sometimes affect the brine so it isn’t recommended.
Using a half jalapeno still creates some real heat even though it doesn't sound like much. You can always dial back and use less (or none) if you want a milder version.
If you don't have Mexican oregano you can simply omit the oregano.
Traditional Curtido: Fermented Cabbage
Curtido is a lacto-fermented cabbage relish that’s a required accompany to pupusas: El Salvador’s national dish.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1⁄4 cup plus 1⁄3 cup vegetable oil, divided
- 1⁄4 medium white onion, halved, broken up into individual layers (petals)
- 8 ounce canned Central American red beans or red kidney beans
- Kosher salt
- 3 cups instant corn masa flour or approximately 18 oz (such as Maseca Instant Corn Masa Mix)
- 22-24 oz hot water
- 4 ounces grated queso Oaxaca or salted mozzarella (preferably Polly-o; about 1 cup) Salvadoran Cabbage Relish (Curtido) and Salvadoran Salsa Roja (for serving)
- Heat 1⁄4 cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook onion, tossing occasionally, until pieces are charred on all sides, 10–12 minutes (oil will smoke and onion will pop, so be careful). Don’t stop cooking at “browned,” they need to go further.
- Transfer onion to a blender, reserving oil in pan. Add beans and their liquid to blender and purée, gradually adding 1⁄4 cup warm water if mixture is too thick and blender is struggling, until smooth.
- Heat onion oil over medium. Transfer bean mixture to skillet and cook, stirring and scraping bottom of pan occasionally, until mixture is the consistency of thick Greek yogurt, 5–10 minutes; season with salt. Let cool (refried beans will thicken as they sit, and that’s exactly what you want); set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat masa flour, 3 tsp. salt, and 2 2⁄3 cups hot water on medium speed until dough is very thick and sticky (alternatively, mix in a large bowl about 1 minute). Let rest, uncovered, 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix cheese and bean mixture in a medium bowl.
- Combine remaining 1⁄3 cup oil and 1 cup warm water in a medium bowl. Dip both hands in this mixture and rub your hands together to coat. This will prevent dough from sticking to your hands, and will hydrate dough as you assemble.
- Divide dough into 12 balls (about 1⁄4 cup each), keeping them covered with a damp towel so they don’t dry out.
- With 1 ball in the palm of your hand, use your thumb of the opposite hand to create an indentation in the center. Pinch sides to create a well for the filling (it should look like half of a coconut shell). Fill hole with 2 Tbsp. bean mixture. Pinch dough around filling to enclose (it’s okay if some is poking out), then gently flatten to a 41⁄2–5" disk, dipping your hands in oil-water as needed. Repeat with remaining dough and bean mixture (you may have some filling left over).
- Cook pupusa in a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat until center slightly puffs up and pupusa is browned in spots, 3–4 minutes per side. If filling leaks out, simply scrape off pan after pupusa has cooked.
For salsa roja
- 1 ounce dried Ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 1 ounce dried Guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 1 dried Arbol chile, stem and seeds removed
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and quartered
- ½ medium yellow onion, chopped
- 8 ounces of canned diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fire roasted)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
- 1 cup chicken broth, plus a little extra if necessary
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- Heat a heavy 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Cut all the chilies open along one side, so that they can be laid flat. Working in batches, cook chilies in the skillet, pressing down with a spatula, until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 5 seconds on each side; be careful not to let chilies burn. Transfer to a large bowl and cover chilies with hot stock, setting a small plate on top to keep them submerged. Let stand 30 minutes.
- Saute onions and garlic in 1 Tbl oil, stirring occasionally, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer onion and garlic to a blender.
- Transfer chilies and stock to the blender with onions and garlic, and add cumin, oregano, black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, sugar and 1 cup tomatoes with juice. Blend mixture until smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula occasionally, about 1 to 2 minutes on high. If the mixture won’t blend, add another 1/2 cup of stock.
- Press sauce through a strainer to remove bits of skin (you can skip straining but the sauce won’t be as smooth).
- Heat one tablespoon oil in a medium-large saucepan over medium heat. Add sauce to pan and stir, bringing to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a slow and steady simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is dark red and thick like a gravy, 20-30 minutes. If too thick, add a little water to thin it out.
Spicy Curtido (Pickled Cabbage Slaw)
Curtido is a lightly fermented cabbage slaw common in Central America.
Servings: 1pint
Ingredients
- 1/4 head green cabbage
- 2 carrot
- 1/4 onion
- 1/4 jalapeno or Serrano
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 3/4 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt (Kosher or sea salt)
1.Thinly slice the cabbage, onion and jalapeno. Grate the carrots.
2.Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl.
3.Add the liquid mixture to the veggies and combine well. Crush the cabbage a bit so that it will fit into the jars.
4.Fill one pint-sized Mason jars with the veggies and top with the brine.
5.Seal well and let ferment overnight in the fridge.
Recipe Notes
Kosher or pure sea salt are most commonly used for pickling. The additives in iodized salt will sometimes affect the brine so it isn’t recommended.
Using a half jalapeno still creates some real heat even though it doesn't sound like much. You can always dial back and use less (or none) if you want a milder version.
If you don't have Mexican oregano you can simply omit the oregano.
Traditional Curtido: Fermented Cabbage
Curtido is a lacto-fermented cabbage relish that’s a required accompany to pupusas: El Salvador’s national dish.
Ingredients
- 1⁄4 Head Cabbage, sliced thinly
- 1/4 Medium White Onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
- 2 Carrots, shredded
- 1/4 Jalapeno or Serrano Pepper, cut into thin slices
- Zest and juice of one lime
- 1 1⁄2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt (or Coarse Sea Salt) Distilled water
- Sterilize one pint sized canning jar and lid.
- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the salt.
- Pack the curtido mixture into the jar leaving a little room at the top to cover with liquid to keep mold from forming while the cortido ferments.
- Add distilled water until the cabbage mixture is covered completely. If you have glass fermentation disks (they keep the cabbage under the surface of the liquid, add one of those.
- Cover the top of each jar loosely with a canning lid so it can breath. If you have a cap with an airlock, use one of those.
- Allow the jars to ferment for at least two days and up to a week on a countertop at room temperature. After a few days the curtido mixture should begin to lightly bubble with lactobacillus activity.
- After fermentation you can seal the lid on the top and keep in the refrigerator for several months.